Press Conference: Trev Alberts speaks to media following extension

The following are live, paraphrased notes from the Monday afternoon media availability:

Trev Alberts

• I want to see how proud I am to have the pleasure of serving with an amazing athletic department and coaches. Across the board has been fun to watch.
   
• A lot of these things happen organically. Mike Elko has talked about partnerships being important. In early October, you start seeing some of the affirmations of the things we thought would happen. I watched the small nuances of things. Every team goes through adversity. Football is all about adversity. To go through those challenges it's an affirmation of a culture. In the changes and modernization that are happening, it is a different job. I mean that in a positive way. These jobs are head, especially if there is no alignment. I sat down with Mike’s agent, and it took about an hour. Mike wants to be here. We are fortunate to have him leading our football program.
   
• With my extension, it was a similar deal. All our coaches have been leaders. It's easy to feel good about each other with all the winning. There will be a time when it's not always easy. What makes this place different is the people. Kyle Field is incredible, but it's the people. 
   
• I want to thank the Board of Regents. There is a group that works really hard and doesn’t get paid much. We need those folks to be unified, which they are. This place can be whatever it wants to become.
   
• I was never approached by any other schools about Elko. We were not trying to play defense. It didn't take us very long to watch what Mike has done and say, “This is exactly the leader A&M needs to take us to places we have never been.”
   
• This is as wild a coaching carousel as we have had. I am not sure there are enough coaches to fill all these jobs. We are privileged that he and Michelle decided to call this home for a long time.
   
• The incentive for assistants says a lot about Mike’s character. He cares deeply about the people who touch the football program.
   
• You only want people who want to be here. Buyouts are a part of that. You do buyouts with all of the coaches. We are blessed and fortunate that Mike is our football coach.
   
• I have read reports about a commitment to NIL. All Mike and I talk about is, “Is Texas A&M committed to having resources to succeed at the highest level?” We are.
   
• I have a tremendous amount of respect for Chris Del Conte. At the end of the day, we are not worried about anybody else. These reviews are awesome for college athletics. We are not focused on anybody but ourselves.
   
• Our search for a soccer coach is going well. We are working through that process. We are confident we are going to make a great hire. We have had great interest.
   
• I do anticipate the game will stay on Friday. This is a rivalry that has a chance. We are excited it's in primetime.
   
• We have really good coaches. The administration is not the reason the coaches are winning. We have to dive in, understand the coaches and support them.
   
• When the Clark Nutrition Center and Adam C. Sinn Building opened, it was a game-changer. Everyone eats there. They get to know each other.
   
• Michelle is great. I think she was always on board. These are things that were important. They have felt welcomed here. This is a place where you can do uncommon things. Those places will get fewer and fewer. 
   
• You see the opportunity here. Mike is the right guy to get us where we need to go.
   
• It was 2009 and I got a phone call about serving in administration at Nebraska-Omaha. It was a DII school at the time. I learned so much. I never thought this was part of the plan. It's been a blessing.
   
• Our society is so results-oriented. No one wants to talk about the process to get there. Coach Tom Osborne never talked about winning. That's why I have confidence in Mike, the focus on the granular details.
   
• The biggest challenge: What I will keep pushing is unity with purpose. Programs can individually have success. Good ones say, “It's not about me.” The chief benefit is our scale.
   
• The biggest challenge across college athletics is just the chaos. There will be a lot of noise. Who does a better job of staying on task?
   
• Being a president of a university is a complex job. My belief is that you need a servant leader. Set aside athletics, look at our university. The next president will have the greatest gift you can have. You have to be a willing listener. You can't have all the answers.
   
• At the end of the day, there is a cost to all of this. Our job is to do the best we can with the resources we have. When you think about before the House settlement, donors have helped us. Fatigue is real. We have to run a great business. All of our programs can win a national championship. There could be a day that isn’t the case, but not now.
   
• We are excited about our partnership with Playfly.