Thursday, January 10, 2002
College football notebook
Florida's Zook promises points
The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — One question drowned out all the others across the Gator Nation: Who is Ron Zook?
He is, of course, the new Florida coach — and he feels like the luckiest guy on Earth.
“Obviously, this is a very exciting time for me,” Zook said at the news conference where he was introduced as Steve Spurrier's replacement.
Zook is a career assistant whose emphasis has been on defense, where he spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.
Not to worry, he assured restless Gators fans.
“We're going to be an attacking offense,” said Zook, who was defensive coordinator for the University of Cincinnati from 1981-82 and played defensive back for Miami University from 1972-75. “We're going to throw the ball around the ballpark, as Coach Spurrier once said. We're going to score points.”
Zook said he has hired Ed Zaunbrecher, the offensive coordinator at Marshall the last two seasons, for the same position at Florida.
Some fans were upset because they wanted Oklahoma's Bob Stoops or the Denvers Broncos' Mike Shanahan, and when they didn't get either, they felt athletic director Jeremy Foley settled on the easiest choice.
But Foley wanted a coach in place by Friday, the final day of the recruiting dead period and the last day underclassmen can declare for the NFL draft.
Indeed, the future of sophomore quarterback Rex Grossman, who in the wake of Spurrier's departure said he might leave for the NFL, hangs in the balance.
STANFORD:
Eight days after Tyrone Willingham left for Notre Dame, Buddy Teevens was introduced Wednesday as the Cardinal's new coach.
After spending the past three seasons as a top assistant to Spurrier at Florida, Teevens — a former head coach at Tulane, Dartmouth and Maine — has a clear vision of the changes he plans at Stanford.
“We'd like to be a wide-open throwing outfit,” Teevens said.
“It will be a lot of fun to play, and a lot of fun to watch. ... The history here, from (former coach) John Ralston right on through, has been good quarterbacks and good receivers. We want to get back to that.”
OHIO STATE:
Not until Mike Doss stepped to the podium did he decide he would return for his senior season.
The third-team All-America strong safety almost choked out his words during a news conference.
“You can say you watched me decide,” he said.
So after losing two underclassmen who elected to make themselves available for the draft, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel will have his best defensive player returning for the 2002 season.
Tressel had last spoken to Doss on Thursday. Tressel was in San Antonio at a coaches convention and was not aware of what Doss had decided until an Ohio State spokesman called Tressel's wife after the news conference and asked her to relay the good news.
Doss, who has led OSU in tackles the last two seasons, had 87 as a junior.
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