Q&A with Jim Grobe

What was it about this situation that you were open to take this job at this time?

I've been in coaching 39 years, and typically what happens, when the head coach is removed, the staff is replaced. In some cases coaches come in and push the old guys out, because they want to bring their own guys in.

And I knew that after I talked to coach (Grant) Teaff, there was a lot of hurting going on here. And in my heart, I really missed the kids and the coaches. I missed the game planning. I missed all the things football wise, but in this situation I really felt like it was coming from the heart.

I felt like we could help a coaching staff and a group of kids that obviously were shaken and needed some direction. So aside from missing football, I felt like I could help.

For the last few years, Baylor fans have had much to be proud of, and obviously that’s taken a bit of a hit now. What do you say to fans of this University and football program at a time like this?

Our goal right now is to restore confidence, not so much as far as wins and losses, but in our integrity and our respect. The collateral damage that comes from bad behavior out of just a few kids can be overwhelming, as we know. And so for us, I want everybody to know we've got great kids--great kids.

And I'm sure I'll still have a few guys that I've got to dust off once in a while, but that's on every football team. There is no football team in the country that doesn't have some players, some more than others, that are kind of outliers or a little bit edgy, and I'm ok with guys that are a little edgy.

But we have a no tolerance policy for bad behavior. Absolutely zero. And I would like for all of our Baylor fans and alums to understand that winning is very, very important. Being good students is very, very important, but nothing is more important than character.

How important will it be not just for the season, but moving forward with the program for the fans and the Baylor people to rally around this program?

The thing that's disappointing is we've been given a black eye right now, but I think coach Teaff said it best. We're going to turn a setback into a comeback.

I want our players to get up every day and think, "Ok. I'm going to be a good guy, nice to people. Treat people with respect and dignity." That should go on every day. Our recruiting needs to reflect that. No matter how good a player you are, we want you to, No. 1, be somebody that's going to come in and make Baylor proud.

You had a reputation at Wake Forest for not just saying that character matters, but for demonstrating it. What are some ways you tried to instill that with your players?

We talked about integrity and we talked about character, but the bottom line is they have to understand that it's a privilege to play football. It's not a right to play football. And as important as winning is you can't ever sacrifice character for playing football. We want our guys out there, but more importantly, we want them to become great fathers and great husbands. And we want them to go forward and be great people in society, and if they're not doing that at Baylor, they won't be on the football field.

What are your initial thoughts on the facilities here, and the team that you're taking charge of now?

I think the No. 1 thing for me is how impressed I've been with everybody associated with Baylor and with Baylor football. We've got outstanding people here, and that's where it starts. And I've been very impressed with our football team.

We've got a great group of young people here. We've got great people supporting them, and our facilities are second to none. All the pieces are in place. We just need to heal a little.