Carrie Cecil: Why gratitude is our key word, how we're remembering Dick Tomey and what to do Saturday

The Cecil family word of the week is gratitude. Gratitude to God for opening doors for us; gratitude for the tremendous outpouring of support and love for our family from the Tucson community and across the nation; gratitude for the faith in Chuck from the Arizona leadership; and deep gratitude in Coach Kevin Sumlin for the opportunity.

Speaking of the big man, I love that Coach Sumlin referred to my hubby as a spark who will give the players a chance to win this season. Chuck is truly aligned and focused (as he has been) with Arizona football’s 1-and-0 mentality: Keep the focus on getting better today. In other words, one day at time.

We’re spooky

Halloween is my favorite time of year, and thankfully, our 14-year-old daughter Charli still wants to throw on a costume with her friends and trek around the neighborhood. I think she does it for me. I love the gore. I have never been a Disney princess kind of gal. Sure, we dressed as Disney characters — but we looked like we had been hit by cars. We dressed as a dismember bridal party; when “It” came out, we dressed as hideous clowns and scared the living crud out of our neighborhood kids. I look back at our past costumes, even when she was a toddler, and I have to admit that I may have scarred her for life. Oh well. If that’s the most damaging parental baggage I give her, so be it.

It’s time to start riding the coaching carousel

The coaching carousel has begun to move, with busy national sportswriters pulling together articles on what football coach and athletic director jobs will come open in December. That means our team at ANACHEL is busy at work behind the scenes. Whether the client is an agent, search firm, coach or athletic director, we’re developing strategies, tactics and analytics to help our clients survive or get the next gig. Whether we are using digital listening tools to review what millions of fans think or potentially changing that thinking with critical narratives, it’s crunch season for reputation management. Truthfully, I was never a data nerd, but now I am. Data doesn’t lie, but it can be influenced, and watching how it can impact employment is absolutely fascinating.

We run our reputation and communications strategies like a political campaign. Today those campaigns can deeply influence decision-making when hiring or firing employees.

Cheers from heaven

This Friday I’ll be with Nanci Kincaid Tomey, Chuck and others at the dedication of the new outdoor practice fields adjacent to the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center. The Dick Tomey Football Practice Fields will honor the legendary coach and our dear friend.

Arizona’s football program released a fantastic video tribute to honor the late coach and his “Desert Swarm”-era teams. It was narrated by our pal Tedy Bruschi, and it was phenomenal.

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I asked Nanci what advice she thinks Dick would give Chuck for this weekend. She told Chuck something Coach Tomey had said before: “Be yourself. Trust your instincts. Believe in your players. Tell them what you need from them and that you’re there to earn their trust, then do it. It’s going to be fun … for everyone. Trust yourself and your guys. Everyone is pulling for you and the D — and all the Wildcats.”

I know Coach Tomey is up there cheering for us, but I sure do wish he was here to see this day.

Celebrate homecoming with us  

It’s homecoming week. Don’t miss the Bear Down Pep Rally, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Old Main Fountain. The Pride of Arizona marching band, Wilbur and Wilma T. Wildcat and UA cheerleaders will all be in attendance for the annual rally and bonfire. The homecoming parade starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. This year’s grand marshal is UA women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes. The campus should be hopping with great food, entertainment, a DJ, a photo booth and more. It’s a great way to kick-off our football game.

Need info on the day’s fun? Email marc.acuna@al.arizona.edu.

Be loud and proud

It seems fitting that Chuck will return to the sidelines with a headset for Arizona’s 102nd homecoming game. The matchup against Oregon State will kick off at 1:30 p.m. Our team will be sporting throwback uniforms, and you can expect Charli to be wearing her dad’s No. 6 jersey.

We need the loudest, most tenacious Arizona football fans in the stands on Saturday. We want the nation to see our “Bear Down” pride. Don’t forget to holler on third downs so our opponents can’t hear, think or execute the play-calling.

We want to be known as a place where Arizona football opponent’s dreams come to die.

As always, thanks for reading.