[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] all right welcome to another episode of Off the Carousel I'm Jeff Goodman I'm here with new Louisiana head coach Quanis White And Quanis first of all congrats man Congrats You got a job You got a good job And uh you've hit the ground running And take me through first if you can what the decision was like when you got the job You're in the midst of a run at Houston where you're uh your assistant for for Kelvin you guys end up going to the national title game You decide to stay with Houston rather than a lot of coaches right now It it's a hard decision because of the portal because you want to pour everything you can into the new job all your time but obviously you guys had a special group there and I I assume there was some not only loyalty but also just like hey I I want to be there for for you know Kelvin and Kell and the players and everybody Absolutely Jeff man you know uh be having the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament is special in itself Uh but you know we had a really really special group I just saw Milo Suzanne decided to go back to Houston which is a really great decision for him and his family Uh but all of those guys that um you know from June July August September all of those months you you spend preparing you know to have an opportunity to make it to the NCAA tournament let alone you know be blessed with the opportunity to play in the national championship game So you know I I knew all along that we had a special team Uh Coach Samson Kellen uh all of those guys Hollis you know who's family to me you know those guys you know that program over there is an amazing program obviously And so I I didn't second guess it not one time You know when I was blessed with the opportunity to become the head coach at University of Louisiana you know I knew that I would be you know for a period of time be juggling two jobs So uh yeah it never crossed my mind I knew I was going to stay there entire time you know cuz we had something you know really special that we could accomplish Quantis why Louisiana Why this job Cuz you know I'm not saying like you could have gotten necessarily a high major job as an assistant but who knows You stay another year or two You guys went to the title game You're going to be good again this year You know that Um you're you're you're 44 Not like you're in some crazy rush to get one Um why why Louisiana now Jeeoff I'm I'm I'm big on people man I'm re I'm really big on people Uh Dr Maggarder the athletic director over at University of Louisiana he and I you know had several conversations We we met several times and we got to know each other and we share you know a lot of similarities same vision Uh he's a people person He works extremely hard His work ethic is very similar to mine and um you know he's he's a huge reason for me taking that job um and it being in Louisiana you know I never cared about the level I always cared about do they have the right administration right and the president Dr Savvoir are all great people You know uh me and my wife they welcomed us with open arms from the very beginning And um you know if I knew when I thought about taking a head coaching job you know I always wanted to make sure that they had the right administration and and again it being in Louisiana you know I'm from New Orleans you know Lafayette is two hours up the road You know the people of Lafayette are just been outstanding And you know that southern hospitality is something that I'm used to and and I thought you know uh University of Louisiana being a program right in the Sunb Belt Conference which is a really good conference with great coaches in it Uh I just know that it's something that you can build on and you know make it you know a powerhouse Uh I really do believe that You know I I come from a program where you know I've watched us build Houston basketball program get it back to where it needed to be And so I've been a part of that And so you know I I think we can do the same thing at University of Louisiana I really I'm going to give you an interesting fact and then a challenge All right I'm going to give you This is crazy My favorite player ever went to Louisiana Okay that my favorite and let me preface this with I went I grew up in Boston and my favorite player ever went to Louisiana and his name he would have been a Hall of Famer if he had stayed healthy in the NBA is Andrew Tony playing for the Philadelphia 76ers Boston Strangler elite like man I'm a little older than you so you you didn't see Tony in his prime anyway um unbelievable player yeah like and he didn't give a [ __ ] about anything other than just playing ball He How about this He has not done one interview not one since he retired from the Sixers So I'm going to give you my challenge to you is I don't think my guess is they've never gotten them back Maybe they have since he retired but the Sixers he didn't end that well with the Sixers Never went back since for any of their things they've had Charles Barkley said he's the most talented player he ever played with ever That includes you know I mean Barkley played with Moses Malone and Doc you know like you know obviously some great players Oh yeah So anyway you you got to I've talked to Andrew Tony I've tried to get him to do an interview He was close but he never did it So uh love that dude So anyway that's a that's an interesting totally off-the-topic uh deal there but he was unbelievable Um give me Quantis the biggest thing you learned in the last eight years coaching under Kelvin Samson who you know what eight years ago I feel like Kelvin didn't get the respect that he gets now probably deserved it but like building Houston and and he gets most of the credit but you've been there for all this over the last eight years or so And and I feel like Kelvin and even Kell get a lot of the the the credit and um the Samson family they're dear to my heart cuz I I love his wife and his daughter and and everybody But what was it that you took from this that you will bring with you I'm sure there's a lot Yeah it Jeff it is Uh you know getting to sit under coach Samson I have a huge advantage right I played for him Uh every year coach has been in the final four I've been alongside of him So I've as one as a player back in 2002 and then um the two here right going to the final four losing in that game and then getting to a national championship So I always say experience is the best teacher man I I got an opportunity an amazing opportunity to sit under you know a guy that I I I believe is a Hall of Fame coach and and he's even uh you know a better person right And so you know the biggest thing I've learned from him is just you know as simple as this may sound is just to be consistent You know that guy has never really you know he talks about three people that can't have a bad day Head coach point guard and the best player He lives by that That's not just you know something that he's saying He he's never had a bad day Didn't matter if you know he was getting up in age right like we all will uh or he was having you know just not a good day or ill whatever I I've seen him at his worst right But he's never uh you know anytime it's when it's time to go down there on that floor you know for practice he's on set right And he's committed And so the biggest thing I learned from him is just to be consistent Doesn't matter how you feel You're the leader of that program I'm the leader of University of Louisiana And so those guys are going to get the same thing our guys got here at Houston you know which is you know commitment and consistency and um you know just putting your team in a position every single day And I think you do that by being consistent So mo most assistant coaches are the good guys on the staff I heard you were not necessarily the good guy I heard you right Am I wrong Kellen Well Kellen Kellen had to be the good guy right He was the good guy and you were the bad cop So you're used to this so is it going to change much going to the the head seat No I mean man you I think you got to I think you got to be who you are You you get these opportunities Uh you know yeah I've learned from coach Samson and it's obviously I'll take a lot of what I've learned uh from Houston and from him over to University of Louisiana but I I think you got to put your own spin on things and you got to do things that you feel is best and go with your gut right I can't try to you know emulate Coach Samson I got to be Quantis White and uh and but to answer your question I I I was the bad guy sometimes right And me and coach Samson uh you know very similar you know he he paid me a huge compliment and said uh you know that I was one of the coaches that have you know out of all his years of coaching that were was very similar to him and and not that I tried to be that way and I was just that way So yeah but from time to time I commuted back out Yeah Kell wasn't wrong If you haven't heard by now we have partnered with Bet MGM for the season We'll be using Bet MGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for the listeners and the viewers Download the Bet MGM app and sign up using the bonus code Field Deposit at least $10 and place your first wager on any game and you'll receive up to $1,500 in bonus bets Go download the Bet MGM app and use the code field today Does that mean similar to him So obviously we know what he preaches like you said consistency toughness um defense Will you be the like will will will this program be the mid major version Will you try to make it the mid- major version of Houston if you can Is that the goal or are you going to play differently Well we we we've been to the tournament uh every year that I've been at Houston right I want to say I've been there eight years So you know if you take the co season out it's been seven straight seasons So absolutely Right I mean we won you know uh and so again though you got to you got to be you But I I do love defense but I also love giving our guys great freedom on offense you know our guys and future recruits they're going to love playing at the University of Louisiana because of the freedom I got that I'm going to give our guys right Uh but you know I'm I'm a defensive-minded coach as well I do not like getting scored on And so when you talk about the similarities of me and Coach Samson we are the same I'm not I'm not big on guys getting blown by and you know getting scored on and then immediately rush you know to take the ball out like it never happened I I I don't that's not something I'm old school in that way And so uh you know defense means something but again we gonna be you know versatile offensively and our guys going to play with great freedom and confidence So like I said at the outset I mean you've done a really good job you know hitting the portal uh getting some high school guys as well Like you don't know the league that well yet So it's hard and nobody knows any league that well right now because of all the turnover right now but what are realistic expectations Like what have you have you kind of something in your in your mind of of hey you know what we want to just compete for the league title this year Like where where where are you at with expectations Have you set them going into the season Yeah you know Jeff my my expectations and you can call me crazy man but uh I was like this as a player and I'm not going to change now that I'm a head coach Uh my expectations are high They're they are what they are man I I'm I'm a really confident guy U you know I believe in outworking people you know outworking work right And so you know my my goal for this team is is to win a league My goal for this team is to get to the NCAA tournament and nothing has changed Uh just because now I slid over into you know the head coaching role at at a you know mid- major league No that doesn't matter I I understand you know the task ahead of me I understand uh the coaches in this league which are high major coaches right Uh and so but you know when I got over to Houston is is no different year one you know I went up to Coach Samson's office and told him we we gonna get to the tournament this year and we did And so um that's just the way I operate man That's the way I think and I want my players to think that way And I think it's a huge reason why we've been really successful on the recruiting trail right Th those kids feel that passion right from the head coach the assistants and I got to give my assistants a lot of credit You talked about uh you know me juggling two jobs That's not easy And you don't do anything alone you know Uh I'm I'm big on we not me right Uh you you're only as good as the guys that are around you Jeff And so I got some really good guys around me that that team that got assembled within the span of two weeks right Uh and you know in this day and age how difficult that is Uh you know my assistants were you know hitting the ground running on the phone Yeah I was on the phone as well when we was taking breaks from scouting report whether it was playing Duke or Purdue you know once I wasn't in the scouting report you know I was on the phone So uh but I got to give a lot of credit to all those guys that are on my staff You know each and every one of those guys played a major part in and helping put that team together that I I believe has a real chance So I I think one of the misnomers about you is that you're a recruiter and I think people get a chance to see this now that you're a head coach but you know what you did developing some of these guards at at Houston was incredible cuz they didn't come in I mean none of those dudes came in big like I guess maybe Grimes a little bit right But like Sasser no Shed no Uzzan not really I mean and look at the change he you know from when I saw you guys in November in in Vegas I was like man guys could be in trouble if he doesn't figure this thing out Um the development part of it how how big is that for for for you there not to lose that as a head coach and especially with the guards And that that's that's a great question with the guards and and the bigs that we got coming I'm on my staff uh every single day and the guys that I've hired strategically are really good player development coaches I I just believe in that in this day and age with uh RSA NIL uh these these kids all have aspirations to you know make it or become a pro whether that's in the NBA overseas Jeff and so I want these kids to be prepared for that I wanted them to be prepared the guards at Houston to be prepared to go chase their dreams And you look at Milo Suzanne that you just spoke of um coach uh Moer at Oklahoma is a really good coach Uh but we got the opportunity to you know sign Milos and get him over there and you know work with him every single day and develop him And I'm I'm big on player development big you know I want these guys uh the guards and bigs but the guards at Houston I wanted to take them and develop them and just put them in position to be in position to have success over at Houston but also be prepared you know once they go on to their professional careers And so you look at Jamal Shed in year one uh the season that he had at a as a rookie Marcus Sasser same thing And then for Milo Zuzanne and LJ Crier right who I thought LJ Crier was arguably the best guard in college basketball I think he had a phenomenal year I thought he would be in the NBA combine Uh he should have been Uh but you know all those guys came in with something and I got to give all those guys uh great credit and I tell our our players at University of Louisiana be receptive to coaching right Uh be a great listener It it it really starts there And so you know I got to give the guards at Houston huge credit All those guys had great work ethic Emanuel Shaw you know all all these guards that Quinton Grimes like you just talked about all those guys had a uh you know great work ethic workmanship mentality and they wanted to get better And so you know when you look at the guys that we recruited at University of Louisiana we just didn't go out and sign these guys We we did a great job of evaluating It starts right there and then listening to them after you ask a question several questions I might add Uh and getting a feel for them getting a feel for their parents and as well as agents now So I there some agents that you know uh doing it the right way and um and we uh we had great conversation with those guys and you know our mindsets are are the same and so um you know but our our guys at Louisiana they want to get better no different than the kids over here at Houston and it starts there So here's an interesting one because not many guys have have in this current climate have dealt with it at the high major and the mid- major level with NIL right now right Like a lot of you know take me through the differences and I know you haven't coached these kids yet at this level but obviously the money is completely different u now than it was a couple years even a year ago It it's completely I mean it's doubled for the most part Um what what's it been like dealing with it at that level compared to at the high major level Well um to be honest it's just the the the the dollar amount right That's that's that's that's still the first question for most of these kids or No not the not the kids that we're recruiting believe it or not Yeah Right you you got to keep the main thing the main thing And so the very first question I ask is what's what's most important to you right As simple as that sounds is is is major right And so the kids and this is the god honest truth We we've we've signed tons and ton well eight transfer guys I want to say I think I'm right on that Uh every last one of those guys have said they wanted to win and play in the NCAA tournament Okay that's their first answer And uh it wasn't well coach you know um I need you to talk to my agent Uh how much NIL can I get Right now I'm I'mma get off the phone with those guys uh immediately I won't ask any more questions Right And so all of these kids uh you know we got Joshua Lewis who's top 60 uh from Tampa who originally committed to Iowa you know turned down several SEC schools and a couple Big 12s I think Uh that kid wants to develop Jeff and I can say this about Caris Bala uh who transferring from Vanderbilt Jamar and Keller right who who played in the Big 12 and all these kids are coming to University of Louisiana but they want to win right The other stuff is just you know added bonus right But first and foremost all these guys said "Coach we want to win and I want to get into the NCAA tournament." So uh for for the fans and and and people out there that think you know all these guys are just fixated on money they're they're not They still want to win Yeah the the the good ones do right I mean that's you're right Like you it's it's how you guys were able to be so successful at Houston right You you you built a culture and you didn't deviate from it You didn't deviate And you know it makes it a little bit easier when you win at a high level to do that because you're going to get players I think a lot of players knew when you come to Houston the first question if it's about money probably not going to work and and if you can do the same thing and carry that with you man like it solves a lot of issues that because I do think Quantis I think and I don't know if you agree with me here but this year you're going to see more locker room issues than ever because the numbers the salaries while they're not public public They're they're they're out there far more I think you know you're talking about a bunch in the NBA They're out there out there in college are kind of out there and you're going to have some players that let's face it may not be producing Uh and guys in the locker room are going to look at them and be like "All right why why did I make why is he making more money than me This is I'm going to this is BS." Like I just think you're going to have more issues than ever and it's going to be more important to have and we saw it with you guys last year like chemistry man chemistry is so important Culture is so important and I feel like Houston I I don't know if there was a place in the country that we felt like culture was more paramount Right No you you you got a point it You got to have a culture and it it starts with the head coach It starts with the head coach and then then your assistant coaches right Again I I talk about uh you know the guys around you you know being extremely important and you only as good as those guys right uh absolutely starts with the head coach but those assistant coach the support staff you know the time that you spend with those kids and building genuine relationships and and before all of that Jeff is uh recruiting you know you're not just recruiting the the the player uh the student athlete you're recruiting his parents And now now you know you had AU coaches which I've been a AU coach right Uh it's high school coaches It's it's still all of that right Because those are relationships that you know those guys have an influence and and have their own relationships with that kid But now now you're bringing the agent into the mix And so you know navigating all of that these are you know some uh different times but um all of those things are extremely important and you have to do that that work has to be done in building those relationships with all those people I just named Yeah Because if if you're not and you don't you know speak to those people now what you're saying can probably take part right You got to make sure you're getting the right kids and you got genuine relationships with all of those people and they they have to share the same vision as the head coach and yeah whoever the the the point guy is and the assistant that's doing the bulk of the work Well listen uh great catching up Quantis White new coach at Louisiana Good thing is you're old school but you're only 44 You're still young so you could you could deal with with the the everchanging landscape of college basketball a lot easier than your former boss can right now right Although he's pretty good He's Hey for his age I give him credit He's been pretty uh pretty adaptable He doesn't complain much Maybe he does maybe he complains to you and Kellen but he doesn't complain much to the media No he he he he's been awesome man Uh that they coach forever What did he sign He just signed a new five since your deal Like this dude may go to like 80 Hey welld deserved Yeah he he's like a second dad to me That's my guy That's my guy I love him Well listen Quanis Uh congrats again Uh looking forward to seeing like I said and if you get Andrew Tony back on campus you let me know I'll be there All right And I'll be there