While speaking on the Pac-12 coaches teleconference Tuesday morning, Clay Helton discussed at length the staff changes he announced Monday, to relieve offensive line coach Neil Callaway of his duties and for Helton to take over play-calling responsibilities from offensive coordinator Tee Martin.
Here's the full transcript of what he said Tuesday about those move:
On the timing of the moves a day after he said he'd wait until after the season to evaluate any potential changes ...
"I just thought it was the appropriate time. I had an itch to get back more integrated with the offense. Being in year three of being a head coach, I just feel so much more comfortable in the role and the job of being the head coach and the duties that come with it that I know the lay of the land now. I really wanted to get more involved and help the offense continue to grow and perform and felt like it was the right time. I wanted to be able to make sure I was making the right decision for our team because obviously there's some really good men in Neil Callaway, that I love as a family member, and at this point in time I just felt that it was the right time for our team to make that change."
On whether he met with AD Lynn Swann on Monday and what influence that had on the timing of the moves ...
"I meet with Lynn every Monday. I sat down with Lynn and told him what I wanted to do. I wanted to have Sunday night to be able to think about it, to make sure that I was headed in the right direction because obviously you're dealing with livelihoods. I wanted to make sure I felt confident and woke up Monday and that was the direction I wanted to head. Me and Lynn visit every Monday after each and every game. [We] visited together and I expressed the direction I wanted to go in. He supported that direction as he has supported me all through the season. I'm very appreciative of that, but no, I felt no pressure at any point in time to make any change. It was something that had been on my heart, something that I had wanted to be able to get back to and something that I've been itching to get back to. I thought hat this was the appropriate time to do it."
On how Tee Martin reacted to his decision ...
"He was great. He totally understood that it was something that I wanted to do. He told me, he said, 'Coach, I'm here to help you, I love SC, I want to be at SC. It will give me the opportunity to be a better receivers coach and recruiter.' He's still helping me immensely in game planning and practice organization, being my eyes during the game from the box, still being coordinator. And I'm going to be calling the plays. But that help that he gave me, he's a major asset to me and always has been. But he was very supportive of the decision, and Tee's a pro -- he always has been."
On the speculation that he's already been involved in play-calling during games ...
"Like I've said before, I've had probably three or four times a game, Tee was nice enough to allow me to call a play or call a shot that I just felt was there. But Tee handled the play calling, but we've always been in that situation if it's a trick play or there's a shot or I feel something that I want run, he's always been great about, 'Coach, dial it up.' So that has happened, it's happened over the last three years. It's not a significant amount. There are 3-4 times a ballgame that I do do that."
On how difficult his conversation was with Neil Callaway ...
"Probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. When I come to grips with something that I know I'm going to do something and I've made that decision, I don't think out of respect to the gentleman -- how much I respect him -- that once I knew I was going to make a change at the end of the season that I don't think it's respectful to allow him to work for the next four weeks with me knowing what I'm going to do. I told him that I love him, that I wish it was different, I wish the protection level was better on the offensive line, but I'll always love him, always respect him. He handled it like a pro, like he always does."
On what changes he hopes to see from the offensive line ...
"I don't think it's going to be overnight, but what I'm hoping is that I see clarity in assignments, I see clarity and improvement in fundamentals and technique and I'd hope to see a line that is a dominating line. The thing that I know about this offense is when I look at its skill that it does have a mixture of youth and experience, but I believe there's talent on this offense. And over the next four weeks I'm going to do my best, along with our offensive staff to try to groom that talent, improve that talent and win ballgames and move forward towards the future. And I felt right now to be able to move towards the future that I needed to make this change right now."
Here's the full transcript of what he said Tuesday about those move:
On the timing of the moves a day after he said he'd wait until after the season to evaluate any potential changes ...
"I just thought it was the appropriate time. I had an itch to get back more integrated with the offense. Being in year three of being a head coach, I just feel so much more comfortable in the role and the job of being the head coach and the duties that come with it that I know the lay of the land now. I really wanted to get more involved and help the offense continue to grow and perform and felt like it was the right time. I wanted to be able to make sure I was making the right decision for our team because obviously there's some really good men in Neil Callaway, that I love as a family member, and at this point in time I just felt that it was the right time for our team to make that change."
On whether he met with AD Lynn Swann on Monday and what influence that had on the timing of the moves ...
"I meet with Lynn every Monday. I sat down with Lynn and told him what I wanted to do. I wanted to have Sunday night to be able to think about it, to make sure that I was headed in the right direction because obviously you're dealing with livelihoods. I wanted to make sure I felt confident and woke up Monday and that was the direction I wanted to head. Me and Lynn visit every Monday after each and every game. [We] visited together and I expressed the direction I wanted to go in. He supported that direction as he has supported me all through the season. I'm very appreciative of that, but no, I felt no pressure at any point in time to make any change. It was something that had been on my heart, something that I had wanted to be able to get back to and something that I've been itching to get back to. I thought hat this was the appropriate time to do it."
On how Tee Martin reacted to his decision ...
"He was great. He totally understood that it was something that I wanted to do. He told me, he said, 'Coach, I'm here to help you, I love SC, I want to be at SC. It will give me the opportunity to be a better receivers coach and recruiter.' He's still helping me immensely in game planning and practice organization, being my eyes during the game from the box, still being coordinator. And I'm going to be calling the plays. But that help that he gave me, he's a major asset to me and always has been. But he was very supportive of the decision, and Tee's a pro -- he always has been."
On the speculation that he's already been involved in play-calling during games ...
"Like I've said before, I've had probably three or four times a game, Tee was nice enough to allow me to call a play or call a shot that I just felt was there. But Tee handled the play calling, but we've always been in that situation if it's a trick play or there's a shot or I feel something that I want run, he's always been great about, 'Coach, dial it up.' So that has happened, it's happened over the last three years. It's not a significant amount. There are 3-4 times a ballgame that I do do that."
On how difficult his conversation was with Neil Callaway ...
"Probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. When I come to grips with something that I know I'm going to do something and I've made that decision, I don't think out of respect to the gentleman -- how much I respect him -- that once I knew I was going to make a change at the end of the season that I don't think it's respectful to allow him to work for the next four weeks with me knowing what I'm going to do. I told him that I love him, that I wish it was different, I wish the protection level was better on the offensive line, but I'll always love him, always respect him. He handled it like a pro, like he always does."
On what changes he hopes to see from the offensive line ...
"I don't think it's going to be overnight, but what I'm hoping is that I see clarity in assignments, I see clarity and improvement in fundamentals and technique and I'd hope to see a line that is a dominating line. The thing that I know about this offense is when I look at its skill that it does have a mixture of youth and experience, but I believe there's talent on this offense. And over the next four weeks I'm going to do my best, along with our offensive staff to try to groom that talent, improve that talent and win ballgames and move forward towards the future. And I felt right now to be able to move towards the future that I needed to make this change right now."
