Air Force Academy – At his news conference Thursday as Air Force’s football coach, Troy Calhoun didn’t take a backward step when asked about getting the Falcons back on to the winning side.
With the fallout from three straight losing seasons piled up on departed coach Fisher DeBerry, Calhoun made it clear he didn’t think he nor any of his returning players need to be resigned to continued losing ways.
“I know this as a coach, I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t feel as if we could win,” Calhoun said. “I know there’s a process, and anytime you make alterations and you do things a little bit different system-wise, you find some different fits.
“My gut tells me that when you combine the determination our players will have and the fact they were real close the last two years, I don’t think you wait until 2010, 2012. I know the players don’t feel that way.”
But the new coach has some immediate tasks at hand other than looking ahead to September. First is completing a coaching staff. Then he’ll meet with the players Thursday, and his staff will hit the recruiting trail. Then, he will begin instituting the new game plan in spring practice.
Calhoun has decided to retain Brian Knorr, Jemal Singleton, Blane Morgan and Charlton Warren from DeBerry’s staff. He also has hired Brian Schneider, a former player at Colorado State and Pomona High School, to be special teams coordinator. However, Calhoun wouldn’t comment on the status of the remainder of DeBerry’s staff. However, defensive coordinator Richard Bell and offensive coordinator Chuck Petersen have vacated their offices, and Petersen reportedly is moving to the staff at North Texas.
“It has been remarkable the amount of interest,” Calhoun said. “There’s a stack of résumés on my desk and there are some tough decisions that have to be made.”
Calhoun talked of some specific strategy decisions. He plans to run the 3-4 defense, with some variation at times with four down linemen. Offensively, he seems intent on getting away from a strict triple-option approach.
“We’ll still have to run some option,” Calhoun said. “It’s tough to defend. But we have to find ways to get more predetermined carries for a good running back. To be a good college football team you have to run it well and you have to be able to throw it well, too.”
The right type of running back in Calhoun’s plan could carry the ball 20-25 times a game.
Calhoun touched on the biggest challenge facing the Falcons from his days as an assistant coach for the Broncos and last season as offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans. He said he was seeing more players from the Mountain West on NFL rosters.
Air Force hasn’t been able to recruit a large number of players who could be considered pro prospects.
“We have to have some intangibles,” Calhoun said. “We have to have players that understands the teamwork part of it.”
Irv Moss can be reached on 303 954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
