JEFFERSONVILLE — In just a few short days, Bob Redman has created a buzz around Jeffersonville football that hasn’t been seen in a long, long time.

More than 80 people — including every media outlet in Southern Indiana and Louisville — attended Redman’s press conference on Wednesday morning at Jeffersonville High School, where the long-time Louisville high school football coach was introduced as Steve Cooley’s replacement.

Redman has been the head coach of four Jefferson County schools — Durrett, Ballard, Waggoner and Male — where he compiled a 317-115 career record. The 61-year-old, who coached Male to state championships in 1993, 1998 and 2000, is known for resurrecting football programs and said he is “pumped” about the opportunity to do the same thing at Jeffersonville.

The Jeff players appears to be pumped about Redman’s arrival, as well.

“I’m really excited,” said Justin Gallahar, who will be a sophomore running back next season. “I’m ready to start football now.”

“I think we’re going to have a great season,” junior defensive tackle Jamal Anderson added. “I think he’s going to take us all of the way.”

Following his press conference, Redman sat down with The Evening News for an exclusive one-on-one interview.



QUESTION: Have you had a chance to see any film of Jeffersonville from last season?

REDMAN: “I got to see the Jeff-New Albany game. I was very impressed with several kids. I know numbers more than I know names. Andrel Williams did an outstanding job. There was No. 2 (Jeremy Martin) — a defensive back — that was just, man, he looked like an outstanding player. I like the fullback (Taylor Magnuson). I was impressed with the young kicker (Vincent Straight) and the offensive line, which was mostly young, and I thought they were pretty solid. I was pretty impressed, and in a year’s time, they’re going to be bigger and stronger. I started looking at these kids and was starting to fit these kids into my scheme in my mind. I watched that tape, and I asked (athletic director Jeff) Griffith to get me some more. I’d like to see Columbus East, and everybody else.”

QUESTION: What do you think will be the biggest difference between the 2009 Red Devils and the 2010 Red Devils?

REDMAN: “I want my athletes on the field as much as possible. Great players can’t win for you when they’re standing over on the sidelines. I never could understand (players playing only on one side of the ball). Players have to play. I can foresee a lot of these guys doing that, and they’ll have to get used to it real quick. I’m a bigger believer in guys going both way, playing on both sides of the ball. That’s really important to me.”



QUESTION: I know you’ve probably heard that a lot of the better athletes in the school don’t play football, or haven’t played football in the past. Is that something you’re going to be out to change?

REDMAN: I talked to a couple of the coaches yesterday, including the basketball coach (Tim LaGrange) and offered anything I can do to help him and he did the same. I would love to see those guys off of that basketball team playing football. And those football players that are (coming back), all run track. I’m a big advocate of (students playing) multiple sports. I’ve been in places where a lot of kids specialize (in one sport), but honestly, I think that’s counter-productive.

I don’t think any of us know what kids are going to be like when they’re freshmen. The best example I can use is (Oakland Raiders’ running back) Mike Bush. As an eighth grader coming into Male, he was touted as the next Michael Jordan. He was a great basketball player, and everyone was pushing him to play just basketball. I told him, ‘Mike, you better rethink that because nobody knows how big you’re going to be, or which sport is going to be your best. I think you should keep that option (of playing football) open.’ He wasn’t going to play, but he kept football alive in his life and had a great career at Louisville and is having a great career at Oakland, as we speak, and could have easily thrown that away. If anyone asks me, should I only play one sport, I say, ‘The guy you should be talking to isn’t me. Talk to Mike Bush.’ I’ll be a big pusher of having kids in every sport. I hope I can create that situation.



QUESTION: Along with having athletes at Jeff who aren’t playing football, many of the great Jeffersonville football players end up at private schools in Louisville. Do you have a plan to change that, as well?

REDMAN: It’s a matter of building something that kids want. Until you are a viable option — kids are looking for the best option, parents are looking for the best option, and I understand that — kids are going to continue to go across the river. I’ve never recruited anybody, but I’ve had the option to say ‘yes’ a lot, meaning if kids want to be in our program, we want them. I don’t expect any of that to change until I’m able to do something to create an environment that kids want to be part of. When kids believe this is the right place for them, they’ll stay here instead of crossing the river. That’s the kind of atmosphere I’ve tried to set up every place I’ve been, and I’m going to try to do that here. I’m not going to do anything different than I’ve done any place else. I plan to create an environment that kids want to be a part of.



QUESTION: Jeffersonville is known as a basketball school. Do you take it as a challenge to change that?

REDMAN: When I went to Ballard, it was known as a basketball school. It had one winning football season in the first 10 years of its existence. We sold the idea that we could be a basketball school, but we could be an every-sport school, and we did that.



QUESTION: Why make the change to a whole new state at this point in your career?

REDMAN: All of the situations I’ve been in have been outstanding. Every program I’ve been in has been great. The 18 years at Male were great. But I think we probably achieved what we were going to achieve, and I think it was time to make a move. We would like to bring that kind of a program, that kind of an atmosphere, into Jeff High. That’s my goal.



QUESTION: I’ve heard that you’re planning on bringing your coaching staff with you. Does that mean that you will not retain any of the coaches who have been with the Jeff program?

REDMAN: I’ve going to talk to all of those guys. Some of the guys from Male will come with me and I’ll also talk with some of the (2009 Jeff assistant coaches) who have expressed interest in being on my staff.



QUESTION: What are your expectations for the first year?

REDMAN: I wouldn’t even hazard a guess. I know (Cooley) lost a lot of defensive kids, but (we) have some offensive guys back. I think (Cooley) did a nice job with the kids. They look sound fundamentally. He did a great job with them. How that stacks up with the teams that we play, I just don’t know. I think I’m going to win every time I take the field. Is that realistic? Probably not, but we are where we are, and where we need to go, we’re going to get there.