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“AZTECS NEW DAY”

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It felt like a 95-yard touchdown bomb down the sidelines, the San Diego State hiring of Sean Lewis as the new head coach.

He won the press conference and his reputation should win the recruiting battles to get a QB and WR into this program.

He comes with a resume full of offensive records, a big time passing attack, seldom seen here, and a track record of throwing the football, recruiting quarterbacks and skill players.

What he did to turn around a moribund Kent State program was amazing.  As part of the new leadership group at Colorado, what was accomplished early on with Shedeur Sanders throwing the football was phenominal.

There’s alot of ‘noise’ about hiring a coach who had a losing record, or a coach demoted by Deion Sanders at the end of the Buffs season.  It takes time to fix programs, and he did with the Golden Flashes after he got his players in there, was amazing.  And what they did at CU-before injuries wrecked the offense, and scouting reports caught up to them, was still an accomplishment.

So now Lewis takes over a program that needs quarterbacks, receivers and a reset-button on offense.  How long he stays remains to be seen, but anything that will create excitement and put people in the seats is important to the university.

If this works out, then JD Wicker will have hit a home run with the Rocky Long-Brady Hoke hires, the building of the stadium, the success of Aztecs basketball, already on his own AD resume.

Brady Hoke-Rocky Long saved SDSU football, that (121-69) tenure proves that.  Now this coach has to take this to the next level, because of a move to the Pac 2-looms on the horizon, maybe as early as 2026.

Only time will tell.  Sean Lewis got his 1st win as his first press conference.

Time for deposed Chargers fans, Aztecs Alums and the student body, ‘Book your reservations early for a seat on Aztec Air’.
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(JD Wicker)

..This is a great day for the Aztecs nation
..Welcome 19th coach in Aztecs history
..1-thing stood out-this SDSU job is one of top jobs in the country
..We have a path towards great days ahead

..Sean has a proven track record on offense
..He ran the ‘Fast Flash’ offense at Kent State
..School records like 6,000-yards in a single season
..Spent years developing his system
..Very clear-stated goal-get an offensive innovator

..We will continue to play great defense..our benchmark
..His vision and culture-developing players and students
..Focus on educating our people in the building
..Quality student system will drive our football players
..Infectious energy allowed us to embrace him

..Transforms players and students
..Listened to what senior leaders had to say
..We have struggled on offense
..Very defensive minded for 13-years
..This is a very positive thing to hire ‘offense’
..It is a different game right now..we need to score alot of points

..Drilled into each interview how handle other side of ball
..Did 2–Zoom calls and one in person interview with him
..Impressed by balance he brings to game plan
..Coach answered how to handle games..end of games..adversity in games
..Can he change offense to fit clock and end of game situations

..His balance on offense is i mpressive..look at Kent State
..NIL and portal questions-answers very important
..We are in good shape in NIL..he saw that
..He will meet with donors and importance to program
..Snapdragon brings alot of things to a venue
..We can bring energy to Snapdragon like Viejas

..5-year deal with 1.7M base salary
..Who brought Lewis name…I identified him-so did Search Firm.
..Talking point of mine…you are CEO of this program
..Responsible to everyone in athletics
..Talked to alot people from his background..

..Sean Lewis wants to understand our athletes
..He will go to the Portal after he gets to know this team
..Colorado felt very comfortable about him as a coach-recommended him

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Sean Lewis:

..This offense works
..Bowling Green QB threw for 5,000Y-in career
..Syracuse QB-Eric Dungy set records
..Kent State-rewrote recofd book with Dustin Crum
..Our roster will guide us as to what we are on offense

..Colorado experience…still have confidence because of my results
..Learned alot about roster management at Colorado
..Deion knew how to access players
..Deion made choice to change play callers

..Best bang for your buck is thru hi school ranks
..Prove-show high school recruits-grow from within
..We need to tap into portal..but do due diligence on early players
..1st order-meet players..then signing date…then portal
..Players choose SDSU for a reason..boxes to be checked by players
..Tell players ‘let’s rock and roll’
..Tell recruits we will challenge offense to be great..challenge defense to continue

..Don’t think lift at SDSU is not that hard
..SDSU has standards..we are not that far off
..Colorado-Outside looking in..highs and lows..that is day to day in college football
..My stoic view at Colorado..’Weekly-.it doesn’t matter  you gotta bet better’
..We have to have this growth mindset-we refine our process
..Not be tied to wins and losses..just grow from it
..This style of play defines the ‘finite time’ these kids have
..Our time…invest in it-don’t waste it

..SDSU history-tie explosive plays into this
..Transfer portal will change because of my resume
..Working thru Off-Def Coord job..no decision yet
..Need to meet with staff-no decision on coordinators

..Recriuiting QBs..my experience at Kent with Dustin Crum is an example
..Inherit QBs..not ready to say we are going to take a QB in portal
..Told players..I chose this school and this roster..it is our team..my guys
..Learn from Deion…use non traditional media-tell story
..Some things are sacred to our team..we will allow access to media-fans

..We want to vet out what is important to our players…and ask them to stay
..Want to make sure we get the right players to grow them
..San Diego-California is ‘QB-heaven’..high school coaches know me
..QB-trainers here will help us here too
..My connection to Dino Babers and Rocky Long..authentic people..they genuine
..Exciting day in my career to join this Aztecs family
..The culture here was very evident

..Big influence from ex-Syracuse coach Dino Babers
..What Kent State did for me meant so much
..Told these players ‘it is about them’..players make the coach
..Told Aztecs players ‘see the vision’
..Aztecs family important like my personal family
..Coaches are teachers of football and life
..Tremendous opportunity-task at hand
..This tradition goes back to the Air Coryell era at SDSU
..Light up scoreboard-play fast-bring energy
..Community-University will think Aztecs football
..Dark Side defense..want them to chase excellence too
..Hoke-Long defenses are legendary..culture-toughness-physicality

..Believer in ‘knowing who you are’
..Victory grows thru alignment and unity
..Achieve great things gives us great growth
..We will have true grit going forward
..Players be leaders in community-campus-conference

..Be prepared for ‘Aztecs Fast Football’
..This is best ‘Group of 5-job available’
..Look at it from 30,000′ level..Wisconsin coach-Syracuse coach had big influence on me
..Colorado experience-gave us unfiltered access-showcased school-players
..Deion Sanders speaks belief into existence…learned alot lessons
..Transfer portal-NIL..young coach-young players..different time in game
..I want to be innovative-figure out how to navigate the waters with portal

..How can we do this better…MWC are all on equal footing-need to grow it
..Snapdragon is so vastly different from when I was here with Eastern Illinois
..Chargers fans join us..make this a tough place to play
..Google does not do SDSU justice-how great this place is-can be

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