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  • Cards coaches talk their team, and Kentucky


    UL QB Teddy Bridgewater, photo courtesy Shane Stovall


    Louisville assistant coaches Tommy Restivo and Sherrone Moore came to Danville Saturday to speak at the Kentucky High School Coaches Association Clinic.

    Restivo coaches defensive backs and had three players earn All-BIG EAST Conference honors — cornerback Adrian Bushell and safeties Calvin Pryor and Hakeem Smith — last season.
    Prior to joining the Cardinals, Restivo was the defensive graduate assistant at Florida for Louisville coach Charlie Strong, who was the defensive coordinator.

    Moore, an offensive guard at Oklahoma from 2006-2008 on two Big 12 championship teams, coaches tight ends. His players caught 30 passes last season.

    The two assistant coaches shared their thoughts on several subjects from the Sugar Bowl win to end last season to Heisman Trophy candidate Teddy Bridgewater to the Kentucky-Louisville series.

    Question: What has the Sugar Bowl win over Florida meant to recruiting and the offseason program?
    Restivo: “Obviously it is going to help you out recruiting and is stepping stone for the next season to let our kids know what level to play at all the time. It was a big win and helped us going forward. But that game is over now. We have to move on and focus on this season. Our players know this is a new season. What our team did last year is last year.”

    Moore: “It kind of took us to the next level of notoriety around the country as far what we have been doing. We know we have good players and they know it but now the country sees we can compete with anybody. That kind of put us on the map and gave us that foot in the door for people to talk about our program on a national level and we are happy about. But we told them it is done now and we have to worry about next season and now that we are on top of the mountain we have to make sure we concentrate on the next game and not think about the past.”

    Question: Is all the preseason hype about Louisville football a good or bad thing?
    Restivo: “You have to play those 12 games and if you don’t take care of business one day at a time, those preseason rankings don’t mean anything. You look at end of the season and evaluate what you did good and bad. Preseason hype is good, but we have to take care of business in the offseason and get to camp and get ready to roll. We are 0-0 right now. Sugar Bowl, that’d done. New season.”

    Moore: “I think it gives a little extra confidence but that is when we have to make sure they understand those are scholarship players we are going to face every game. Just because we won last year, it is a new team and something different every game for us.”

    Question: What’s it like to be around Teddy Bridgewater daily and can he win the Heisman Trophy?
    Restivo: “He is a very humble, intelligent kid. He is a guy that just shows up and work. He doesn’t want the attention. He’s not that kind of kid. He works and gets out of there. He brings a presence to the team, but he knows he has to get help from everybody for everything to work. It is not just one guy.”

    Moore: “He is just another kid. If you didn’t know who he was, you would not even notice him because he’s quiet and he’s humble. He doesn’t say anything. He just wants to work and get better. He is like being around another guy and is nothing different for us. He has been that way since he got here and we’ve never had issues with him on or off the field. That is what makes him not a good player, but a great one.”

    Question: What’s your perception on what Mark Stoops is doing at Kentucky since he took over there?
    Restivo: “He has done an excellent job. He has brought some juice to the program. The rivalry is going to be back to where it was. He is doing a heck of a job. I know they are hitting Ohio recruiting-wise pretty hard. They have some guys (on the coaching staff) who are from there and he is bringing some good things back to the program.”

    Moore: “With all the recruiting and stuff we have, I don’t have time to pay attention to other stuff going on. I hear things and I hope they keep building and doing a good job. But we really don’t have time. We have so much to focus on with our kids and what we have to do that we don’t have time to pay attention to other teams.”

    Question: Now that you have been part of the UK-Louisville rivalry, why do you think that game is good for football in the state?
    Restivo: “It is a big game for the state and fans with everybody involved. It is great for the state and a great tradition that needs to continue on. When you have a rival, it’s great for the state. I don’t know what will happen when we transition to the ACC in 2014, but I hope we can continue playing Kentucky.”

    Moore: “I like it. It is something that is very competitive in football and basketball. Every year it is going to be a close game. It is something the kids are always hyped for. That is what it is all about — getting these kids hyped for the games. You have no issues getting them up for that game. I have been a part of rivalries and it is a beautiful thing to be a part of.”

    Question: What makes Charlie Strong such a good coach?
    Restivo: “He is a player’s coach. He knows everything. He is a young head coach but he is great to be around. Great father figure. Still calls his daughters every day at 7 a.m. I have been with him going on five years. I work for a great head coach. I love him to death. He truly cares about the players. That is the biggest thing. He is not going to say goodbye and good luck after they finish playing. He still calls former players and wants to see them succeed. He wants kids to get their education and degree as well as have fun playing football. He is just there for them.”

    Moore: “I think how humble he is. We have a theme around our program that is ‘stay humble, stay hungry.’ The kids have done that and Charlies does that. He is trying to pursue excellence in everything. Everybody has high expectations but he wants to keep pushing hard work like he has from day one and he does not change. He cares about the players on a deeper level than football and they understand. He pushes them on the field but he also pushes them that they have to graduate while we compete for championships. He makes them understand academics, graduation are important. We check classes — and he checks classes — to make sure they understand how important academics are.”

    Question: What message do you try to share about Louisville football when you are out with coaches like this?
    Restivo: “I am a young coach trying to get my name out there but also represent Louisville, get our name out there and basically sell our program and what we have to offer. You have coaches here who are going to listen to what we are doing. It’s great for us to be here. Any question is a good question and they throw great questions for us to answer.”

    Moore: “I want to meet these coaches. I don’t recruit this state. I recruit Georgia and Florida, so I want to meet them and help these guys in anything they have questions about that we have learned with our experiences. I think there is opportunity for us to learn, too. In this game of football, you never know everything. I recently visited a coach who has been coaching 30 years and I told him something and he said, ‘Man, you just keep learning.’ It is not something set in stone. All our guys learn every day.”
    Comments 3 Comments
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Thanks, LV.
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd -
      I thought zrestiva was honest about Stoops and Moore played a game
    1. catmanjack's Avatar
      catmanjack -
      Really just couldn't care about UL and what they do because once Hurtt was on the staff and still on the staff to me it puts a cloud over whatever Strong does at UL.
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