The last of the 16 coaches spoke to the media and the final free lunch was served Saturday as the 1996 WAC Football Preview came to a close at the MGM Grand Hotel.
Here are a few leftover notes and quotes from the three-day extravaganza:- LaVell Edwards made a few in the Utah media laugh as well as himself when he referred to his quarterback as "Sark Arslanian" instead of Steve Sarkisian. Arslanian, of course, is the former Weber State head coach and father of current coach Dave Arslanian.
- Utah free safety Harold Lusk, son of a preacher, charmed the media more than any other player with his ability to talk and his quotable quotes. Utah coach Ron McBride said he has known Harold since he was 14 and has learned not to pay much attention.
"He comes into my office every day and talks, but I never listen to him. You guys probably listened to everything he said and wrote it down. I haven't written anything down that he's said in years."
- Edwards got laughs at the kickoff luncheon on Friday when he talked about how Las Vegas promoters might not want to have BYU make it to the WAC Championship Game here Dec. 7.
"They used to say when we went to (the Holiday Bowl in) San Diego that BYU fans would bring a $50 bill and the 10 Commandments and never break either one of them," he said.
- Concerning retirement, Edwards said, "I'm taking it a year at a time. Very frankly, right now I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I like to play golf, but if that's all I had to do, it would drive me nuts."
- Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala is expected to be one of the best running backs in the league this year. McBride recalled the day the 280-pound back accidently broke his ankle in a preseason practice last year. "He came over and said `Sorry coach, I hope you don't cut me.' "
- Each of the 16 teams brought two players for interviews. Although the players were only in town for 24 hours, they quickly formed lasting friendships. New Mexico quarterback Donald Sellers said, "It's not often you get to know each other off the field. We're having a great time." BYU's Chad Lewis said, "It's been fun - they're really good guys. (Utah's) Rocky Henry is one of the funniest guys I've ever met."
- If the players who attended the meetings are any indication, the WAC definitely has some of the best names in college football. Among the players on hand were Tulsa's Muadianvita Kazadi, Rice's Ndukwe Kalu and UTEP's Best Ihegborow.
- SMU's placekicker Daniel Hernandez not only kicks with both feet, he will play for the school soccer team as well as the football team this fall.
- Either they really like it or WAC football coaches are much more diplomatic in their views on the expanded WAC and the quad system than the WAC basketball coaches who continue to blast to new arrangement. To a man, the football coaches had no negative words about spoke favorably on the new WAC.
"Why worry about it? It's done. There's not use sitting around worrying about it," said Utah's McBride.
BYU's Edwards said the main drawback is that "it'll be tough for the fans to identify with some of the new teams."
- Rice coach Ken Hatfield, who coached at Air Force in the early 1980s has been to Arkansas and Clemson since then. When asked what the WAC has to do to gain more respect in the nation, he said, "We've got to have an undefeated season by one team and we've got to win more intersectional games."
- UNLV coach Jeff Horton, whose team is picked for last in the Pacific Division, said "The WAC is glad to have us. I noticed that we have six away games and all six are homecoming games."
- Not all coaches are expecting to win the WAC this year. UTEP coach Charlie Bailey said if his team wins five games it will be a successful season. SMU coach Tom Rossley says his No. 1 goal is to break a 10-game losing streak.