TRANSKRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:02.140 --> 00:00:05.179
Cook. Dr. Cook, we appreciate you coming on. Hey, glad
2
00:00:05.219 --> 00:00:09.560
to be here. You know, I joke about it. You know,
3
00:00:09.580 --> 00:00:12.660
normally we do pre-recorded interviews quite a few. You like
4
00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:13.660
to do it live.
5
00:00:14.060 --> 00:00:17.129
Yeah, I want to be a part of the atmosphere,
6
00:00:17.190 --> 00:00:19.410
being here, being a part of the environment.
7
00:00:20.449 --> 00:00:24.309
Yeah, I understand. I mean, you're live and in person
8
00:00:24.390 --> 00:00:27.070
and it's okay. Some people like to do that impromptu stuff.
9
00:00:27.250 --> 00:00:30.850
That's what I'm about. You know, we're blessed with a
10
00:00:30.870 --> 00:00:35.329
beautiful day. Pretty good fan base here. Had my ASU
11
00:00:35.369 --> 00:00:37.570
Foundation meeting today. We was able to get a lot
12
00:00:37.590 --> 00:00:40.289
accomplished there. Looking for the new exciting things that are
13
00:00:40.310 --> 00:00:42.159
going to take place along the athletics.
14
00:00:42.409 --> 00:00:45.380
Well, how about this exciting first half? It was 7-7
15
00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:48.840
at the end of the first quarter, 28 unanswered. You know,
16
00:00:48.859 --> 00:00:52.920
I was nervous. And you're a former football player. First game, Jitters,
17
00:00:52.939 --> 00:00:54.740
would you say? Yeah, I'd say that.
18
00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:58.359
But I know as you play, take part, go on,
19
00:00:59.020 --> 00:01:00.240
you'll be able to wear a team down.
20
00:01:00.549 --> 00:01:03.189
Yeah. And we were able to do that. Just talk
21
00:01:03.229 --> 00:01:05.870
about Jalen Tolbert. Everybody talked about him. And I was
22
00:01:05.909 --> 00:01:07.909
able to sling it around and move the pocket a
23
00:01:07.909 --> 00:01:08.489
little bit. Yeah.
24
00:01:08.650 --> 00:01:09.950
Now we got to work on that running game.
25
00:01:10.170 --> 00:01:15.310
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Carl McDonald, he was highly touted in
26
00:01:15.349 --> 00:01:19.950
the offseason defensively. What did you see in the first half?
27
00:01:20.769 --> 00:01:23.140
We was off key a little bit, you know, going–
28
00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:26.400
practice against each other. That's a different playing against another team.
29
00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:28.280
So they was able to work out the jitters.
30
00:01:28.700 --> 00:01:31.239
They came together as a defensive unit, as one unit,
31
00:01:31.739 --> 00:01:33.620
and they was able to put some big stops up
32
00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:34.420
and some turnovers.
33
00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:38.390
Well, playing Miles College wasn't something we thought about several
34
00:01:38.430 --> 00:01:42.049
months ago. Just talk about getting Miles College on the schedule. Originally,
35
00:01:42.090 --> 00:01:44.189
we were supposed to open up next week in Hattiesburg
36
00:01:44.230 --> 00:01:46.590
against USM, trying to get a game on the schedule
37
00:01:46.609 --> 00:01:49.920
like this, a home game Against UAPB, we're playing it
38
00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:52.099
in Memphis, so we're able to get a home game.
39
00:01:52.140 --> 00:01:54.500
Talk about that process. A.D.
40
00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:59.200
Robinson gave me a phone call and said, hey, President Cook,
41
00:01:59.420 --> 00:02:01.840
there's an opportunity that we can have a game at
42
00:02:01.879 --> 00:02:04.920
Week Zero at home. The fan base would say, hey,
43
00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:06.739
we only have four games. We would like to see
44
00:02:06.819 --> 00:02:10.719
five games. So opportunity came about. Miles, it was a
45
00:02:10.759 --> 00:02:15.379
good opportunity. pregame till we actually get into the season, uh,
46
00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:17.979
to knock the jitters and the bugs out. So it
47
00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:20.810
was a win-win for us. There's a lot going on
48
00:02:20.870 --> 00:02:23.770
on campus, Dr. Cook, the renovations and stuff is happening.
49
00:02:23.789 --> 00:02:25.909
What are some of the big highlights or some of
50
00:02:25.949 --> 00:02:29.169
the highlights that, uh, Braves fans can look forward to
51
00:02:29.250 --> 00:02:32.409
here in the coming weeks, days, and months? Uh, September
52
00:02:32.430 --> 00:02:34.780
the 7th, 8th, we're going to break ground on the
53
00:02:34.860 --> 00:02:39.460
tennis courts with the lighting system, tennis court, uh, A
54
00:02:39.469 --> 00:02:42.460
couple weeks from there, we'll finally get the Whitney project
55
00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:42.979
on the way.
56
00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:45.060
A couple of weeks. A couple of weeks, yeah. A
57
00:02:45.099 --> 00:02:46.659
couple of weeks. They told me we got to find
58
00:02:46.699 --> 00:02:47.439
the signatures.
59
00:02:47.939 --> 00:02:51.560
So that's roughly about $ 23, $ 24 million. We have a
60
00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:54.710
$ 30 million pot for the Whitney renovation for Phase 1
61
00:02:54.710 --> 00:02:59.789
and Phase 2. The track, soccer field, we're going to
62
00:02:59.849 --> 00:03:03.090
have that. That'll be starting probably about a month or so.
63
00:03:03.780 --> 00:03:06.680
Wow so finally with people asking the whitney the whitney
64
00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:09.120
when does the renovation come in and i understand these
65
00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:12.240
things sometimes can go back and forth an i not
66
00:03:12.300 --> 00:03:14.930
dotted t not crossed there's there's a lot involved in
67
00:03:14.939 --> 00:03:16.669
getting these projects signed sealed.
68
00:03:16.469 --> 00:03:19.969
And delivered yeah whitney project gonna be two years so
69
00:03:20.030 --> 00:03:22.490
now we got to work through renovation for two years
70
00:03:22.590 --> 00:03:26.349
now what that looked like uh relocating locker rooms um
71
00:03:26.430 --> 00:03:29.539
i had to bring some portable units in uh Football
72
00:03:29.620 --> 00:03:31.300
now will be out of the gym. Probably have to
73
00:03:31.379 --> 00:03:33.379
use the stadium locker room for two years.
74
00:03:33.620 --> 00:03:33.819
Wow.
75
00:03:33.860 --> 00:03:38.789
Because there's going to be a 2028, June of 2028
76
00:03:38.789 --> 00:03:40.930
completion day on the Whitney Complex.
77
00:03:41.490 --> 00:03:45.189
From an academic standpoint, Dr. Cook, talk about where things
78
00:03:45.310 --> 00:03:48.990
are from the academic standpoint. An exciting fall, enrollment, and
79
00:03:49.090 --> 00:03:51.669
all of that here. The fans are really into it here. Yeah.
80
00:03:52.229 --> 00:03:57.840
Academic footprint. We're going through evaluating all. Our academic programs,
81
00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:02.120
our academic programs have been dated for years. Last time
82
00:04:02.139 --> 00:04:04.860
we had a program review, probably about 25 years ago.
83
00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:07.919
We got to adjust our programming to the workforce now.
84
00:04:08.900 --> 00:04:11.139
You know, it got to be a catchy phrase for
85
00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:13.189
the students to say, hey, they got to look at
86
00:04:13.210 --> 00:04:15.469
the opportunity if I decide to come to Alcorn and
87
00:04:15.830 --> 00:04:19.810
major in this particular degree pathway, what type of revenue
88
00:04:19.850 --> 00:04:20.389
I'm going to be able.
89
00:04:20.310 --> 00:04:23.759
To receive from that particular degree. I see Monte Ellis
90
00:04:23.819 --> 00:04:27.709
was down there, our men's basketball general manager. How much
91
00:04:27.810 --> 00:04:31.589
sizzle has that brought to men's basketball, to athletics, and
92
00:04:31.629 --> 00:04:34.470
to Alcorn since he's come on board? He's a great person.
93
00:04:34.829 --> 00:04:37.810
He's a down-to-earth person. Got a chance to have a
94
00:04:37.850 --> 00:04:40.579
conversation with him just a few minutes ago on the sidelines.
95
00:04:41.399 --> 00:04:42.699
You know, you got a chance to come in on
96
00:04:42.740 --> 00:04:46.720
campus early today. He said, I love Alcorn. And there's
97
00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:50.399
so much potential here. I have a lot of outreach.
98
00:04:50.939 --> 00:04:54.180
Some of the stakeholders that have a big interest in Alcorn.
99
00:04:54.199 --> 00:04:56.399
So I'm going to keep my lip seal on that
100
00:04:56.439 --> 00:04:57.990
until all that comes about.
101
00:04:58.529 --> 00:04:59.490
In other words, stay tuned.
102
00:04:59.589 --> 00:05:00.550
Yes, stay tuned.
103
00:05:00.629 --> 00:05:03.670
Yes. Well, stay tuned for the second half. That's coming up. Dr. Cook,
104
00:05:03.689 --> 00:05:05.490
we appreciate you giving us a couple of minutes. Hey,
105
00:05:05.529 --> 00:05:06.350
thank you. All right.