Gus Bradley’s Press Conference – Wow
By Luke Sims
That excitement pretty much sums it up. Source: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
When new GM Dave Caldwell said he wanted “passionate, positive people and players” at his first press conference, I didn’t think that we would find a head coach who truly embodied that. For anyone watching the Gus Bradley press conference, it quickly became clear that this guy fully embodies it.
As John Oehser at Jaguars.com wrote, the word passion was thrown around a lot. Not only was it spoken about, it was palpable. I could feel it in the air around me from a few thousand miles away. That is a result of Bradley.
Bradley couldn’t resist the situation in Jacksonville after a 12 hour interview because it was too good. He, Caldwell, and owner Shad Khan were hitting it off too well. He almost went to Philadelphia, but the Jaguars were just too tempting. It made him, and the Jags’ front office, comfortable. While Caldwell and Bradley did not know each other before the process, I can only imagine the meeting quickly relaxed into the air of familiarity that sometimes takes years to cultivate.
The comfort goes beyond personal interaction. As Bradley put it, “I knew our philosophies meshed together.” In his statement following his hiring yesterday, Bradley said,
"I am very proud to accept the offer to be the next head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Shad Khan and Dave Caldwell expect to win, and that’s what I wanted to hear. That’s why I am coming to Jacksonville – to win a Super Bowl."
That’s the sound of a self-motivated coach. He won’t have the problem Bud Adams has in Tennessee of needing pressure from the top down to get things done. In fact, it sounds like he was the one looking for other people to join him in his pursuit of Super Bowl glory.
If anything, the press conference further asserted in all of our heads that Bradley really is the coach we hoped for.
Welcome to Jacksonville, Mr. Bradley!
– Luke N. Sims
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