LSU O-Line Coach Brad Davis: “God Didn’t Bring Me Back Here To Fail…"
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Arriving near the tail end of their LSU coaching interview round-up, The Jordy Culotta Show welcomed Tigers' OL Coach Brad Davis in studio for an insightful, extended conversation with Jordy and the crew, ranging from Brad's time at Arkansas, his chaotic first season at LSU, sterling reputation for recruiting / development acumen, as well as covering the bright future for LSU’s young offensive line.
Widely regarded as college football’s premier offensive line coach, Brad Davis is also a proud Baton Rouge, Louisiana native and stood out as one of Coach Ed Orgeron’s strongest hires within his 4 year tenure.
Following Davis’ arrival in June 2021 from Sam Pittman’s Arkansas, the former Belaire High graduate proceeded to “flip the script” for LSU’s offensive line fortunes….both on the field or along the recruiting trail, each achieved during significant stretches of roster attrition.
Rising from the Orgeron era’s ashes, LSU's "last 2021 assistant standing" stopped by for a lengthy chat as he enters his second season at the offensive line helm, leading a unit who are as equally inexperienced or uncertain as they are gifted & deep.
The conversation had to start at the beginning…Coach Davis' roots: The State of Louisiana and his coaching mentor, OL Guru & current Arkansas Head Coach Sam Pittman.
"I love him," Coach Davis extolled about his former boss at Arkansas. Not only did Pittman offer a young Brad Davis an Oklahoma scholarship out of high school, he also helped guide the future LSU O-Line Coach’s career trajectory.
"I don't have many regrets, professionally, the hardest thing I had to do, professionally, was to tell him I was leaving, coming home. He was happy for me, but it hurts not to see it through with him."
Coach Davis also revealed his previous aspirations to become a defensive line coach; After a conversation with Pittman, everything changed.
"Initially when I wanted to go into coaching, he was so groundbreaking and I don't even think people understand what Sam Pittman has done for college football. When I was at Texas A&M, I was a graduate assistant on the D-line. We had Von Miller, Michael Bennett, we had some elite players. I wanted to pursue that, because I thought I could make it, per say, in that realm. Coach Pittman said 'the market is saturated with D-line coaches who look like you. The O-line world doesn't have anybody that looks like you. So, if you can be patient, come learn from me…I will make sure you get your shot. He's taught me everything I know, player and recruiting management. Everything I am and everything I have today is because he believed in me."
Asked about his quick-draw hire last summer and his first year on the job at LSU, Coach Davis opened up even more:
"My wife and I, right now, are hanging pictures, we got here last June, we never really unpacked, we got here and got right into the meat of things, trying to build relationships with our players, trying to learn a system so I could teach it. I had to really know what my players knew first. I tried to keep things as consistent as I could. I didn't want to come in and change vernacular, I just made tweaks when appropriate. There were some growing pains because we had an older group who were used to doing things their way. I got in there and challenged 'em. There was a little bit of complacency, I think there were still some remnants of guys being drunk from the National Championship. So people just assume you show up and it happens, cause it's LSU. So, I had to coach that out of them."
Focusing on LSU's strong rushing surge behind Ty DavIs-Price's 1,000 yard season and an ever improving O-line, the Louisiana-native recalled:
"The first game my parents ever saw at Tiger Stadium was the Florida game, where we set the single game rushing record. I'm telling you, it was a perfect day...sun was shining, LSU were running the football like they're supposed to. Next morning, we found out we were canned. I didn't know if I was going to have health insurance next year."
Discussing life on Coach Orgeron's doomed 2021 staff, LSU's O-Line Impresario said "It was hard, we tried to hold it all together. Coach O did a hell of a job being invested....and I'll say this to his credit: he showed up every day and worked. I think that says an awful lot about him and his love for LSU and our players. Trying to hold it all together was tough. Coaching the last half of the season not knowing if you have a job, it was difficult, but we made it about the kids."
Summing 2021 up, Coach Davis explained, "it was tumultuous, it was adverse, my faith was tested, I can promise you that, but the entire time I held true to what I believe. God didn't bring me here to fail."
When bringing up Coach Davis' historic interim Head Coaching gig vs Kansas State (becoming the first ever black Head Coach in LSU history), the former Arkansas assistant opened up about his family's hardworking roots & the joy he felt making them proud:
"It was an honor. Man, I'm a nobody from nowhere, know what I mean? I don't come from a family of coaches and this long history of people who've gone on and done these things....my family worked, we hustled, man, we worked, we did everything we could to provide food on the table...that's what I saw from my parents. So…for them to have the opportunity to see me on that platform was awesome, man. I can't even put it into words."
When speaking about his goal right now, Coach Davis kept his edge:
"I'm blessed. But here's reality for me. I'm focused on results, now, I wanna win. The feel good part of this has run its course, I'm glad to be here, but I want to be known for being an unbelievable offensive line coach. I don't wanna be a guy that's just known for being from Baton Rouge."
Once Brian Kelly was hired, the former Irish Head Coach removed almost everyone from Orgeron's existing staff, except Coach Davis.
Detailing the process behind his retention, Davis told a story about recruiting Emery Jones in front of Brian Kelly:
"We went out to Catholic High, Emery and I already had a relationship. His mother and I had a great relationship, her and I actually grew up in the same part of town. I told him, whether I'm there or not, go to LSU, make an impact there, it's the best place to build your brand. He said 'Coach, I'm going to go to LSU.' Later at dinner, Coach tells me, 'if that's okay with you, I want to keep you on staff'. I thought i cracked every rib in his body, I hugged him so hard."
On his high reputation as a recruiter / developer & what he looks for in a prospect, Coach Davis said "I think every coach will tell you they are looking for a piece of themselves in a kid, honestly. Obviously you look for measurables, they have to have a certain body to play in the SEC, so you eliminate guys off the bat. From there, you look for movement skills, guys that can bend, explosiveness, looking for the traits that separate 'em..."
Keeping 5 star left tackle Will Campbell home within the state of Louisiana, Coach Davis possessed no shortage of praise for the freshman prodigy:
"If he made a mistake and he got beat, it bothered him. And I like that about him. I don't want a kid who's all 'that's part of the game, it's ok'....No man; He (Will) holds himself to a standard and elevates everyone else around him. I put him with the 3rd team for the first week of practice; it took him a week to play himself into the 1st team......He's going to be a star. The rest of the room has to live up to him…..He’s talented as the day is long, but it’s a toughness…really, ever since I’ve been here, every meeting he’s the first one there. I don’t know how his parents raised him, but he has it. Really, the strength in our room is in our young players....if I can hit a home run with this next class, which I will, then the future is going to be bright."
Speaking about Emery Jones' skill set and character, Brad Davis had equally lofty praise as he did for Campbell:
"He's a young man who's dealt with a ton of adversity, lost his father at a young age. His mother Taneka, a hard working woman, raised her family with a ton of pride. Here's a kid who's struggled with things in his real life but really has allowed football to be a saving grace. He's a kid who's as tough as an old leather boot. Just has grit, is raw...He's a fighter."
Summing up Jones and Campbell, Davis declared:
"….There's all these 4 or 5 star kids that get a lot of recruiting hype, get the whole world promised to them and then get to college and fizzle out. These two guys won't be that and it's because of what's inside of 'em, it's not just talent. They're made of the right stuff. I don't know how to explain it, man, they're Louisiana kids...they're from here..."
Coach Davis called his OL room an "entirely different room than last year", creating a classroom type setting.
“There’s a growth mindset in our room, which I’m happy about. It’s a professional atmosphere. They’re watching film, they’re asking the right questions, they’re engaged. There's no complacency because you ain't allowed to be. For the first time since I've been here, if you screw it up, someone else is behind you to take your place. I wanted to create a competitive environment...”
Attention turned to one of the roster's most questioned positions, center (Charles Turner and Fitz West Jr locked down the top two spots through Spring ball):
"We've got a group of guys that have been training at that position, i want our center to be one of, if not the smartest guy in the room. And so we have a couple candidates right now, Marlon Martinez who's coming off an injury, Charles Turner, Fitz West actually had an unbelievable spring as a young player. We're trying to bridge that gap with him from a mental standpoint but as far as physically, he's one of the best. We've had Garrett Dellinger snapping the ball, he's been a utility guy for us. I mean he started at guard, tackle and tight end for us (last year). I'm not worried about it (finding their center)."
When Jordy highlighted guard Xavier Hill's rising confidence, Coach Brad Davis echoed that sentiment:
"I'm proud of him, I am. (Laughs) He dug himself into a little bit of a hole, not making great decisions, not taking care of business. He can acknowledge that. That's not saying anything that's negative, but what he has done is he got a new shot at life for a second with the new staff....and he wants to make good on it. But I'm telling you, this kid is super talented. He's got freakish traits, he's strong, he's twitchy, he's incredibly intelligent. Man, he's come light years. So what he needs to do now is work on earning the trust of his coaching staff. He just had his best semester of college, over a 3.0...."
After all was said and done, The Jordy Culotta Show supplied interview magic for nearly an hour. Watch the Full Interview to see & hear Coach Davis’ thoughts on LSU's transfer O-linemen Tre'Mond Shorts & Miles Frazier, how each one of LSU's 4 different quarterbacks could change the entire offensive line scheme / structure, the importance of communication at the line, the best player he's ever coached, LSU's offensive line odds in 2022, how many younger trenchmen will take spots this fall and why he returned to LSU:
"I knew I could accomplish every single one of my goals here....
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
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