Building a program: Behind the scenes at UT-Permian Basin

  [caption id="attachment_24132" align="aligncenter" width="800"]image_handler.aspx UTPB head coach Justin Carrigan at his introductory press conference. (Photo Courtesy UTPB Sports Information)[/caption] Oil and football – that’s what West Texas does. This idea spurred UT-Permian Basin to re-purpose a student fee to help support athletics. The plan was approved and funds were raised in hopes of kickoff off football in 2016. Head coach Justin Carrigan was hired to lead the charge and the Falcons will make program history with the season opener on Sep. 3. UTPB will participate in the Lone Star Conference. “We went down to UTSA twice when Larry Coker was still there and visited with him and the staff and talked about the process of starting a program from the ground up. We’re much indebted and appreciative of his time and insight into what we could expect,” Carrigan said. “We were able to take things from Colorado State Pueblo and Florida Tech. I was able to pick their brains a little bit and gather as much information as possible.” Hiccups come with newness. No transition is easy and that is and was the case for Carrigan and UTPB football. He was tasked with building a brand and a roster at the same time. He also knew it would take time. “It’s gone how I expected. Nothing happens overnight and we knew that coming in. I talked to Hal Mumme a lot and he was a great help to me. He has experience building programs and I’ve leaned on his experience and some others I know in similar situations,” Carrigan said. “The toughest part is educating the university. West Texas is known for football, but that’s the community. Most of the people working at the school are transplants, as are a lot of the students. We need to show why football is important to the school and that is harder than anticipated because everything is new to them.” The funding for facilities is still coming along, but Carrigan was confident those issues would be resolved soon. The focus right now is on the upcoming season. UTPB spent last season practicing with no reward of a game-day experience on Saturday. “We all shared the same headaches,” Carrigan said. “I was terribly concerned about how to keep these guys motivated without that carrot of a game to dangle. Naturally, the kids did it themselves. We never had to worry about it, fortunately. They put in the work and we tried to give them a routine of a season so that this year things are the same.” Creating a routine similar to a regular season was crucial for Carrigan and he hopes it helps his inexperienced team transition into the fall. The Falcons would break down film, focus on opponents and practice throughout the week as if a game was taking place on Saturdays. The new coach wanted his roster and staff to know what it’d be like come 2016. “I hope it works, but we won’t know. In the coaching world, we’re judged by wins and losses and player graduation. We haven’t been able to succeed yet. The only thing is we’re coming in earlier this fall. We didn’t want to burn them out without games. That’s the only big difference,” Carrigan said. “The guys know what to expect. About half of our team will be new, so they’ll hit the ground walking, but I’m hoping the returners hit the ground running. We’ll get there and our success will depend on how quickly we adjust, but we’re more talented than I thought we would be at this point.” The growing pains are sure to come. That’s true with anything new. Losses will follow. Carrigan isn’t focused on preparing for failures. “We don’t worry about. I don’t think there’s a need to address those things before they happen. If we win, we’re on to the next opponent. The same thing is true if we lose,” he said. “There is always another game coming up and if we can get the players to understand that we’ll be fine. We need to be present in the moment. If we’re present, we’re moving forward.” Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football. Carrigan and his staff face a unique challenge in that world. He plans to use the newness, and the university, to his advantage. “The cliché thing is to become a part of history. The great thing about UTPB is we have a tremendous academic university. The admissions are higher than at past places I’ve been. The accreditation for our engineering and business schools are as high as they can be,” Carrigan said. “So, to be able to walk into a living room with parents and a prospect and say ‘hey, you’re going to get a great education and make history’ – I think that’s a great selling point.”

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