North Carolina State University Athletics
Catching up with Eli Drinkwitz
2/16/2016 2:18:00 PM | Football
PHOTO GALLERY
It's been a month since Eli Drinkwitz was named the Wolfpack's new offensive coordinator. Â GoPack.com caught up with him this week to find out how the first month has gone.
Describe what the last month has been like for you.
In one word: whirlwind. In a phrase: like drinking water through a fire hose.
There are so many different things going on. When you step into an organization that's already moving, you've got to get caught up to speed with what everybody else has going on. Yes, we're bringing in a new offense and we can slow it down for our staff and our players as we teach them, but recruiting never stops. The offseason training never stops.
[New offensive line coach] Dwayne [Ledford] and I have had to jump on that treadmill of recruiting and getting up to speed on how everything works, while also handling personal things like finding a place to live, getting the family set up for insurance and things like that.
It's been really fun. The people have been very welcoming and the players have been really good.
What was it like to jump into recruiting so close to signing day?
The good thing about it was that the staff had done a tremendous job building relationships and having the people that we wanted already identified. Ten of them were on campus already and the rest of them were solid commitments. There were only about 2 or 3 that we were trying to tie up loose ends with.
Talk about getting to know your players.
The very first day I got here, I began to meet with each offensive player individually and get to know them, show them pictures of my family. You have to connect relationally before you can start to demand respect and trust. I just wanted to get to know a little bit about them and get to put a face with a name. Â
It's all about time. Relationships are built over time and through time spent with each other. Now with the quarterbacks, it's trying to get down, within the NCAA rules, and see them work out, watch them in the weight room, meet with them, have a meal with them, catch them in the dining hall, just whatever I can do to try to get to know them on a personal level. Â
I don't want these guys to feel like everything we do is an interview. I just want to relate to them on a personal level and give them information. We'll have evaluations once we get on the field, but you have to make a connection first.
How have they responded?
They've been really good. They've been eager to try to learn what we're doing. They're hungry. They're hungry to win. They know they want to win. They've not quite sure the price it's going to cost to get there, but they've been working hard and I've been pleased with the response. There's been zero negativity. They've been asking a lot of questions about how to be in a position to be successful.
How has the offensive staff come together?
What I've done in the past and what Coach Ledford has done in the past is what we will bring as far as our experiences. But every bit as valuable is what Coach Faulkner has done, what Coach Kitchings has done, and what Coach McDonald has done. So we get into a room and we say 'this is the base idea. Now how can we make it better?'
Ultimately this is going to be NC State's offense for 2016. It's not Eli Drinkwitz, it's all of us. It's all of our coaches, it's all of our GAs. It's the product we put on the field because all of our names are associated with it. Â
Now obviously there's got to be an identity, and that's a part of the offensive coordinator's job description to detail the identity of what we're going to do. That's clearly been defined by myself and what I believe in and what Coach Doeren's asked me to do. As long as we hold true to that philosophy and the identity of who we are, the best idea is what we're going to go with.
We talk a lot about low ego, high output. We get in a room and it's not about your idea or mine, it's about what's the best idea.
How many hours has the staff put in to get it all together?
It's been a fine line. Coach Ledford and I, our families aren't here so it's easy for us to stay up here late. But I realize that Coach McDonald and Coach Kitchings and Coach Faulkner have families in town and they need to be great dads and great husbands. We try to maximize the time we're here. We've tried to start early, but when it's possible, give them the ability to be home to have dinner with their families. That's important to Coach Doeren and it's important to me.
What's the coolest thing you've discovered about NC State?
The bookBot in the Hunt Library is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time, so that was in.
(Note: If you haven't seen it, check it out here)
Another really cool thing is that after Jacoby Brissett signs with an NFL team, we'll have four NFL quarterbacks from NC State on rosters and nobody else in the country can say that. That tradition of quarterback play here is pretty cool.
What have you discovered about Raleigh?
You can drive in a circle completely around Raleigh and if you miss a turn, you just keep going around the circle. And ice, even the threat of ice, shuts everything down. Â
When will your family join you?
We've sold house in Boise, but we haven't found a house yet here. The plan is to move the second week in March, put the girls in school and then my wife will be out there looking. Â
How hard has it been to be away from your girls?
I've done it in recruiting, spending three or four days away. But when you see them for the first time after 20-something days, it's pretty cool. Last week I was able to go home and just be dad. I got to take Addison to a Valentine's party and she's an Upward Cheerleader and so I got to go watch her perform. I guess they were playing a basketball game, I'm not sure because I was just looking at my daughter! It was really fun.
What has to happen between now and March 1Â - the first day of spring practice?
You only get one chance to make a first impression. We want to make a great first impression of being organized, detailed and our guys knowing exactly what we want to do and what we want to accomplish. We had a meeting this morning talking about being detailed and organized. We want to take the gray out for the players. That's the big push - getting everybody on the same page and making sure our players know our expectations so when they go out there, they can just play fast.
So, month one has been ....?
It's been a great month. You can see tangible results. Every day I can look back and see a pile of things that have gotten done. I've just tried to get up and attack each day. I can't believe it's been a month.
Â
It's been a month since Eli Drinkwitz was named the Wolfpack's new offensive coordinator. Â GoPack.com caught up with him this week to find out how the first month has gone.
Describe what the last month has been like for you.
In one word: whirlwind. In a phrase: like drinking water through a fire hose.
There are so many different things going on. When you step into an organization that's already moving, you've got to get caught up to speed with what everybody else has going on. Yes, we're bringing in a new offense and we can slow it down for our staff and our players as we teach them, but recruiting never stops. The offseason training never stops.
[New offensive line coach] Dwayne [Ledford] and I have had to jump on that treadmill of recruiting and getting up to speed on how everything works, while also handling personal things like finding a place to live, getting the family set up for insurance and things like that.
It's been really fun. The people have been very welcoming and the players have been really good.
What was it like to jump into recruiting so close to signing day?
The good thing about it was that the staff had done a tremendous job building relationships and having the people that we wanted already identified. Ten of them were on campus already and the rest of them were solid commitments. There were only about 2 or 3 that we were trying to tie up loose ends with.
Talk about getting to know your players.
The very first day I got here, I began to meet with each offensive player individually and get to know them, show them pictures of my family. You have to connect relationally before you can start to demand respect and trust. I just wanted to get to know a little bit about them and get to put a face with a name. Â
It's all about time. Relationships are built over time and through time spent with each other. Now with the quarterbacks, it's trying to get down, within the NCAA rules, and see them work out, watch them in the weight room, meet with them, have a meal with them, catch them in the dining hall, just whatever I can do to try to get to know them on a personal level. Â
I don't want these guys to feel like everything we do is an interview. I just want to relate to them on a personal level and give them information. We'll have evaluations once we get on the field, but you have to make a connection first.
How have they responded?
They've been really good. They've been eager to try to learn what we're doing. They're hungry. They're hungry to win. They know they want to win. They've not quite sure the price it's going to cost to get there, but they've been working hard and I've been pleased with the response. There's been zero negativity. They've been asking a lot of questions about how to be in a position to be successful.
How has the offensive staff come together?
What I've done in the past and what Coach Ledford has done in the past is what we will bring as far as our experiences. But every bit as valuable is what Coach Faulkner has done, what Coach Kitchings has done, and what Coach McDonald has done. So we get into a room and we say 'this is the base idea. Now how can we make it better?'
Ultimately this is going to be NC State's offense for 2016. It's not Eli Drinkwitz, it's all of us. It's all of our coaches, it's all of our GAs. It's the product we put on the field because all of our names are associated with it. Â
Now obviously there's got to be an identity, and that's a part of the offensive coordinator's job description to detail the identity of what we're going to do. That's clearly been defined by myself and what I believe in and what Coach Doeren's asked me to do. As long as we hold true to that philosophy and the identity of who we are, the best idea is what we're going to go with.
We talk a lot about low ego, high output. We get in a room and it's not about your idea or mine, it's about what's the best idea.
How many hours has the staff put in to get it all together?
It's been a fine line. Coach Ledford and I, our families aren't here so it's easy for us to stay up here late. But I realize that Coach McDonald and Coach Kitchings and Coach Faulkner have families in town and they need to be great dads and great husbands. We try to maximize the time we're here. We've tried to start early, but when it's possible, give them the ability to be home to have dinner with their families. That's important to Coach Doeren and it's important to me.
What's the coolest thing you've discovered about NC State?
The bookBot in the Hunt Library is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time, so that was in.
(Note: If you haven't seen it, check it out here)
Another really cool thing is that after Jacoby Brissett signs with an NFL team, we'll have four NFL quarterbacks from NC State on rosters and nobody else in the country can say that. That tradition of quarterback play here is pretty cool.
What have you discovered about Raleigh?
You can drive in a circle completely around Raleigh and if you miss a turn, you just keep going around the circle. And ice, even the threat of ice, shuts everything down. Â
When will your family join you?
We've sold house in Boise, but we haven't found a house yet here. The plan is to move the second week in March, put the girls in school and then my wife will be out there looking. Â
How hard has it been to be away from your girls?
I've done it in recruiting, spending three or four days away. But when you see them for the first time after 20-something days, it's pretty cool. Last week I was able to go home and just be dad. I got to take Addison to a Valentine's party and she's an Upward Cheerleader and so I got to go watch her perform. I guess they were playing a basketball game, I'm not sure because I was just looking at my daughter! It was really fun.
What has to happen between now and March 1Â - the first day of spring practice?
You only get one chance to make a first impression. We want to make a great first impression of being organized, detailed and our guys knowing exactly what we want to do and what we want to accomplish. We had a meeting this morning talking about being detailed and organized. We want to take the gray out for the players. That's the big push - getting everybody on the same page and making sure our players know our expectations so when they go out there, they can just play fast.
So, month one has been ....?
It's been a great month. You can see tangible results. Every day I can look back and see a pile of things that have gotten done. I've just tried to get up and attack each day. I can't believe it's been a month.
Â
Players Mentioned
QB
/ FootballCoach Doeren Signing Day Presser (Dec. 3rd)
Wednesday, December 03
FB Players Postgame Presser vs UNC
Sunday, November 30
Coach Doeren Postgame Presser vs UNC
Sunday, November 30
Coach Doeren Weekly Press Conference (Nov. 24)
Monday, November 24