You know all the best coach quotes in college football by now. Steve Spurrier and Bret Bielema in the SEC, Art Briles in the Big 12, Dabo Swinney and Paul Johnson in the ACC, Jim Harbaugh and James Franklin in the Big Ten and Mike Leach in the Pac-12. Those guys can all spin a good yarn and captivate an audience for sure, but in today's world where media days are covered by hundreds of outlets and every quote is tweeted six times, their 20 minutes at the podium ends up being overhyped more often than not.
One guy that always delivers the goods and doesn't get credit for it? Rich Rodriguez. Rich Rod spoke at Pac-12 Media Days in Hollywood on Friday, and I dare say he provided more soundbytes per answer than any of his peers.
Here are Rich Rod's 13 best quotes from earlier today:
1. "Refreshing? I think a nice cold beer or a Bacardi and Coke, or maybe even a nice iced tea sweetened is refreshing. What was the question again? - On returning Anu Solomon at quarterback.
2. "I've also heard rumors that cost of attendance is being paid for years at certain schools, it just wasn't legal. You know what I'm saying? But I don't think it's a big deal." - On if he thinks Cost of Attendance scholarships will have a big affect on college football.
3. "He said why don't you let your quarterback call the plays? And I said I've got a pretty big mortgage payment, I don't want to let a kid that watches SpongeBob SquarePants on Saturday mornings calling the plays. Are you kidding me? Not that it's SpongeBob SquarePants, but he doesn't have the time to watch the film that I do." - On why he calls plays.
4. "Did you see the movie Lion King? There is a point in the movie where the monkey hits the lion over the head. He said, what did do you that for? And the monkey says it, doesn't matter. It's in the past." - On moving on from consecutive losses to Oregon and Boise State to close the 2014 season.
5. "Hell, I'm trying to get a first down in a first game. I don't think when you line up middle of the fourth quarter and it's hot and you've played 200 plays already and the guy's worried about crossing the line. Wondering I wonder if we're getting respect as the Pac-12 south? Hell, just try to get the first down and get a stop." - On if he thinks the Pac-12 South gets enough respect nationally.
6. "There was some poll, I don't know, some expert poll that gave us a 2% chance, is that what it was? Hey, it's like that dumb and dumber. What are the chances of me, a guy like me getting with a girl like you, like one in a hundred? One in a million? More like one in a million. So you're telling me there is a chance. So 2% is better than one in a million, right?" - On Arizona being picked fourth in the six-team Pac-12 South.
7. "There is one more guy to yell at that won't listen to you. I quit yelling at officials anyway because one, they're usually right, and two, they can't hear you anyway because of the crowd noise, so it's pointless to do that. I thought it probably appeases the fans if you think it's a bad call and the coach is yelling at them, but I don't do that too much anymore." - On the addition of the eighth official.
8. "I always brought seniors and there is nothing wrong with bringing underclassmen. But I thought maybe if I didn't bring him he would want to come here so bad next year that he'd come back for his senior year." - On why he didn't bring Scooby Wright, the best returning defensive player in college football and a junior, to media days.
9. "It's just convincing them, hey, take a side trip, go to Vegas and take a right." - On getting players to visit Tucson.
10. "Yeah, a security blanket sounds a little too intimate. I don't know about that." - On if wide receiver David Richards could be a security blanket for the Arizona offense this season.
11. "You ever get on the 405? Hell, I don't have to do it every day, but there are a lot of folks." - On the numbers of talented quarterbacks coming out of the West.
12. "I always tell our guys, it's checkers not chess. You don't have to think six moves ahead. You only have to think two moves ahead and you'll be okay." - On how he coaches his quarterbacks.
13. "Yeah, I was miserable for a month." - On ending the season with a loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.