An Interview with the New London Bulldogs Coach
By: Ben Vinew
When the London Bulldogs emerged on the field of play in the inaugural seasons of the RFL, they were an instant powerhouse that repeatedly went to the post season and competed for championships. That was then, this is now. In recent years they have seemed to fallen under the radar, relegated to obscurity. The ownership had finally had enough. They didn’t believe in their coaching staff and they made changes early last season. Enter interim head coach Jacob Reid. Reid made a lot of changes and seemed to have the magic touch. Though the Bulldogs finished tied for the bottom of the division they did have a winning season at 9-7. Had they been in a lesser division that might be good enough for a spot in the playoffs. I’ve been embedded with the team as they go through off season camp and had an opportunity to sit down with the coach. Here is the transcript of that conversation.
Question:
You took over the team last year around week 3 as the interim head coach and now the interim title has been removed. You are now officially the head coach. How much input did you have in the draft room and in free agent signings? Did ownership give you full autonomy? Do you feel like this is your team now?
Reid:
“Beginning in week 3, I wasn't given full reign of the team. However, I was handed the keys to the city in week 4 and allowed to change the team from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense, among other changes, which allowed me to utilize the talent we had to their maximum ability. I believe that I had a positive impact on the team, helping increase Timmy Merritt's passing productivity, allowing rookie HB Matt Wheaton to break out, and really seeing good production from the defense. Come off-season, I had earned the trust of ownership and was allowed to have a major hand in the build process. I was very adamant about moving on from some of the veterans on the roster and bringing in high draft capital and athletes to transform the way the team plays in the future.”
Question:
You made a few changes last season after you were given the task of running the ship so to speak. Which ones do you think made the most impact?
Reid:
“Simply put, I am a coach that utilizes the talent we have to the best of my ability. My greatest addition to the team was my adaptive nature, which allows me to get the most out of our players. I do not like attempting to fit the wrong players into the wrong scheme, but rather to scheme around the talent we have. I like to say that I don't attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole.”
Question:
Together with those changes, which players that you've brought in through free agency and the draft do you think will help get this team back to where you want it? Who are you expecting big things from? I've been in the stands during practice and rookie Drew Brewer has been putting on a show. That has to give you a good feeling to see from your first pick in the draft.
Reid:
“I'm expecting the biggest impact from Drew Brewer, Shaquille Tiller, Reggie Streeter, as well as athletes that we brought in like Rony Santiago, Isaac Lockhart and Patrick Shivers.”
Question:
You have stated in the past that your goal is to get the Bulldogs back to a consistent playoff team and to of course make an eventual championship run. Do you feel that you currently have the pieces in place to make it happen this year, or will this be another evaluating talent work in progress this season?
Reid:
“I believe that we have the majority of our long-term solutions in place already. There are a few position battles, but I think that with a little bit of luck this could be a championship caliber team. We are certainly not at the point yet where we are locked in contender, so we will have to prove our worth and continue to build up.“
Question:
Timmy Merrit has had playoff and championship success earlier in his career. You signed him to a big, long term contract in the off season so obviously you believe in him. Why do you think he hasn't been able to get back to that level in recent seasons? Has the league adjusted to him? It appears to me he has a lot of great talent around him. What do you think the missing ingredient is?
Reid:
“Timmy Merritt has been held back primarily by poor scheming, and lack of dedication to him as a long-term solution. He has as much ability as any other QB in the league, and I believe that it showed once I took over and was able to scheme around him. I believe the missing ingredient is a defense that can capitalize on passes thrown their way. We need to be able to create turnovers and opportunities for our offense. Additionally, we need a bit more of a refined offensive scheme to cut out some of the poor play calling that we were prone to. Long-developing play action plays and screen plays are not something that are advantageous for our personnel.”
Great insight from Coach Jacob Reid. I would like to extend my thank you to the Bulldogs organization for making me feel like an honored guest in my time with them in camp. Expect some big things for the future in London. Reid has a definite strategy in mind, brought in players he thinks can help execute it, and now it is just up to the players on the field to sort it all out. Good luck to him, the Bulldogs, and all the other teams in the RFL in season 6!
((This interview was written by me submitting 5 questions to Jacob and he wrote his replies which I have directly quoted. I'd like to thank him for helping me complete this sample article.))