Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve probably seen Oklahoma State Coach Mike Gundy go off on a local columnist (video above) for this article in the Daily Oklahoman. USC coach Pete Carroll saw the video, and even joked around with the media by mimicking Gundy and waving around a newspaper before starting his regular Tuesday press conference. Later on, I asked him for his take on everything.

Had you been in a similar situation [to Gundy], what do you think you would have done?

It depends. I don’t know the circumstances. I’d have to read the article that he was referring to, but I assumed that he saw it in a way that caused him to be passionate about the way he needed to respond to it.  So, I support him on his perspective. I don’t know the circumstances, but I’m going to assume that it really upset him, it bothered him, he thought it was terribly unfair and uncalled for. He said what he needed to say.

One thing we need to do is protect the stature of the college football game in terms of the media and how they deal with our players (and how they deal with every aspect of it) to keep it different than the NFL. The NFL’s got it’s own way. They’re pros. They get paid a lot of money. The scrutiny is sometimes ruthless.

In college football it shouldn’t be like that. These guys are amateurs. They’re doing the best they can. They’re going to school and they’re on scholarship playing football. And that’s for all athletes in college. What I love about college football is the spirit of the game is still well intact. We play for the right reasons and we don’t want to loose that by making it too serious. I think Coach Gundy made that stand and I hope that it reverberates. It’s a clear statement of "let’s be conscious of protecting these guys — and protect the stature of the game." So I’m really in support of what he did. I don’t know anything about the article or the writer. I’m just assuming that he needed to do that, so he did it.

Do you read a lot of your own press or press about your team, or do you have anybody who keeps an eye out there for you?

Yeah, we have a ton of people that are watching it and keeping track of stuff, but I don’t know everything that’s written.

Do you have anybody who’s specifically in charge of monitoring that? Do you rely on the Sports Information Department?

Yeah, they’re on it at all times. They’re on it around the clock. If there’s something that I need to know — articles or references or whatever — then I hear about it. I really think it’s important for me not to read the newspaper and not to stay on it on a daily basis. I don’t need the information that’s coming out of there. I don’t want to have it dictate what my mentality is at any time, so I don’t pay as much attention to it as some other guys.

Have you ever read the Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership by [USC President] Steve Sample?

No.

He suggests taking a couple weeks off from the newspaper and letting your top lieutenants tell you the news.

I was taught that a long time ago by Bud Grant.

In your own coaching history, have you had any cases of your own players getting bolo’ed by the media?

I fought in the NFL to protect my guys to a point where I got
attacked by the media for that — by not giving up guys who got beat in
coverages or got beat in big plays or made mistakes. I’ve never felt
that I’m going to be a part of that. That’s part of the reporting
process, I don’t need to actively be a part of that.

You’ve never had that at the college level?

No. I think that the relationship that we have with the media here
has been very good. I’m proud of the relationship that we have here. I
think that they do a great job of covering and they work real hard. I
have a lot of respect for the guys that do this job. I don’t always
agree with their job description, but I know you guys have a job to do.
And I know that I need to help you — otherwise you’re going to be left
to your own devices!

That could be trouble! You’ve had a couple kids play NCAA sports.
Have you ever had any concerns as a parent and reading about them?

No. I don’t think this is a trend. I don’t think it’s prevalent. I
don’t think it’s at all what we’re dealing with. We’re not dealing with
it here in Los Angeles or on the national scope that we’re on. That was
an instance of a particular writer and a particular kid and a
particular situation and coach. I may have my head in the sand but I
don’t think that’s what’s going on.

Have you ever had any outbursts with the media?

No. I don’t feel like I would ever want them to know that they could
get me like that! That doesn’t mean that I haven’t felt compelled or
felt that it was important. I know that there were some people in New
England that thought I should!