Connection with coaches crucial for five-star Bru McCoy
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SAN ANTONIO - USC is one of the top schools for five-star athlete Bru McCoy so he watched intently when coaching changes were made after the Trojans’ disappointing season.
It was a plus that coach Clay Helton was retained. It was not ideal that offensive coordinator Tee Martin was fired. So McCoy’s in-home visit in the last few weeks with new assistant Kliff Kingsbury was crucial.
And it could not have gone any better. Not because the former Texas Tech coach promised McCoy the world, but because it was an honest, frank conversation about what Kingsbury planned for USC’s offense.
“He did a good job of explaining where he stands,” McCoy said here at the All-American Bowl. “I don’t think anybody could walk in your home and lie to your face about where they stand with their job and what they’re thinking. Out of respect, to say that to my mom and my dad, a lot of people are like, ‘He’s looking to go somewhere else.’ To me, I trust in that and if I happen to be wrong it is what it is.
“He said SC is where he chose to be. He was getting offered a bunch of money left and right, more money than at SC but he chose SC for a reason. He plans on staying there. He has no plans of going to the NFL or taking a head coaching job, nothing like that.”
Kingsbury was reportedly offered the Houston job after it fired Major Applewhite in recent days. Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday that Kingsbury could interview for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets openings. Coaching is a fluid profession, constantly changing. But if Kingsbury stays at USC, McCoy is excited about his vision for the offense.
“What I did like that he said that most coaches don’t do, they make it a point to say, ‘You will do this and you will do that,’” McCoy said. “He was like, ‘This is how our offense works. Obviously, you fit into it. Any good athlete, any good receiver, would fit into this offense. What I can promise you is the ball is going in the air. As long as you put the work in and you know your assignment most importantly, you’ll thrive.’
“All those Texas Tech receivers went to the NFL and he was like, ‘If I can do that with three-stars and four-stars imagine having three five-stars being able to line up.’ Especially with a great quarterback, so he was keeping it real. The ball will be in the air and you have an opportunity to make plays.”
McCoy, who said the power of alumni and the power of the degree are two of the biggest factors he’s considering in his decision, will have five hats on the table for Saturday’s commitment announcement but this seems like a battle between USC and Texas.
The five-star who will play receiver in college and is also a star linebacker said his relationship with position coach Drew Mehringer is a monumental reason why the Longhorns are so high on his list.
“I love that coach to death,” McCoy said. “Beyond football, we’ve been close for a while but just recently going through playoffs he was coaching me from not even being my coach. He would watch film and say, ‘I saw this or that.’ Just socially, I talk about my girlfriend to him and I tell him what’s going on.
“I know if I were to go play for them he would maintain that same relationship. All of his players have a super close relationship with him and he takes care of them. He’ll be there when you need someone to talk to if my head is messed up or whatever. That’s who you want to play for. If he weren’t there I don’t even think I’d be considering Texas.”
