It has been four days since ASU placed wide receivers coach Prentice Gill on administrative leave and promoted assistant coach Bobby Wade as interim wide receivers coach. Following Friday’s practice, Wade offered his insight on how he is approaching the transition, his coaching methodology, and how he aims to facilitate the growth of the receiving corps from here on out.
Wade drove home the point that football is an unpredictable game. Players may suffer injuries, the coaching staff can be shaken up at any moment, and in general, there are many elements to the game one simply cannot control. Wade preached that for a seamless transition to occur, flexibility is key while, at the same time, the focus is retained.
“Coach Herm talks a lot about adaptability in that building, which is a major factor in the game of football just in general,” Wade said. “So that’s it. We just give them a lot of encouragement, stay positive, and just let them understand that for them, nothing has changed. Their goals should stay exactly the same. We’re just trying to be a part of that.”
Wade, an Arizona native, and a Phoenix Desert Vista High School graduate played three seasons at the University of Arizona and currently holds the single-season receptions record with 93 catches in 2002. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington. Wade viewed his experience as a major strength he brings to instructing the receiving room.
“It’s great; just having the experience of playing the position really helps,” Wade said. “It’s very relatable when I’m speaking to them about experience and capitalizing on opportunities. And understanding there’s going to be mistakes, and with mistakes comes growth, and as long as they maintain goals of constantly getting better, our passing attack will be as good as it needs to be.”
Wade spent two years as an offensive analyst and recruiting assistant for ASU before he worked with the receivers as a graduate assistant. His previous immersion in the room has helped foster connections during his first week in the new job, and Wade is confident the players mesh well with his coaching formula.
“The boys received me well,” Wade said. “I think they have a great rapport with each other. The trust factor is there. They understand what I’m trying to get out of them, what I’m trying to get done here, and it’s really just about them and their development.”
Wade said his coaching style “definitely” differs from Gill’s, but there will be no complete overhaul of the previous system. Easing the players gently into new waters is his top priority, and drastic changes to certain aspects of the regiment they have grown accustomed to would be unnecessary.
“Having the advantage of being in there the whole year with them, you definitely want to carry some things over that they relate to, that they are able to understand,” Wade said. “And then I’m able to put my own personal twist on it with my experience and things that I can relate to more with them in just the amount of football that I played. So it’s different, but there are some things you try to keep the same to just make sure they are comfortable.”
Wade is a fan of versatility and said he truly believes “everybody should be interchangeable” in a group of wide receivers. At the same time, he noted some receivers will perform better in certain positions based on their size, and finding the right fit in the offense is paramount.
Wade also mentioned Ricky Pearsall as a receiver who he views as one of the more consistent weapons of the bunch both on and off the field. When Bryan Thompson was brought up, Wade called the graduate student transfer from Utah “fantastic.”
Adjustment has been the theme of the week for Wade and the Sun Devils. However, seeing Wade in maroon and gold might be the biggest shock for longtime college football fans.
“I enjoyed that time down there; it was great for me,’ Wade said, “but it’s a new era, it’s a new time. Arizona State is where it’s at. I love Phoenix; I’m an Arizona guy all the way through; I was close to coming to Arizona State (out of high school).
“This is the future.”
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