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Coach Cutcliffe's Opening Statement:“Man, am I glad to be at Duke. This is a good feeling. You look for those good feelings in your lives and this has been a good feeling all along. You surround yourself with great people in anything you do, and you try to put yourself in a great situation and stay around great places. It just hit me in every direction that I was in the right place at the right time. I was around great people and I was at a great institution. I had an opportunity to meet a number of the football players earlier and they were sitting in their chairs; I didn’t have to say, “sit up straight and put your feet on the floor” because they were already doing that. I was looking into the eyes of a bunch of guys that are winners. I know they’re winners off the field and I know they’re going to become winners on the field. If they’re willing to pay the price, that’s what happens. I read a little of the Duke Mission [Statement] and Joe [Alleva] used the word, “balance.” I like the academic integrity. That’s a good feel and that is something that is important to me. If you have outstanding character and you have the determination to see something through and get it done, then you apply what has to be done. I liked the Duke Mission Statement. We’ll put a little mission statement together for football and that will all be found in that. I want to thank Tennessee. I want to thank the previous staff here for their hard work and commitment to what they were doing day after day. I know those gentlemen and their families sacrificed a lot to get the program going and get the young men here and I appreciate what they’ve done without a doubt, and we were certainly respect what they’ve done over the last few years. We have a president and director of athletics that I have to thank so much because they are about total commitment. I can promise them that we will be totally committed to bringing winning football back to Duke.”
On the questions he asked on his visit to Duke:“[I wanted to know] what their plan was. My job is to have a plan; what is the administrative plan to make Duke football better? They quickly went into what they were going to do from a commitment standpoint. There is a strategic plan that has been worked on and I’ve already briefly gone through that. You look at what Mike Krzyzewski has done here and the other sports here; it all comes together when you put those strategic plans and I believe we have 100 percent commitment from the administration to make that happen.”
On recruiting:“I’ll go after the same guys; obviously, the bigger they are and can still run, the better. I don’t want a guy that looks good in his uniform that can’t run. We’re going to start with people that can run. There are three parameters you can’t miss in as an assistant coach when you’re on the road recruiting. You can’t miss in character, you can’t miss in academics because that’s right in front of you, and I don’t want a coach to bring me a guy who can’t run.”
On leaving a legacy:“I came here to stay; I came here to make this home and I’d like to be here a long time. I try to stay away from ego but I am a believer in legacy. The most important lesson to me is to leave a place better than you found and I’m about that. I really want to be a part of that. I want to leave Duke football far beyond what we found it and when you hand the ball off to the next group – whenever that is years down the road - that you’ve done something special. I have a sense of satisfaction that way. I love this opportunity. Years from now I want to look back and say, look at what we did; we did make a difference. That’s what we came here to do.”
Links will be here, so check back! I will have my thoughts up tomorrow.
"When I announced my decision to move in a different direction with our football program I clearly stated our criteria. We were looking for a leader who has head coaching experience, preferably at the Bowl Championship Subdivision (BCS) level; has directed a winning football program; has an outstanding offensive mind; has proven himself on the recruiting trail; will represent the University in an exemplary fashion, both on campus and in the Durham community, and understands that at Duke academic excellence goes hand-in-hand with excellence on the playing fields. We found that person in David Cutcliffe. Coach Cutcliffe is well-respected among his peers and his former players for his coaching knowledge and motivational skills. Coach Cutcliffe’s values are well-aligned with the institutional values of Duke University. We believe we have found the right man to lead our football program to the excellence that is synonymous with Duke."
Joe Alleva, Director of Athletics, Duke University
"David Cutcliffe’s hiring is a clear sign that Duke is serious and committed to its football program. He is an established coach at the highest level of collegiate competition and his track record speaks for itself. Coach Cutcliffe has traveled roads our program has not enjoyed in recent years, and that can only benefit the young men he will lead here at Duke. I am excited about this hire for our University, our Department of Athletics, and most importantly, for the current and future Blue Devil football players."
Mike Krzyzewski, Head Basketball Coach, Duke University
"David Cutcliffe is a great hire for Duke University. He is an oustanding football coach that understands all aspects of the game. He is an accomplished recruiter and great communicator. He’s also a tremendous worker and he and his family will always represent Duke University in a first class manner."
Phillip Fulmer, Head Football Coach, University of Tennessee
"I’m excited for Coach Cutcliffe. I think he deserves to be a head coach again. His influence on me has been well documented; he was a huge reason why I chose to attend the University of Tennessee. Speaking for Eli, Coach Cutcliffe being named the head coach at Ole Miss was a swaying factor in Eli’s decision to go to school there. He’s done such a great job at Tennessee and is a great match and a great fit for Duke."
Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts
University of Tennessee, SEC Player of the Year & First Team All-America, 1997
No. 1 Overall Selection, 1998 NFL Draft
NFL MVP, 2003 & 2004; MVP, Super Bowl XLI
"The greatest thing about Coach Cutcliffe is his ability to teach the game of football. He works so well with quarterbacks in particular, and teaches you how to lead your team from that position. He works hard, is dedicated and has a passion for winning. I know his teams will be well prepared for anything that happens in a game."
Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
University of Mississippi, SEC Player of the Year & First Team All-America, 2003
No. 1 Overall Selection, 2004 NFL Draft
"I’m very excited for Coach Cutcliffe and I think that all the people associated with Duke should be excited. He’s an outstanding human being and a really good football coach."
Archie Manning
University of Mississippi; First Team All-America, 1969 & 1970
College Football Hall of Fame, Inducted in 1989