VALDOSTA — Rick Tomberlin has returned to Winnersville, accepting the challenge of trying to turn the Valdosta Wildcats back into perennial contenders for the state title.

The Valdosta Daily Times sat down with the new Valdosta football coach on Thursday. This is Part 2 of a two-part interview.



You’ve won 157 games in the past 14 seasons. Why have you had that kind of success?

“It’s divine intervention. The Good Lord has blessed us. I went there (in 1992), and the school had only won one region championship. Mary Persons was a great program, and we were fortunate enough to beat them 10 of 11 times. The only time they beat us was on penetration.

“The one thing, too, was we had supportive administrators, which I see here. We had players that were willing to get out of their comfort zone, and were willing to stretch themselves. That’s what I’m going to ask the Valdosta players to do.”

What was your relationship like with legendary Valdosta coaches Nick Hyder and Wright Bazemore?

“Coach Hyder was a role model, an icon to me. When I was at Jenkins High School in Savannah, I had him come speak at our banquet twice ... He was a dynamic speaker. He talked about love for his players. I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a guy I would love to emulate.’ When I was at Lowndes, he was always very nice to me. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye on everything, but we were warm friends. He was an older mentor to me. After I left Lowndes, we corresponded many times, talked when we were on the banquet circuit together and at clinics. He and his wife June were wonderful to me and Angela.

“Coach Bazemore was the ultimate icon to me. I like that he showed me preference as a young coach. He’d come out to practice, and bring his lawn chair and watch. He was very kind to me. I talked to him, and he was so polite, a nice older gentleman. I’d think, ‘This is the guy they talked about being so tough?’ But he was just the most wonderful person and gentleman to me.

“I came back to VSU to speak at a coaches clinic in ’96 or ’97, and I asked if I could come see him. He’d had a stroke. He told me then, through his wife, that he wanted me to be the head coach at Valdosta High School. That meant a lot to me. That might be one of the reasons I’m here now, because he planted that seed back then.

“If you look at Notre Dame, you’ve got (Knute) Rockne, you’ve got (Frank) Leahy, you’ve got (Ara) Parseghian, you’ve got (Lou) Holtz. Here at Valdosta, you’ve got Bazemore, you’ve got Hyder, you’ve got the other great coaches. Here I am, coming in and taking the reins. I don’t know if I deserve to be in that class, but it’s an honor to hold the reins the same way they have, and be able to coach here.”



How much do you emphasize academics?

“It’s very, very important. It’s a constant thing. It’s not something I give lip service to. I talk to all our players on an individual basis about setting goals ... Academics are big. I have a theory that if they will spend at least one hour per night, six nights per week, studying, devoted totally to their academics, and they’re consistent with it, I think every athlete can get A’s and B’s. Just one hour per night, and it can be any time at night.

“It’s going to be important to me to communicate with the teachers. I would never ask a teacher to do something for an athlete that she wouldn’t do for any other student. If they would do it for another student, I certainly hope they would do it for an athlete. But we’re not going to ask for anything extra. I’ve met several of the teachers. They’re willing to help, they’re anxious to help, and I’m anxious to work with them.”

What was the interview process like for you?

“It was the most first-class, professional experience of this type that I have ever seen. I’ve had some opportunities to go to some great programs in this state as a head coach. But I wouldn’t leave the Golden Hawks for anybody but the Valdosta Wildcats.

“The way they did it, bringing you in, putting you in a motel, showing us around, the questions they asked, they sincerity of the questions, in both interviews, was excellent.”



When would you like to be started in Valdosta?

“March 1 is my target date. But that’s a little bit out of my control. If I could be here tomorrow, I would be. But I’m under contract to Washington County, and I can’t legally break that. The principal and the superintendent there are great friends of mine. They’re in a little bit of uncharted territory, because neither one of them has ever hired a football coach. I’m helping them with the process, they trust me, and I think they want me to be here by March 1, and that’s my target date.

“Right now, I need to get with the coaches that are here, and brainstorm with them a little bit. We’ve got several openings, and I’ve got to see about hiring and completing our staff. My thinking is, to get them in and get implemented what I want to implement, we’ll probably have spring practice the first week of May.

“To do that, we won’t interfere with track or baseball; we’ll work around that. I’d like to have all the players there, but I will meet any coach over halfway. I’d like the players there for at least part of it. If region baseball or track gets in the way, we’ll make it up in the summer.”

You were the coach at Lowndes from 1989-91. But that was 14 years ago. How much better a coach are you now?

“When I got the Lowndes job, I was 31 and hadn’t won a region championship. I think I still had some of the goals and ideals and philosophies I have now. I’ve held on to some of those over the years. But I don’t think there’s any teacher like experience.

“I’ve been really blessed, in terms of learning from my mistakes, learning from my defeats, learning from the victories. The players have taught me hopefully as much as I’ve taught them. I don’t think there’s any doubt I’m in my prime. I’m in great health. I’ve got a burning desire to be successful, and to help young men and women develop to their optimum.

“I’ve got a renewed enthusiasm — not that I ever lacked enthusiasm — to help rebuild and restore the Valdosta program. I don’t think the Valdosta program is as down as a lot of programs. I think the elements are there. The building blocks are there to build on that tradition that Coach Bazemore and Coach Hyder firmly established. And I certainly don’t want to change any of that. All I want to do is start another legacy, and let’s move on with the Wildcat tradition. There won’t be any changes to the tradition. I’m going to come here, and I bleed black-and-gold-and-white, and the traditions Valdosta holds dear are now my traditions.”



How excited are you about the challenge of trying to get Valdosta football back to where it once was?

“That’s a tremendous motivator. That’s why I’m going to get up early in the morning and work hard. I’ve had an opportunity to play for five state championships. Unfortunately, they were all on the road. But there’s nothing like the experience. You can’t explain it. There’s nothing like arriving for warmups, and the stadium’s packed. You get a standing ovation when you go out to warm up. You’re out there, and you know you’re playing for a state championship. That’s a great feeling, to know you’re playing for it all, that’s you’re going to let it all hang out, so to speak, and give it your all. You’re going to do your best as coaches, and you know the players are going to do their best.

“To know Valdosta’s been there, more than anyone else in the state of Georgia, I think that only increases the potential to get there again.”