QA: Co-offensive coordinator Jim Bollman

Michigan State co-offensive coordinator Jim Bollman spoke with members of the media via conference call on Tuesday for the first time since being hired by Spartan coach Mark Dantonio.

Bollman shares the title of co-offensive coordinator with Dave Warner, who has coaches Spartan quarterbacks for the past six years.

Dantonio has entrusted Warner with the play calling responsibility for the Spartan offense on game day.

Click below to listen to Tuesday's conference call.

Jim Bollman - March 5, 2013 from SpartanMag on Vimeo.

Conference Call Transcript

Q. HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO START LOOKING AT FILM OF WHAT MICHIGAN STATE HAS AVAILABLE ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE? INITIAL THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS?

In the beginnig processes of that, kind of looking at all phases of the offense. Had a chance to see one workout when I was here on my interview, so the aspect of what they have or who's coming in, who's coming back, all those different things, I'm anxious to get going but haven't really formulated much of an opinion yet. That would be unfair to speculate in that regard. But I have a lot of confidence, number one in the guy that are here, the players that are here and the coaches that are here and I'm anxious to really get going and let this thing evolve.

DO YOU ANTICIPATE BEING INVOLVED IN THE OFFENSIVE LINE COACHING?

The first thing is if I'm gonna help be a leader, I have to be a great servant. So my goal is to be sure that I'm able to help everybody in all phases of the offense based on some of the experience I've had and help be creative and help evolve things where we need to fix things up a little bit. But some things have been done very well in this program for a long time and we don't need to reinvent the wheel. That's for sure. So right now, I'm just trying to catch up in all aspects, just some of the terminology things, play-calling, the different things, what's going on in that regard. I'm anxious to get back there in a few days and get rolling.

HOW COMFORTABLE ARE YOU COMING BACK TO WORK FOR DANTONIO?

Coach Dantonio and I go back quite a ways, since 1986. We both coached at Youngstown together for coach Tressel his first year as a head coach. I was defensive coordinator and Mark was the secondary coach. We've been pretty steady since then. It's certainly very, very rewarding and comforting, very neat aspect to come back to a place like Michigan State where you've been before 15 years ago. But a lot of people are the same in the administration, on the staff, everybody's the same. I've been very fortunate to have had that 11-year stay in Columbus, but as I said to coach Dantonio today when I drove into town, going around town it felt like I was home, familiar again, which is what happens after shipping around here for the last couple years.

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN IN DANTONIO AS A HEAD COACH FROM AFAR? WHAT DOES HE DO AND HOW DO YOU MESH WITH THAT?

Mark's qualities as a person and individual are very, very superior. He's gonna do what he thinks is right, he's gonna run the football program the way he thinks is right, with much care for the people who are playing for him. He'll try to instill in them the right motives and character and he's done a great job ever since he's been a head coach. Did a great job as a defensive coordinator. If you're around him, you don't have to be around him very long to sense where he stands. He's a great guy to be with, that's for sure.

WHAT'S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN YOU NOW SINCE 1997

Well, I've had quite a few experiences since then, Jack. There's some time in the NFL in there, that time in Columbus and Purdue for a little bit. You know a lot more people, you obviously gain a lot more knowledge. You hope you can then employ those things you've gained and then help everybody. That's the object, to get better. Put your hands in your pocket and help everyone get better, no matter what they're doing, do your job and help everyone do their job better.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE AT OSU AND EARLY IMPRESSIONS OF DAVE WARNER?

I have great respect for Dave. I have great respect for the offensive staff. Certainly for coach Dantonio, as I mentioned earlier, the staff he's assembled on both sides of the ball, that gives you great confidence in joining the team. That makes it even more fun. Those experiences in Columbus, when you're at a place like that you certainly are in some situations where you've got a bulls eye on your back all the time. The challenge is, as with any good football team I guess, is to play every week, and play as consistently as you can every week, which is very, very difficult. Easier said than done. That is the challenge. Having gone through that, having been in some of those bigger bowl games, I think anytime that you learn to operate in those situations it's helpful for the future, no question about it. Excited to be here, looking forward to everything.

HAS MARK TALKED TO YOU ABOUT YOUR PRIMARY RECRUITING AREA IN OHIO AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE RECRUITING TIES YOU BRING TO THE TABLE?

Well, you're correct in that. Wherever I've coached, except for the three years in the National Football League I've been recruiting in some part of Ohio, especially Northern Ohio. I know we have yet to finalize some of those things but I know I'm gonna be somewhere in that part of the state. The other thing that happens is there's a lot of crossover recruiting done nowadays by everyone. You start off with a region but then you're going to help out wherever you can help out. You might know a guy's coach, there might be a connection with some guy's family, there might be a lot of different things. But you're right, I've spent a lot of time in Ohio and hopefully can build on some of those connections.