Pac-12 After Spring: Oregon State coach Gary Andersen

Spring football is over. Real football is still far, far away.

To help bridge the gap, we’re checking in on Arizona’s competition in the Pac-12. Over the next few weeks, we’ll run some of the best comments from the league’s coaches after their recent participation in a conference call to wrap up spring ball.

Today’s Q&A is with Oregon State coach Gary Andersen, who’s in the midst of a massive rebuilding project in Corvallis. Still to come this week: Stanford coach David Shaw.

Here’s Andersen:

(on ramping up the competitiveness and work ethic within the program this offseason)

“It definitely wasn’t a party like 1999. The offseason for us was a great opportunity to get a real clear look of where we are and to be honest with ourselves and understand exactly where we sit within the pecking order and where we deserve to be. It was a tough offseason from Day 1 until today. A high accountability level has been expected from every coach, trainer, manager, player in the program. We have to outwork people.

“We want to change the culture. It’s easy to talk about those things. We’ve tried to use a few terms with them. Hopefully they’ll hold true to those terms. We had a plan to identify and create … a different culture than we were living in. We have to live in the hard. It’s hard to get better. And it’s hard to chase people. We have to be able to do that. We have to wake up every morning and have high expectations for that day. And then we have to judge ourselves and have some checks and balances with our program – coaches to players, players to coaches, student-athletes to the student body. Everybody that’s involved.

“We put that process in place. It’s a long story. A lot of different things that we’ve done. But we’re working hard. There’s been some days that are better than others. It all starts with players in this game, and we respect that as a group of coaches. We’re going to give them what they need, but we’re also going to push them extremely hard. This has been a taxing offseason. It continues to be.”

(on the status of the rebuilding project after a 2-10 season in Year 1 under Andersen)

“I don’t know how to really gauge that because when it’s changed (at Andersen’s previous stops), it’s changed at kind of strange places or maybe places where you wouldn’t predict. I don’t think there’s a script to write out and say, ‘Where are these kids and what are they doing?’ We have some days where we look at ourselves and we’re definitely moving forward. But I think the key is to understand when you’re (among) the elite of the elite and the best of the best, just doing what’s good is not even close to good enough. On the field, off the field.

“I (will) walk through (the facility) today, and I’m going to look at the players’ lounge and see what it looks like. Does it look like a big-time Division I players’ lounge? Are they respecting what they have and taking care of their business from A to Z? It may seem like a little thing and not meaningful for a lot of people, but all those little spots, those little, different areas that we have to excel in (are important).

“Making strides? I believe so. But it’s like I tell these kids: It’s all lip service until we get out there and show exactly what we’re doing. We are winning championships and competing for Pac-12 titles in the classroom. That’s great for us. It’s not going to make ESPN. It’s not going to be running across the bottom of the Pac-12 Network. But it does matter to us because I think that’s a big step. If you take care of yourself academically and socially, I believe it will carry on to the field.

“So where are we? We’re going to work hard today. Live in the hard. And wake up and grind hard tomorrow, I promise you that.”

(on the Beavers’ crowded backfield and whether Andersen wants a clear No. 1 runner)

“It would be great to have a Melvin Gordon, a Robert Turbin, a James White, a Kerwynn Williams. It would be wonderful to have one of those guys. Then you’ve got yourself a feature back. I think you earn your right to be a feature back. We don’t have a back that deserves that right.

“Right now our No. 1 back is Ryan Nall. But we’ll see. He hasn’t played enough. You’ve got to put (together) a back-to-back-to-back to become that guy.

"I think you need three very good backs to be able to compete in this league throughout the season. Would it be nice to have a highlighted back that’s your workhorse, that’s your war-daddy back? Absolutely. I believe we have a couple young men that potentially can get there. But we’re not there today.”

Part 1: Arizona State coach Todd Graham

Part 2: Cal coach Sonny Dykes

Part 3: Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre

Part 4: Oregon coach Mark Helfrich