Heading into year two, NCCU coach Trei Oliver reflects on 2019 and looking ahead to the 2020 season
North Carolina Central football coach Trei Oliver is in the same boat with every other coach in America.
COVID-19 has sidelined sports and it’s tough to predict when there might be a return. These days Oliver can only communicate with his players and staff via Zoom meetings. Instead of gearing up for his second season as the Eagles’ head coach by spending hours at the office watching film, Oliver spends time looking over tape at home, or doing anything he can football related to prepare for the 2020 season.
He does take some time for himself, whether that’s working in his garden or watching old reruns of ‘In The Heat of the Night.’ But it’s hard for Oliver to stay still. If he does try to settle in for a moment his phone will usually buzz, more than likely an incoming call from a recruit or coach. If that doesn’t happen, an idea will pop into his head that he has to immediately put on paper, something that will help the Eagles improve in 2020.
In his first year at his alma mater, NCCU went 4-8 and ended the season on a three-game losing streak. Oliver has taken advantage of the downtime to rewatch a lot of film from last season and assess what worked and what didn’t. The “new normal” offseason has been an adjustment, but Oliver is looking forward to the day he can “get back after it” with his guys.
The News & Observer spoke with Oliver via Zoom about the offseason, recruiting and his limited free time.
Q: Spring practice was cancelled due to COVID-19. How critical was it to the success of the program moving forward to miss spring practice?
A: This one for us was going to be really important because you know we had more than 40 freshmen last year in the program. We were really working in the offseason to develop those guys, both in the weightroom and get them the playbook. But like we told the guys we control what we can control, and that’s our attitude and our effort. Everybody in the country is in the same place as we are now.”
Q: Having some time to sit and think about it, what would your evaluation of the 2019 season be?
A: “We knew we would have some challenges being fairly young. Coming in our plan and goal was to change the culture. Sometimes you want instant success, but we knew we weren’t going to do it overnight. But talking about changing the culture, we just got the grades on Monday and we had seven guys with a 4.0 (grade point average), so we are really excited about that. As far as the season I think we learned a lot from that, as a coaching staff, I know I learned a lot. I saw a lot of areas where I can improve, where our staff can improve.”
“Just the team overall, I saw a lot of growth throughout the season, a lot of stuff that the fans might not see, but we did see a whole lot of growth throughout our program.”
Q: What were the highlights of the 2019 season?
A: “Seeing the young men develop off the field, seeing the young men mature. You see a lot of individual success that guys had. Guys like Brandon Codrington (sophomore defensive back) with the (interception) return to beat Delaware State. You see the year that Darius Royster had, leading the conference in sacks and being nominated for Defensive Player of the Year and things of that nature.”
Q: Your 2020 recruiting class, 14 of the 19 players are from North Carolina. When you first got here you said you wanted to recruit with a “tank of gas” philosophy, meaning you wanted to be able to drive and see a recruit on one tank of gas, recruiting close to Durham — around North Carolina and Virginia — as possible. Looks like you stuck with that.
A: “When we talked about a program and recruiting guys that fit your program, I think you want to get in their house, meet their parents, see where they come from, what makes them tick. I don’t think you can just pick up a phone, or text somebody and really get to know them. Some guys are outstanding players, but when you talk to them they might not be college material, or their morals may not be what your program is built on. It’s so much more than watching that film. You have to get to know these guys and build relationships and see who fits in your program. That’s why for me it’s a gas tank philosophy, so we can actively recruit. It’s not just come see us, I’ll get in my car, drive and come see you.”
Q: Quarterback Davius Richard took over as a true freshman after the third game and started the rest of the season. What growth do you want to see from him as a sophomore next year?
A: “I think it’ll be a lot easier for him to be a little more vocal now. He already has those leadership qualities and that’s what we liked when we recruited him. Very mature young man, but it’s hard to be that vocal leader when you come in as a freshman and you’re the third string quarterback. Once he got the starting role he led by example, but I would really like to see him be a little more vocal.”
Q: It can’t be football all the time these days, do you take more time for yourself to make sure you have a good balance of work and relaxation?
A: “I’ve been watching a lot of ‘In The Heat of the Night.’ It always takes me back and everything else, and old football games (on YouTube). I watch a lot of old (HBCU) games and I watch a lot of bowl games from last season. Half of the football games last year I didn’t get a chance to see anyway. I watched ‘The Last Dance’ which was outstanding, but I don’t do a whole lot of movies. I would love to, but my phone is going to ring, a recruit is going to call me, or something is going to happen. I can’t make it through a two-hour movie.”
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Heading into year two, NCCU coach Trei Oliver reflects on 2019 and looking ahead to the 2020 season."
