Duke has started plenty of seasons with long losing streaks, but not since David Cutcliffe has been coach. Coach Cut explains how to deal with the slow start
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 I have not been 0-4 as a head coach,
00:04 but I was 0-6 at Tennessee as an assistant,
00:07 and it wasn't much fun.
00:10 What can happen from it, if you're willing to learn,
00:14 if you're willing to work,
00:16 we went from 0-6 to 5-6,
00:19 and the very next year to 11-1.
00:24 I will never forget those lessons.
00:27 One of the things you have to do is to be a great teammate.
00:30 You have to be true to each other.
00:33 You can't start thinking,
00:35 "Well, what if such-and-such did this?"
00:38 And so I've had experience when you've coached
00:40 as long as I have,
00:42 and I think the biggest thing is us pulling together
00:44 is the only possible path,
00:47 and we have enough playmakers
00:48 to find a way to win football games.
00:51 It's the most unique time in the history of college football.
00:55 We all know that's the most unique time in my career.
00:59 So I don't know exactly what you have to do step by step.
01:05 You know, we're learning because it's different,
01:07 what we're dealing with.
01:08 What I do know is you have to fight,
01:11 and you have to fight together.
01:12 So I'm anxious to see how many great teammates
01:15 we have on this team,
01:16 and I believe in my heart it will be everyone.
01:20 Well, I think it's always harder when you lose,
01:22 and you're in a losing streak.
01:24 If you're in a slump,
01:27 you have to deal with the negativity
01:30 that comes into your mind.
01:32 You wake up, and you can't believe it's happening to you.
01:36 And again, the best way to deal with that
01:40 is not independently.
01:42 The best way for us to keep striving
01:44 and working at the most difficult times
01:47 is to help each other.
01:49 We all need each other right now,
01:53 and more than ever, this is when you need
01:55 to be a great teammate.
01:56 And so tomorrow afternoon, it's difficult,
02:00 but tomorrow afternoon, our football team
02:02 will practice well.
02:04 And by the time we hit the practice field Tuesday morning,
02:08 we will prepare with an intensity to go to Syracuse
02:12 and play as well as we possibly can to win a game.
02:16 And I believe that about these young people.
02:18 We have special young people.
02:19 This is a special place,
02:21 and we've got a great opportunity
02:24 to learn from a very difficult time.
02:28 And I don't want to waste it.
02:29 I want to learn from it,
02:31 and I want to rally together.
02:33 And there's a lot of value in that rallying together.
02:37 And I believe that we can do that,
02:39 and we will do that.