Coach Bubba Burcham

You played for Bob Stoops at Oklahoma are there things that you learned from him that you use now as a head coach? A lot of how he managed his team. A lot of how his general philosophy and things he expected everyday out of people. What he expected out of players everyday and what he expected out of you out at practice. You were the interim head coach at Broken Arrow before Ron Lancaster was hired. Were there things that you learned from that experience? I think overall as a staff we did a lot with it. I don't think, I, individually did it necessarily. Most of the things I do now are what I learned from Coach Stoops. Things I learned when I was at Shawnee with Billy Brown and when I was at Broken Arrow with Brent Whitson. Most everything I do is from those three coaches' influence. But Coach Stoops the most. Talk about your feelings before your first game as head coach at Coweta? I was very excited, just anxious to play. Not to different from when I was a player. Just ready to go, ready to get the first snap over with. No typically analogy. Just really focused and excited about what we were about to do. You are one of the younger head coaches out there. Is there a benefit to that? I think my situation is unique in the time I spent in college. The time I spent two years under Coach Stoops as a graduate assistant. Where I learned specifically how the offense was ran. Saw how recruiting was ran. Saw how coach Stoops managed the team and organized everything. I just tried to pay attention to everything he did and I think that's what makes me different is that experience. With my youth, kids now-a-days are different and you have to be able to relate with them different ways and try and understand what is going on in their life. Just be relative and try to make things relate to them. How often do you wear the National Championship ring? Not very often. It's something I've always felt it's something that's not going to define who I am. It's part of my faith as a Christian. That's what defines who I am, that I'm a Christian first. I wear it certain games. I try to wear it during district time. Kids like to see it and it's more for other people than for me. What is your team's motto? A lot of teams now-a-days have mottos. Ours is "Sell Out." I'm trying to get them to sell out to my way of thinking; how to practice, how to play, how to prepare. The mindset of how to work everyday to get better, it's not just something you can come show up during two-a-days and get better. Or show at game day and be ready to play. You have to practice like you play. Has it been difficult to get the players to sell out to your system? No I don't think it has. What I've been trying to do is not to awfully different then what Coach Birch did. It's just putting my spin on it, my style on it. What I try to do is not necessarily better or worse then other people but it's my way.