Enemy lines: Q&A with new Southern coach Stump Mitchell

New Southern coach Stump Mitchell passed through enemy territory recently with a stop in Monroe. Part of his “Stumping thru the South” tour, Mitchell is on the meet-and-greet circuit to share his vision for Southern football.

Mitchell’s only other head coaching experience was at Morgan State from 1996-98. His three-year stint there ended with an 8-24 record.

So why might that name sound familiar? This guy played and coached in THE LEAGUE. It’s the major selling point on his resume.

Known as a tough but undersized running back, Mitchell spent his entire career with the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals. He rushed for 4,649 yards on 986 carries with 32 touchdowns. In 1985, Mitchell ran for a career-high 1,006 yards on 183 carries (a league-best 5.5-yard average).

Mitchell built his reputation as a solid teacher while assisting with the Ravens, Seahawks and Redskins. Now he’s replacing Pete Richardson, who fired after going 6-5 in 2009. In 17 seasons, Richardson was 134-62 at Southern, winning five Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and four black college national titles.

Portraying a serious and straight-forward demeanor, Mitchell chatted with occasional TDR correspondent Paul Letlow while visiting with boosters. And yeah, Grambling did come up in the conversation.

LETLOW: How are you enjoying your tour of the Southern footprint?

STUMP: Definitely an opportunity to meet a lot of Southern people and see what the Jaguar Nation is all about.

LETLOW: What is the message that you’re delivering as you take over the program that Pete Richardson directed for so long?

STUMP: Coach Richardson did a tremendous job in his time at Southern. I want to follow him in that aspect in terms of his winning ways. Now, the last couple of years we’ve been down. But I don’t know if that was all totally on Coach Richardson. It’s never one person. There are a lot of things we’ve got to do to get that program back to where Coach Richardson had it in his early days. That’s what I’m here to do. In the coaching profession, you’re at one place one year and you’re gone the next. That’s just the way the coaching profession works, unfortunately.

LETLOW: I remember when you played for the Cardinals in the 1980s, but a lot of the players you recruit may need to be educated about your playing career. How do you feel that your NFL background as a player and coach (21 years – 10 as a player, 11 as a coach) prepared you for this next stage?

STUMP: I think it’s great. Having been successful at both of those levels is very important. It gives me the opportunity to actually share the things it took in order for me to be successful. It’s just hard work principles really. These guys can be successful as well.

LETLOW: You have some recognizable names on your coaching staff, like former NFL linebacker Mike Jones. He’s the guy who made the game-saving tackle for the Rams in the Super Bowl against the Titans. What were your trying to accomplish as you assembled you

STUMP: I was trying to get some guys who can teach the type of football that we want to play – guys who have been successful at that level. Guys who are real good role models. The SWAC is going to be tough. We’re trying to get back to where we had guys leave Southern in first or second rounds. You talk about Mel Blount, Harold Carmichael and Kenny Ellis. We’ve got to get back to those days. Those guys were fundamentally sound.

Now I know at that time, blacks for the most part were not going to major white institutions. Of course, you’re going to draft those types of guys out. It’s still going to be our focus first and foremost to make sure they get a quality education our institution is offering. Secondly, if they have the talent to play professional football, we know what it takes to get them there.

LETLOW: How often do you hear about Grambling when you are out representing Southern?

STUMP: Every one. Every day. That’s a big-time rivalry, Southern and Grambling. Or Grambling and Southern as they would say in this area. We haven’t won, as you know, as of late. But it’s a big0time game. Everyone has to have a big-time rivalry in order for it to be a true game. What we have to do is be competitive for it to truly be called a rivalry. Last year, we didn’t do well at all. We feel good about the game. It’s a new day and a new era. The clock’s gonna start with zeroes for everybody.

LETLOW: You can win a SWAC championship, but if you lose the Bayou Classic, some people aren’t happy. I’m sure you have to establish you priorities there and lay them out for the players and let them know what your goals are. A championship is what you’re building toward, right?

STUMP: Ultimately, that’s what we’re trying to do. Like the Super Bowl, when you get there you want to win it. There’s only going to be one winner and that’s the bottom line. You’re going to be successful if you get to the Super Bowl and you’re going to be successful if you get to the SWAC championship. But that’s not what it’s all about. The Bayou is the bowl game and y you want to win the game. The SWAC championship is the bowl game and you want to win the game. That’s our intention. I’m sure it’s Grambling’s as well. It should be a very competitive game.

LETLOW: Have you ever attended a Bayou Classic?

STUMP: Never been to one. I’ve seen it on TV many times but I’ve never had the opportunity to be at one. I was either playing ball or coaching.

LETLOW: That will be a great experience for you.

STUMP: It will be a great experience. But like I said, I’ve had the opportunity to play in one Super Bowl. We were in the NFC East with Dallas and Washington, and those were great games. I just know the fans are going to drive the game. That makes the game; it will definitely be a true test.