Today's interviewee is Gainesville coach Heath Webb, whose team defeated Mary Persons 27-21 last week, avenging a 42-0 loss from the previous season. Webb, hired from Winder-Barrow in 2018, inherited a program that had declined or failed to improve on its win total each season since its 2012 state championship that featured Deshaun Watson. The Red Elephants were 2-9 in 2018.
Heath Webb, Gainesville head coach
1. What did the Mary Persons game mean to your team? What won the game this time after losing 42-0 a year ago? "This win was validation for everything we did in the offseason. The work was tremendous. We poured a great amount of time and resources into a character-development program. We worked our tails off in the weight room. We attended multiple camps against some of the best teams in the state. This win proved to our team that all that hard work paid off. This may sound crazy, but our culture was the difference in the game this year. The soul of our team is just different."
2. What is the biggest difference between this team and last year's? What have been the biggest improvements, and how did you and your staff bring that about? "The day I was hired, I was handed a roster that had 30 names on it, and only five of them had ever played a varsity snap. We battled inexperience. We also battled selfishness and some un-coachable players. We worked hard to fix that through our character-development program. We told the players, 'Get right or get gone.' Most got right. A few got gone. We now have a locker room full of guys that love and care for their teammates and coaches. As a young coach, I used to think I had to have great athletes to win. As I've grown as a coach, I've learned that I need great teams to win. Sure, we have some talented individuals, but this group has done a tremendous job of becoming a team."
3. Is the Gainesville job the same as it was 10-20 years ago? Does it have the same potential as it did, or have the dynamics changed at all? "Ten years ago, Gainesville played for the state championship in AAA. We're now one of the largest schools in AAAAAA. We've had to come to grips with the fact that we are a large school program. GHS has always had good athletes, but to win in AAAAAA you must have great line play - especially when you consider we're in the same region as two final four teams in Dacula and Lanier. We're working hard on developing great linemen. The potential is certainly here. It's just not an overnight fix."
4. You've previously been the head coach of places with lower expectations and/or no tradition. What's the biggest difference when working with a school that has won like Gainesville has? "I love working at Gainesville because there is such a strong desire to be great at everything we do, whether it be in the classroom or on the field. Nobody is going to put more pressure on me than I do myself. With that being said, nobody has put pressure on me to win. Everyone in the know here understood that I was facing a rebuilding project, so all they've done is support and encourage me, and for that I'm truly grateful. Fans are the same everywhere - they think we should win even if we're lining up against the New England Patriots. Parents are also the same everywhere - they want the 10 best kids on the field plus their son. Administrators are the ones that make or break a job for a coach. I was blessed to work for some outstanding ones in Winder, and I'm blessed to work with an excellent group here in Gainesville."
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