University of North Carolina Athletics
A Conversation With John Bunting: Part II
December 29, 2000 | Football
Dec. 29, 2000
y: Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue: What is the biggest challenge this team faces right now?
Coach Bunting: "Mentality. Thinking that they're vying for second place. I never went into a game in my life that I didn't think I could win, and that will include Florida St. That will include Florida St. this year. There's no way we'll play them and not think we can beat them.
"There's a mentality that we have to get rid of. I think there is some of that that exists on this football team.
"What that means to me is that they're not very confident. What we have got to do is work in a manner, we've got to work in a smart way, to make these young football players aware of the possibilities, award of high standards, aware of high goals, and work with a purpose to do only one thing, compete with the big boys. Take it to another level.
"Why not us? We're going to work hard enough to do it. We've got enough athletes to do it. So what's the difference? There's no reason that we can't be a Top 10 team. There's no reason why we shouldn't be competing for the conference championship every year.
"We're going to get the best players. We're going to get very good players from the state of North Carolina and from outside of North Carolina. We're going to get great coaches in here who are going to be great teachers and great role models for our players. We're going to teach them to be competitive like they've never been before.
"That's what it all boils down to in the end, when you talk about on the gridiron, on the field, it's competing. Competing with a high standard, with tremendous conditioning, do it the right way, do it for sixty minutes.
"That's where I think there's another perception about our team, that at some point in time, they're going to fold. That's got to change. Sixty minutes, it's a long game. There's a lot of things that are going to happen. There's a lot of scenarios that are going to pop up during the course of a game, and you've got to overcome those obstacles. You've got to be resilient.
"That's what I'm all about. Being kind of an average guy in the NFL, and there were a few injuries along the way, you've got to be resilient. And also coaching for eight years in the NFL, coaching in difficult situations, not always fun situations, you've got to be resilient.
"Being number one in run defense last year for the Rams and getting let go by the new head coach, you better be resilient. The day that happened, my dad cried. My 80-year-old father cried on the phone when he heard that. I said 'Dad, I can't talk to you right now. I've got someone else I've got to call. I've got to get a job, and there's not many jobs out there. I'll get back to you in about 15 minutes.' He said 'Please call back, son!'
"I felt so bad that I was leaving my 80-year-old father hanging, but I had to do that. Forty-five minutes later I had another job. A lot of my family and friends are still bitter about what took place there but, it's part of the business. It can happen, and you've got to be resilient. You've got to be confident, and you've got to go on. You don't look back.
"That's another thing these players have got to learn. It's not only sixty minutes, it's one play at a time, one play at a time. I can't control what happened the previous play, we've got to go on. We've got to get ready for the next one.
"The next one we may be very successful at. We may run it for a touchdown, we may create a turnover. You have to think that way, it's a mindset. At that point in time, I can't think about 'God, why did he do that, what happened here, what could I have done differently?' It's happened.
"I did everything I could for that team in St. Louis, everything I possibly could, and I've got a Super Bowl ring to show for it. But, the new person taking over, for whatever reason, didn't see it that way. He asked me a hard question, I gave him a hard answer. He didn't like my answer, and here I am.
"If it hadn't have happened, this wouldn't have happened. I really believe that, I really do. If I had been in St. Louis, this wouldn't have happened. It took me going to New Orleans to get here.
"It was a blessing in disguise. There's no doubt in my mind. There's no doubt in my mind that it was meant to happen."
TarHeelBlue: This is a question I asked Coach Webster. Who's job is it to motivate a player? Is it the player's job, the coach's job, or both? Who gets them fired up?
Coach Bunting: "There are some players who are totally self motivated, they're self starters. They were either brought up that way, or someone impacted their life early, so that that's the way they always are.
"I don't think the vast majority of people are that way. They need some type of motivation. They need something that will grab their attention, something that will make them remain interested. I think it's getting a little harder, year in and year out, for the young people, as there's so many distractions, so many things they could be doing.
"How do you get them to tunnel their vision on doing what we want them to do? When I approach them, I don't talk to them just about football. I talk to them about their schoolwork, I talk to them about their personal development. I'm not here just to put a winner on the field. I'm here to help them. I want them to be successful in school and to graduate.
"That's why I'm here. I want to be a part of their lives. I want to have a positive impact on their lives. I want this program to have a positive impact on their lives, by having good guys that make the right decisions.
"That's not to say everything's going to be perfect. We're going to have problems, we're going to have someone do something dumb, stupid, embarrassing. It's going to happen, but that's the wrong choice, that's the wrong choice.
"I want our people in this building to make the right choices, over and over and over again. When you do that, then it's going to form somewhat of an attitude. The Carolina guys that I played with had an attitude. They really did.
"The Johnny Cowells, the Mike Mansfields, the Paul Millers, the Paul Hoolahans, the Don McCauleys. These are not people who have great egos and go around flaunting the fact that they're Carolina guys. I think people sometimes have a misperception about Carolina people. Carolina people love this place, and feel so good about this place, that they always want to be around this place, or near it. Whether it's watching a game on TV up in New York state, or following the team through a news-letter or the internet, or going to a bowl game. That's the way I perceive it.
"I mean, I would come down to the ACC Basketball Tournament every year with my little brother. We loved competition, and we thought the ACC Tournament had some of the greatest competition you could ever see. It was just fun to watch.
"But, I had a special pride in how those guys who played for Dean Smith conducted themselves, on campus, in class and on the court, in a classy, professional way. That was my perception. Those guys were special.
"That's what I think about Carolina. It's special. I don't think there's anything like it. That's the way I think a lot of Carolina people are, and that's why I want this program to represent those people."
TarHeelBlue: What's the worst thing one of your players can do on the field?
Coach Bunting: "The worst thing? Not care. Not care. And that will show up in the way he performs. It will show up by not hustling, by being selfish. You know, 'give me the ball, you're not blitzing me enough, you're not playing the coverage I want to play. Give me a chance to run the ball more.'
"That's how it's going to show up. That's not caring. That's not caring about the program. That's the worst thing you can do.
"And, also, they can show it in one other way. If you don't behave in the proper way out on the field, it's very offensive to me. This is a team sport. When you score a touchdown, you should look back, just like Dean Smith's players used to do, and point to that offensive line, that's what you should do. Not stand there and point at yourself. It's not going to happen here.
"You thank your teammates. We're in this together. That's what I want to see."
Part I - Wednesday, Dec. 27: Bunting on his preferred style of offense and defense, as well as a look at how he will delegate the responsibility for coaching the special teams.
The next two installments will be as follows:
Part III - Monday, Jan. 1: Bunting will talk about his thoughts and actions during his hiring process, plus discuss the impact that other coaches have had on his career.
Part IV - Wednesday, Jan. 3: Coach Bunting will discuss what it has been like to return to Chapel Hill, and how he plans to restore pride in the Tar Heel football program.
