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Higgins did some team���I just liked coaching betbuilding exercises with his ter,��� he said, so he went back receivers on a smaller scale, into the profession. but he���d been eager to give And he���s been in pretty it a shot with a bigger group much every role since. and so he seized the opporHe has coached every tunity in early December offensive and defensive powhen he first was able to call sition except the lines. He���s the shots. also been a coordinator for ���It���s something we hadn���t offense (UTEP, Columbia, done. It���s kind of outside the Quincy University), defense box a little bit,��� he said. ���You (Quincy) and special teams become a little more under(Louisiana Tech). standing and then you gain a Higgins said that has perspective of someone that given him a unique perspecyou may not have known beTom Campbell tive on how every phase and fore. It���s like learning about Higgins hasn���t been bashful to try position fits together. your family because we are new things, implementing some So even though he���s has an extension of everybody���s team bonding exercises as well as jokingly answered questions a stamp more family, so the more you learn making practiceswith shorter, to strict about Purdue���s defense durintense and sticking about one another, the more discipline. ing bowl prep ��� ���We���re talkyou care. The more you care, ing about defensive guys? the more you���re going to work for that other OK, just checking. I guess as the interim individual and the more you���ll take delight in head coach, I���ve got to answer those questhat other individual���s successes and you���ll tions, too. Go ahead.��� ��� he���s shown a wide take more heartache in his failures. So you���ll knowledge of the game and the Boilermaktry not to let him fail and you���ll work harder ers��� game plan. to have him succeed and that���s what we���re He���s allowed the defensive coaches to trying to get to. do their job, headed by coordinator Tim ���I think it���s going OK. We���ll find out.��� Tibesar, developing their plans for Oklahoma Higgins didn���t initially figure he���d coach. State, and he���s kept the same role with directHe used the role of graduate assistant ing the offense that he inherited from Nord. coach at St. Cloud State to help him pay for ���Patrick is very professional, and he���s a grad school and had a ���real��� job for a year in good football coach. That���s why he���s here,��� 1988, working as a research engineer for a special teams coordinator J.B. Gibboney cardiovascular company that designed ele- said. ���We���re doing some things teamments for stress tests. building wise, I think it���s been great for us. Especially with what everybody is going each week you���re one and done. So they through. I think that���s been good. I think we got over that hump and proved they could needed that. He���s done a very good job with do it. Now, let���s go have some fun and enthat, keeping everybody together for the cir- joy the experience and that���s the main thing cumstances.��� they have to understand. There���s not a lot of And Higgins is doing that while balanc- people in their lifetime that get to go play in ing the new role of being in charge. a Jan. 1 bowl game. It���s that simple, so why He said the hardest decisions he���s had not enjoy the experience? It���s something to make are ���in-house��� matters. But he���s han- you can tell your grandkids. That���s a dream dled them promptly and firmly. come true for a lot of people, so it���s a great ���If you tell the kids upfront, ���This is experience for them.��� j what���s going to happen,��� accountability, responsibility, so they know what the repercussions will be, there���s not a lot of gray area,��� he said. ���So if you can eliminate the gray area and on the iPad the kids know what they���re getting into, it makes it easAccess ier to discipline.��� Included for all pr The goal, though, after subscribeint the tweaks and the new aprs! proaches, is to lead Purdue to a victory in the bowl. A game that likely will be much of the staff���s last at Purdue. The iPad app is available at the App store. If you search ���Gold and Black��� you will easily locate. The app is created for your Newsstand app on your iPad and will download But all Higgins wants directly there. It does NOT download as a separate app on your desktop. in that last hurrah is for the The digital edition of Gold & Black Illustrated including 30 issues of Gold & Black EXPRESS team to play hard and, just includes all the great content you have come to expect plus special features such as video and audio content and the best in social media updates. as important, to have fun. ��� Immediate delivery ��� no waiting for postal service ���We have nothing ��� Searchable archive of back issues to lose,��� he said. ���The last ��� Available on desktops and laptops and now optimized for the iPad three weeks of the season, ��� One-click access through e-mail bulletin which allows easy access. Just make it was a little more highsure we have your e-mail address. strung, high-stress situaContact us at 1-800-876-GOPU or GNBManager@aol.com tion because they knew if we can answer any questions. GoldanDBlack express ��� volume 23, express 15��� ������ 16