FAU interim head Coach Chad Lunsford spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon, speaking on a variety of topics ahead of the Owls final game of the 2024 season.
Rumours are swirling regarding the transfer portal, as the Owls players are eligible to enter following the departure of Tom Herman, however some have been shot down. Outside of that, preparation for the NFL draft is right around the corner and the Owls have a slew of Seniors who will look to make it at the next level.
Before the offseason brings on a litany of change in Boca Raton, the Owls still have one last battle on deck with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and FAU will look to end the season on a high note before the slate is wiped clean.
Lunsford spoke on all of that and more in this week’s press conference, see what he had to say below.
Lunsford quotes:
Lunsford on the mentality of staff and locker room heading into final matchup:
“You know, I think the big piece when you’re in these types of situations, I think the big piece is trying to get across to your staff and try to get across to your players. You just don’t want surprises. Just communicate, you know. And for the most part, I think our team, our staff, everybody, has tried to be on the same page. Try to communicate. Well, obviously there was a lot of disappointment after that game, because they love they put a lot into it. You can tell that the staff, you can tell that the players, put a lot into it. And I mean, it broke my heart that we weren’t able to get it done. But you know, it was another opportunity. We’ve had a lot of opportunities this year to learn from things. And you know, there was a challenge of we believe last week now this week, we need to expect and I think the guys have kind of rallied around out as well. I think that they saw a recipe that put us a place to win a game last week, and we just didn’t do it. And I think that they now see that that recipe gives us a chance. So I think they want to do it. The vibes been good. The guys have been good. Staff has been good, so I don’t expect a let down. I expect our guys to go out there and try to do it again,” Lunsford said.
Lunsford on the portal rumors and FAU’s approach:
“We’re not going to deny any of our players. They’re right. The transfer portal is there for them. When a head coaching change is made, they obviously are allowed to enter right then if they want to, the only thing that we’ve asked of our guys is to make sure you communicate. Come talk to us. One. We want to help you. We want to advise you. And I try to tell them that we’re not going to look at it in a selfish way. We’re going to give you our thoughts. We’re going to say, hey, this okay, this may be a good move for you, or, Hey, we don’t think this would be a good move for you. Then once they kind of get that information, and then they make their decision, we’re going to support them either way they go now to address maybe things getting out there, and then our players coming back and saying it wasn’t true. I don’t know how that happens, but I will say for those guys where that happened to the first thing they did was call us and say, coach, we didn’t put our name in the portal. We don’t know why this is being said. We want to be locked in with our group, and then see what the future holds. So, you know, for the most part, I think we’ve been really open as players, I think we’ve been really open as staff. And I think that there hasn’t been much surprises, so we’re going to continue to work through it. We’re going to support them. All we’re asking is to make sure we’re just communicating,” Lunsford said.
Lunsford approach for seniors and the draft:
“I think, I think we’d be doing them a disservice if we started looking too far into the future. We’re obviously going to be, you know, after this game, we’re going to need to talk about, Hey, what the schedule is going to look like. We’re obviously waiting to see what decision ends up being. So there’s a lot of uncertainty in that area, so we just been concentrating on what we can control right now. And we control practice, we control the game, we control the travel. That’s all we control right now. So to answer your question, we’re not putting a lot of thought into the future, other than the fact that we’re full speed ahead on recruiting, and we’re just making sure that our guys are getting prepared for this game,” Lunsford said.
Lunsford on his desire to be a head coach:
“I do want to be a head coach again. I really enjoyed my time at Georgia Southern. I thought we did some good things at Georgia Southern. I thought we were successful in some things. You know, it just didn’t end up working out. And, you know, regardless of the situation, the last two weeks, I’ve really enjoyed having the opportunity to step back in that role. I just enjoy that opportunity to impact. And I think being a head coach, you have a huge opportunity to impact a lot of people, and that’s the reason why I’m in coaching for impact. And so to answer your question, I do want to be a head coach again one day. If it were to be at FAU, I’d be very excited. If it were to be somewhere else, I’d be very excited. I’m striving for that and, you know, but I’m a very faith based person, and I believe that God orders my steps, and I’m just, you know, being grateful for what I have and trust in the Lord that you know what he has in store for me will be exactly what he wants for me, not what I want,” Lunsford said.
Lunsford on Team health heading into the final week:
“We came out of that game fairly healthy, which I thought was awesome deal, because, you know, sometimes you get late to season, guys, bodies are breaking down and tired. It’s easier to get those banged ups and stuff like that, but we came out pretty healthy. Cason is back. He’s getting reps. We have not made a decision yet. There. Tyreke, I think played a good game last week. You know, he had some mistakes, as you know, post, everybody that plays is going to have a mistake or two, but he did a good job. So we’ll continue to evaluate that and and see how far casing comes along. But also too, I mean, Tyree deserves the opportunity as well, because I thought he played well last week, but no, no really injury updates right now. And, you know, we’ll just continue to try to the guys that are healthy continue to play,” Lunsford said.
Lunsford on Federico Maranges playing:
“You know, we were hoping he was right now, it doesn’t look like it. He has done a tremendous job for us in leadership roles and coaching. He’s really getting after that practice, I don’t think he’ll be available before we go,” Lunsford said.
Lunsford on thanksgiving as a coach:
“ Thanksgiving is a weird holiday for coaches. You obviously end up having practice on Thursday. And you know, our family, mine specifically, is in the state of Georgia, and you know, my kids want to see their grandparents, and they want to be with their grandparents, they want to be with their cousins and all that. And so the unfortunate part is sometimes we have to go separate ways, but that’s where I have a really good family man. My wife is awesome. My kids are awesome. They support what we do, and they understand that in the big picture, what we’re doing to impact these young men are the biggest thing that we got going. You know, God has called us to be in this business for a reason. And so when it comes to Thanksgiving, I think obviously we should be thankful every day. We should be grateful every day, but that holiday is set aside to really reflect and think about all the things that you’re blessed with. And we got a bunch of good young men. We got a bunch of good staff members and their families and everything, and we want them to feel good during this Thanksgiving holidays. And just want everybody to be grateful to be a part of FAU,” Lunsford said.
Final thoughts:
It has been a tumultuous season for FAU, as they currently ride a 6 game losing streak into the final game of the year, however Sunday presents one last chance to end on a positive note. The Owls will look to do that against another Interim Coach as Tulsa became the 6th AAC school to make a change earlier this week.
Change is on the horizon for this FAU program as the Owls will see many players enter the transfer portal over the next few weeks, while a new head coach is expected to be named in the near future. Lunsford and staff look to make the transition as easy as possible, maintaining a forward thinking approach while looking out for the student athletes who remain a part of the program.
The remaining staff and players have handled this situation as best as possible and they will look to push the off the court drama aside and find a way to get a victory this Saturday at 3:30 against Tulsa.