Thrust into vocal role at Fresno State, interim coach ‘knows exactly what to say’ | Opinion
Fresno State football has a new voice this season, a booming baritone heard at every team meeting, press conference, sideline interview, pep rally and any other function where the head coach is required to speak.
That voice belongs to Tim Skipper, elevated to the interim position last month following Jeff Tedford’s sudden resignation. (As an aside, I ran into Tedford this week as he exited a Bulldogs practice. He appeared healthy and was in good spirits.)
Talking is an underrated aspect of a head coach’s responsibilities. Whether those talks occur during one-on-one interactions, while addressing small groups or when giving a speech before a large audience, the job requires constant oral communication.
As Fresno State prepares for Saturday night’s opener against defending national champion Michigan, nationally televised on NBC, the new guy in charge on the visitor’s sideline has been exercising his vocal cords.
“Tons of media sessions, talking at events, talking to the team,” Skipper said following a recent practice. “Today I’m talking to the team, and I have to come ready to go. If I’m soft on the talk, then they’re gonna be soft.”
Good thing “soft” is the last impression one comes away with after hearing Skipper speak. More like “fiery” and “direct.” But aside from what comes out of his mouth during practice, very little is off the cuff.
“Every day I wake up, I have a plan of what I’m going to say,” Skipper said. “Sometimes I have to talk to (the media). Sometimes it’s just the team only. Whatever it is, there’s always a plan and execute the plan.”
Skipper executed the plan beautifully in a 3-minute address he recently gave to the Fresno State marching band shared widely on social media.
Standing before a packed auditorium, the 46-year-old former Bulldogs player related his firsthand experience about how the band serves as the team’s “heartbeat and energy” during games.
“When that music starts to play, we’re not so tired anymore,” he said. “So your role is very very very very important.”
College football’s popularity across the country “all starts with you guys,” Skipper added while punctuating that statement with a sweeping hand gesture. He then praised band members for their dedication and hard work during the sweltering summer.
“You guys are out there in the sun. You’re sweating. You’re working just like we are,” he said. “Know that that is appreciated. It is very appreciated, and keep it going!”
The audience ate up every word. After Skipper got through speaking and answering questions, recently hired athletic director Garrett Klassy was handed the microphone.
“I don’t know how I follow Coach Skipper up … ” Klassy began.
Kind of like following Gisele Bündchen in a beauty contest.
Innately wired for football
Skipper’s communication skills are “just a gift he’s got,” according to his father, Jim Skipper, whose coaching career in college football and the NFL spanned five decades.
Growing up around locker rooms, stadiums and sidelines, Tim Skipper is innately wired for football. That was apparent from the moment he took the field for Fresno State (following the footsteps of older brother Kelly, a standout tailback) and earned freshman All-America recognition at middle linebacker.
“He was around football his whole life, and he had a lot of success early at Fresno,” Jim Skipper said. “That kind of helped him out. It put him in front of the media, and he learned how to relax and express himself.”
Tim Skipper spent 23 years as an assistant coach, a job that rarely involves giving speeches in front of the entire team or fielding questions from reporters. Meaning those innate communication skills were largely unnoticed or suppressed.
Not so anymore. Fresno State press conferences and after-practice scrums are filled with quotable soundbites. And Bulldogs players are loving the energy Skipper brings to practices and meeting rooms.
“Skip’s a great motivator; he’s very relatable,” senior linebacker Malachi Langley said. “He used to be a player, so he knows how to get the juice out of you. He knows exactly what to say at the right time, and he’s real with it. He’s a great speaker.”
Sophomore receiver Jalen Moss credited Skipper with bringing “a different energy” to the Bulldogs during preparations for their New Mexico Bowl triumph.
“We were just amped up a little bit more,” Moss said. “A little bit more juice that got the guys going collectively.”
Since Skipper plans his speeches I asked him, twice over the course of five days, if he had thought about what he would tell the team before taking the field at Michigan’s Big House.
Both times he shook his head “no.” The only speech he thinks about is the next one, and he still had a couple left to give before Saturday.
“I’ll get to that when the time comes,” Skipper said. “I’m thinking about us having a great practice tomorrow. That’s where my head is.”
