NEW ORLEANS, La. – “This day and age it’s difficult to keep everyone apprised and keep everyone quiet because you don’t want this to be a distraction,” says Tulane Head Football Coach Willie Fritz.
Fritz is referencing the news this week that Tulane Offensive Coordinator Will Hall would be leaving the program after the season to be the next Head Football Coach at the University of Southern Mississippi.
“Will knows about every third person over there in the state and I just thought he’d be a great fit and he’s been a head coach before. So, we’re very happy and excited for him,” says Fritz.
Willie Fritz says that Will Hall “was professional” and transparent about the Southern Miss interest, keeping Tulane informed so the announcement wouldn’t serve as a distraction.
Instead, it is something that the program has chosen to embrace and use as motivation Saturday against Memphis.
“When we announced it to the players Wednesday morning prior to practice. I got all of the seniors up there too because it’s going to be the last game for a lot of the guys. I said, Will have given his blood sweat, and tears for two years for Tulane University and some of these guys that have done it for 5, you know, so let’s send them out on a good note,” says Fritz.
With reports surfacing that Tennessee Football Analyst and former Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator Chip Long will be named Hall’s replacement, Fritz calls those reports premature.
Fritz says, “Everything is premature. I’ve had a lot of interesting phone calls from friends last evening who called me about different deals. So I finally just quit answering the phone and just put it on mute.”
Ideally, that decision will happen in the weeks following Saturday’s game but coaching searches during a pandemic differ from years past.
“Like with Will, I knew him personally but I also knew some places that he had worked at. I brought him in, I interviewed him just like you do with everybody. I think it’s important to get face to face with people. I don’t mean like this. In the COVID era, this is face-to-face. I’m talking about real face-to-face,” says Fritz.