New football coach Mangurian ready to 'use the W-word'

Pete Mangurian has big plans for Columbia football.

In a press conference on Friday afternoon, the newly appointed head coach of the Light Blue football team discussed his plans for the future of the program.

Mangurian entered into more of the specifics of what is to come in the weeks and months ahead, including an initial assessment of what deserves to stay and what should go from the existing structure.

“The first step in this process is going to be an honest evaluation of where we are, how we got here, and what we’re going to do to move on to the next step,” Mangurian said. “Every single thing is going to be reevaluated.”

Also on the list of things to reevaluate is the coaching staff. The current staff was chosen by coach Norries Wilson, but Mangurian has the opportunity to keep the staff or start from scratch.
In response to an inquiry about whether the coaches will stay or go, Mangurian told Spectator, “Over the next two to three weeks we’ll discuss what we’re going to do staff-wise, and when we make those decisions we’ll let you know.”

While there is some uncertainty about the steps that Mangurian will take, there is a strong sense of excitement.

“Everyone on the team is looking forward to what the next coach brings in and what direction the program will move into,” junior quarterback Sean Brackett said. “With the naming of Coach Mangurian, it takes a little bit of weight off of our shoulders. We are all pretty excited. We are all jacked up.”

Brackett, along with sophomore Marcorus Garrett and senior captain Ross Morand, was one of the three players involved in the coaching search. As a result, he had a chance to interact with Mangurian prior to the eventual appointment.

“We just talked football,” Brackett said. “He has a great track record. He’s been everywhere football is played—the Ivy League, NFL and college football. He’s coached a lot of good players. He’s been around a lot of great coaches. We talked about what his philosophies are, what he thinks is good and bad football wise. Everything he said made me relieved that we are getting the right guy for our football program going forward.”

A huge overhaul may be needed for the program, but Mangurian didn’t appear at all concerned with stepping on any toes. He acknowledged that many things up to this point clearly haven’t been working and described how he intends to go about fixing the program.

“We’re going to find out what does work and we’re going to emphasize those things,” he said.

Aside from examining the current status of all aspects of the program, Manguarian focused on recruiting as the major change that will take place over the short and long term.

“What does it take to win? It’ll take an identity—an identity that’ll be created over time, an identity that we will research in the next week weeks,” he said.

According to Mangurian, this identity will be what the assistant coaches take with them on the road while recruiting the future classes of Columbia football. He emphasized how recruiting needs to focus on finding the right players specifically for Columbia.

“He’s got to fit in this community,” Mangurian said of the ideal recruit. “I want the people who are good for us—that fit us.”

These players, he specified, are not necessarily what other schools like Harvard and Yale are looking for. Once the identity of the program has been solidified, the ideal recruits will simply be those who best exemplify what he thinks Columbia needs in a player, he said.

The other, most noticeable aspect of Mangurian’s plan is his focus on winning. Though the goal of any program, winning has seldom been a part of Columbia football’s past. When it comes to turning the program around, Mangurian is not holding back his expectations for the team.

“We need to expect to win,” Mangurian said. “It has to become part of who we are. We cannot go in with any kind of marginal idea of, ‘Okay, this is good enough.’”

In trying to change the culture surrounding football and getting a good understanding of the team, Mangurian has already leaned on several important people associated with the team and intends to continue doing so. During the press conference, he mentioned recent conversations with notable names like Bill Campbell, a former Columbia football captain and the current chairman of the University’s board of trustees, and Ray Tellier, a former Columbia football coach and the current associate athletics director for football, suggesting the beginnings of personal relationships that will grow in the years to come.

Part of turning the program around will be changing the attitude of those around it and setting high goals.

“Excellence in football is measured in wins,” Mangurian said. “We’re going to use the W-word around here.”