‘Fantastic kids’ are the foundation of Baylor’s program as Grobe era begins
Baylor’s acting head coach Jim Grobe wanted to make it clear that the Bears have “have fantastic kids, and we need to continue to stress that.” That’s what led to him saying Baylor “doesn’t have a culture problem” as he talked to reporters on the last day of Big 12 Media Days July 18.
Grobe said many players make it a point to be contributing members of society, including going on mission trips, such as the one quarterback Seth Russell went on last month and doing community work.
But, he added, because of the indictments of Sam Ukwuachu and Tevin Elliott, many believe the football team has more felons than missionaries. And that’s not the case, the coach said.
“Nothing is more important than our kids’ character and integrity,” Grobe said. “I think we need to show that in everything we do, that Baylor is a fantastic place to go to school and that we have fantastic kids playing for us.”
The reason he kept the coaching staff intact was because no one told him of any misbehavior from any of the assistants, though he was assured that he could make changes if he wanted to. And strictly from a football perspective, the coaches have helped Baylor become a successful program. In the end Grobe thought it benefited the players to have some familiarity after losing former head coach Art Briles, former athletic director Ian McCaw and former university president Ken Starr.
“For me to come in and make changes without reason made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever,” Grobe said. “They have been very successful and done a great job on the field.”
Baylor will have 70 scholarship players after some asked to be released from their Letters of Intent, others transferred, some were in academic trouble, four were medically disqualified, some graduated and others were dismissed. The NCAA allows 85 scholarship players. He anticipates having 100 players for fall practice in August.
Grobe said the big issue for the team because it affects depth. Four of the ones who wanted to be released were “difference-maker-type kids, and we’re really disappointed to lose them.”
“But I like our talent,” he added. “I like where we are.”
So he believes the new Baylor coach will be able to sign a full recruiting class of 25 in February.
The coach said he has stressed to the Bears that they’ll be closely watched and to make sure what is written and talked about is for plays on the field and positive things away from it.
“Going forward they have to understand that an individual’s actions can adversely hurt and reflect on so, so many people,” he said.
Grobe believes what has happened with the program will make the university better in the long run, he said.
“Baylor University right now is better than ever because we have confronted some problems and made changes in the way we deal with problems going forward, and I’m talking about serious problems,” he said.
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