Cozza waxes poetic about the 2000 Bulldogs

COURTESY 'TRUE BLUE' Carm Cozza leaving the field after his last game as head coach in 1996.

Yale Herald: Could you compare the past two Yale teams under coach Siedlecki to some of your teams in the past?

Carm Cozza: This is an outstanding team. And one thing they need to be complimented on is the turnover ratio. If they get beat, it's because the other team was better than them. They won't beat themselves. I think that's a real compliment to the coaching staff. I think they compare favorably with some of our best teams. This is a very fine defensive team, a very fine offensive team. I think it's very comparable to the team we had in the '80s. I don't think any of the Yale teams ever had the offense we had when we had Brian Dowling and Calvin Hill in the '60s, which was unheard of: we had 456 yards of offense and they scored in 22 consecutive quarters. It's a different era and football has changed a lot.

YH: What kind of relationship, if any, do you maintain with the current Yale football coach Jack Siedlecki?

CC: We're good friends. He won't ask me about x's and o's but he'll ask me about some former players, some alumni. I've helped his staff get to know some of the former players that are assisting in recruiting. We have a nice relationship.

YH: You devoted a good portion of your Master's Tea to the leadership responsibilities of a coach.You also mentioned your role as a father to your children.Could you compare your experience in these two similar yet distinct capacities?

CC: The good thing for me is that I have three daughters. If I had a son, he probably would have felt the pressure of his dad being a coach especially if he were a football player. So maybe it was a godsend for me. My daughters and I, we were really close and still are, so it was great for me. I am not sure I was the best father I could have been because I wasn't home enough. But when I was there, I was attentive and I listened to them. No matter how late I got home at night, I drove them to school in the morning so we could communicate. I wanted to know about their personal problems, how their school was going, basically letting them know I was interested and that I loved them.

YH: You commented that when other schools offered you higher-ranking positions in their athletic departments, you stayed at Yale due to your feeling indebted to the University for having first presented you with a head coaching opportunity. In this light, could you evaluate the rising trend among recruited athletes to quit after their freshman or sophomore year?

CC: I think [recruited athetes] should at least give themselves a fair commitment, and then if it doesn't work and if it's not in their best interest and it's detrimental to their overall education, then I can see them dropping off. If things are going well, kids want to be a part of it. If they're not excelling or not performing up to what they feel their capabilities are, then they'll go on to other things. And maybe that's not bad. Even if you are an athlete, that's only one part of your overall education—everyone wants to excel in something, whether it's writing, whether it's music.

YH: Could you compare the state of professional and college athletics today?

CC: I still think pro sports is show biz. Yet that makes some people think it's easy to be a pro, but I disagree with that and I'll tell you why. They're in the limelight, they're performing, and their profession is short-lived, where if you're a singer you can go on until you're my age. They're going to go five, maybe 10 years at the most and they're out of there. So they've got to make hay while it's good. But I think the two are still different. To me, college, the spirit of it, the enthusiasm and everything is more meaningful.

YH: Could you comment on the current physical state of the Yale Bowl? Are renovations are necessary and imminent?

CC: Actually, that's exactly what I'm working on. We've raised $2.2 million, and we need to get another million and a half. I want them to start as soon as possible, maybe this spring. Since you've got to do it to the residential colleges, you have to do it to the gym, why not the Bowl? I really do want to renovate the Bowl before I leave.

YH: Do you continue to experience emotional withdrawal from football now that you are no longer coaching?

CC: Last year was my last graduating class [that I recruited]. So now I don't have quite the same feelings that I did for the kids, so it's easier for me. My first year was extremely hard. I've gotten to know the coaches better, not only Jack but the assistant coaches. I feel very comfortable with them. I enjoy doing the radio work. A lot of the coaches will come in and ask me about recruiting, and I get a kick out of helping them with it.

YH: If you could leave Yale with one lasting impression, what would it be and why?

CC: I feel very fortunate and privileged to have worked with the caliber of people here. You people are special, I don't know if you realize it, you just are. I don't know if there's a player I've coached that I woudn't want to have as a son. Not many coaches can say that.

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