Most Memorable College Football Coach Press Conference Moments
College football gives us countless wonderful and memorable moments on the field. But it has also given us some terrific ones off it.
Most of the time, when coaches and players get in front of the media in a press conference setting, what spews from their mouths is cookie-cutter, coachspeak responses that make you want to roll your eyes at the regurgitations.
But being a "good quote" is worth your weight in gold for media members, and the fans love it, too.
Every once in a while, we're given magnificent glimpses through the veneer into what the subjects in those press conferences are really thinking. Honesty breaks through. And in other cases, the human side can shine, as well.
We will mostly stick with those golden moments of hilarity because those are the most quotable, redeeming ones. But press conferences have provided some giggles we can't forget.
Here are some top recent memories. If there was a video to back it up, that gave its nomination for this slideshow a little jolt because it's always better to get to see them for ourselves.
Mike Leach's Battle Royale of Mascots
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Mike Leach was a national treasure, and his death in December shocked the college football world.
The man who waxed poetic on many topics and had an affinity for swashbuckling pirates, simply did not care what you thought of him, and he was always so genuine—and so awesomely weird.
Getting a glimpse into his mind was a deep, glorious adventure, and he so often let us in. No matter if it was during his days at Texas Tech, Washington State or Mississippi State, there have been many soundbite moments.
But my favorite one was when, as Cougars coach in 2019, he waxed poetic on who would win a battle royale between Pac-12 mascots.
He mused whether a Sun Devil has "mythical powers" and wondered if "Harry Potter activists" could read up on how to kill one. He also questioned if a Trojan or a Ute has a horse or is on foot and what his weapon is. The Stanford tree, the Wildcat and the Husky had "no chance," though.
He ultimately landed on a Buffalo being "utterly outstanding" and then talked about how his Cougars will find a way.
From start to finish, it's hilarity and brilliance, yet it still makes you think. This is an all-time moment.
Mike Gundy Is a Man!
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From his posturing for raises by flirting with other jobs to catching some flak for being outspoken, Mike Gundy is no stranger to being in the public spotlight.
The long-time Oklahoma State coach and former quarterback is also pretty darn good at what he does.
But, despite having a 156-74 career record, including a great 11-5 mark in bowls, he will never quite live down the moment 15 years ago when he blew up and mined voice-track gold with the all-time legendary "I'm a man! I'm 40!" tirade.
The day was September 22, 2007. The season was early, and things weren't great in Stillwater. It was about to get rough, too.
Oklahoman columnist Jenni Carlson wrote a column criticizing Cowboys quarterback Bobby Reid's attitude and anxiety, among other things, and Gundy...um, well, he didn't take too kindly to it.
"THAT'S WHY I DON'T READ THE NEWSPAPER!" Gundy shouted. "BECAUSE IT'S GARBAGE! AND THE EDITOR THAT LET IT COME OUT IS GARBAGE!"
The above is just a clip, but you can see the whole tirade here. It's the perfect meltdown moment, and it's etched in video awesomeness forever.
What Does Dan Hawkins Have Against Intramural Sports?
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We don't want to venture too far from the "press conference" criterion because that could open a huge can of worms and send us down another rabbit hole, to use a couple of cliches.
Then, things like Santana Moss' "Big-time players step up in big games" comes into play.
But we'd be remiss not to include former Colorado coach Dan Hawkins. While we don't have video of the moment, it was at a press conference, and like the Mike Gundy moment, it also occurred in what must have been a very tumultuous 2007 season for coaches.
He shared with reporters an anonymous letter from a parent discussing how demanding college football can be on kids. You can hear the audio clip of this incredible exchange below.
The parent wrote about their disappointment at the small amount of time off their son and the rest of the team got. The greatest part of Hawkins' comments is he starts off so calm and says, "But here's my point, OK?"
"IT'S DIVISION I FOOTBALL! IT'S THE BIG 12! IT ISN'T INTRAMURALS!"
After talking about how much vacation players get and how it's probably more than the media members he's talking to, he calmly utters the classic lines: "Go play intramurals, brother. Go play intramurals."
The former Boise State coach would make it three more years with the Buffaloes before getting the boot, but that probably was his best moment in Boulder.
Nick Saban Doesn't Care for Your Vermin Poison
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Some of the best moments, as we've seen so far with Mike Gundy and Dan Hawkins, are when a coach is angry, or at least in Hawkins' case, when he recalls being angry.
In Nick Saban's case, he pretty much stays perturbed by the media. Yes, he's the greatest college coach of an era and maybe any era, but the man is downright grumpy. And if there are any potential words or articles that interfere with his process, you'd better get ready to hear it.
The long-time Alabama coach will be legendary because of his on-field accomplishments, but his off-field rants will go down in lore, too. Whether you ask a dumb question or he doesn't agree with something, he isn't shy about letting you know.
But his most memorable press conference moment came after the media heaped praise on the Crimson Tide.
Following Alabama's 27-19 win over Texas A&M in College Station in 2017, Saban unleashed fury when asked about three three-and-outs in the first quarter.
"I'm trying to get our players to listen to me instead of listening to you guys," Saban told reporters. "All that stuff you write about how good we are. All that stuff they hear on ESPN. It's like poison. It's like taking poison. Like rat poison."
Saban has alluded to it several times since, but the best was after Alabama beat Georgia in the SEC championship game in 2021. He said the rat poison the media normally gives the Tide is "fatal," but after all the Georgia praise, that rat poison was "yummy."
Lane Kiffin Leaves Tennessee Like a Thief in the Night
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It's a night that will live in infamy among Tennessee fans.
January 12, 2010, wasn't the beginning of a long, spiraling odyssey into the abyss for football on Rocky Top, but it was one of the keystone moments the Volunteer football program would not be able to turn the page on until, really, this year.
Literally, books have been written about it.
Following one season in Knoxville filled with swagger, brash comments and exceptional recruiting (not to mention countless NCAA secondary violations), Lane Kiffin left the program for his dream job at USC—a job from which he was fired less than four seasons later.
The early evening started with rumors about who would replace Pete Carroll amid NCAA sanctions and how the search surely wouldn't make it to the young, bombastic Kiffin—who'd been a co-offensive coordinator for the Trojans alongside Steve Sarkisian during the glory days. But things soon took an unexpected turn.
Volquest.com editor Brent Hubbs announced Kiffin leaving with three now unforgettable words for Vols fans: "Guys, it's true."
While most coaches let the introductory press conference at the new job tell the story and be the friendly setting for answering questions, Kiffin insisted on holding an impromptu, late-night, last-minute press conference with reporters explaining how USC was the only job for which he'd leave UT.
"Thanks for coming, guys," Kiffin stammered. "This was not an easy decision. It was something that happened very quick, a decision that myself and my family made. We've been here 14 months, the support has been unbelievable here. I really believe this was probably the only place I would have left here to go."
The whole statement lasted less than a minute, and he didn't answer any questions as cameras followed him out. What followed was a mess, filled with angry, yelling reporters and students burning mattresses shortly thereafter.
It would be national news and usher Tennessee into the Derek Dooley, Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt eras.
Don't Mess with Coach O
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Ed Orgeron is a big, gruff dude. Everybody loves the former LSU, USC and Ole Miss coach's press conferences, and even if you need subtitles to understand "Coach O's" deep-fried Cajun accent, there were always morsels of great moments.
He'll be remembered for coaching the amazing 2019 Bayou Bengals team that was an offensive juggernaut and his "Go Tiguhs!" at the end of seemingly every presser. But in a career filled with hilarious and unintentionally hilarious sound bites, one moment stands above the rest.
LSU routinely held informal press conferences in the practice facility where they'd spread out a background banner and have Orgeron stand in front of it and speak to reporters. One such setting occurred in the early signing period of 2018 to allow Coach O to discuss the Tigers' 2019 recruiting class.
What ensued was unforgettable.
While describing his commitments, you could hear players behind him cutting up and playing around, so he stopped mid-sentence and yelled at them. When they wouldn't stop, he did it again.
Orgeron went from discussing his commits with an almost encyclopedic knowledge to stopping and politely (but firmly) pointing, yelling and demanding his players to be quiet. Then, it was back to business.
Perfection, Cajun-style.
Well, You Can't Say Mark Dantonio Didn't Answer...
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Few college head coaches look more like a dude you don't want to cross than former Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio.
The Nick Saban disciple glared much of the time, looking like he was weaned on persimmons. Even though he was considered a nice guy off the field, he was a no-nonsense disciplinarian who was not afraid to get sideways in a press conference.
Despite some great seasons in East Lansing, the 2012 campaign was tumultuous and ended with the Spartans 7-6. Following a loss to Notre Dame and before a difficult matchup with Ohio State, Michigan State endured an uninspired 23-7 win over Eastern Michigan in a game they trailed at halftime.
Dantonio was angrier with his players than the media after the game, but the result of a frustrated coach, a forgettable game and some extenuating circumstances led to a funny press conference in which the coach offered short, snippy answers to reporters, followed closely behind by, "Next question."
He was just telling it "the way it is," and he closed with a "Thanks, guys. Go Green." Never once did he crack a smile.
Years later, Detroit News writer Tony Paul noted Dantonio wasn't really in a foul mood; he was just trying to get home to his sick daughter, Lauren.
Turns out, he really is a big softie.
David Bennett: Cats vs. Dogs
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When you think of Coastal Carolina football, you think of Grayson McCall running and throwing around in Jamey Chadwell's offense and that magical 2020 season in which the Chanticleers became college football's darling during the difficult COVID-19 season.
What you don't really remember is David Bennett's early Chants teams.
He was Coastal's first coach, ushering them into football from 2003-11 following a successful stint at D-II Catawba. Bennett and CCU went 63-39 playing at the FCS level before their move to FBS, and while he limped to a 29-28 record in his final five seasons, there were some good times and good teams.
Though you may not remember it, let me jog your memory. Bennett's best moment came off the field in a press conference setting in September 2011.
The Chants started the year with a seven-point win over Furman, but Bennett had other things on his mind. The press conference quickly hit the ditch when the fast-talking coach began discussing broken screen doors, kitty cats and needing more dogs. There were even impressions involved.
The end game was wanting players to play with an edge and be like dogs. It was a stunning display, and you know reporters had to be thinking, "What just happened?"
You need to see it for yourself.
"We don't need no 'meows.' We don't need no cats." Classic.
The Mad Hatter Wants You to Have a Great Day
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What is it with LSU coaches and great press conference moments?
Just because we were spoiled with Ed Orgeron's antics the past few years and got Brian Kelly trying to talk like he's from Louisiana does not mean you should forget about the best soundbite from the bayou: The Mad Hatter himself, Les Miles, he of the "What did he just say?" convoluted sentences.
There are so many Miles moments, from eating grass on the sideline to reminding everybody of the difference between Columbus Day and St. Patrick's Day. However, his best came before the 2007 SEC championship game.
Amid rumors that he would bolt the bayou for his alma mater of Michigan to coach the Wolverines, Miles held a quick, impromptu press conference where he firmly squashed rumors of heading to Ann Arbor.
He was visibly passionate and excited about the title chances of his "damn strong football team." (He was right; they went on to win the SEC and the national championship.)
You can watch the video here.
After he was finished, Miles ended with, "There'll be no questions for me. I represent me in this issue. Please ask me after. I'm busy. Thank you very much. Have a great day," he added with a smirk.
Leaving You with the GOAT
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Mike Leach's pressers were fantastic. Ed Orgeron gave us so many ill-articulated commentaries. Lane Kiffin has jokes. And Les Miles was so odd that most of the time it was quirky and unforgettable.
But nobody will ever top the Ol' Ball Coach.
You literally cannot single out one thing for Steve Spurrier. The Florida Heisman Trophy winner and legendary coach who finished his collegiate coaching career turning around the South Carolina Gamecocks was the king of the one-liner.
From his jabs at Tennessee during his days in Gainesville to his often-friendly feud with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, Spurrier was consistently scathing and brilliant.
Spurrier once said of an Auburn library fire destroying 20 books, "The real tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored yet." SI.com's Daniel Rapaport mentions many of Spurrier's best quotes here.
But in press conference settings? Video is tougher to come by. Spurrier was at his best in intimate moments with a pool of reporters, off-the-cuff at alumni gatherings and when he could riff without too many consequences.
That doesn't mean he wasn't great on the stage.
When he retired, the SEC Network did a mash-up of the best Spurrier quotes, and from that, we get a nice little jab at Notre Dame not joining a conference. Yes, we're supposed to pick moments here, but there were so many from Spurrier that it's worth watching and reading them all.
All stats courtesy of CFBStats and Sports Reference. Player rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.
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