From playing for the Carolina Panthers to positively changing Campbell’s football program.

Campbell University head football coach and former Carolina Panthers safety Mike Mentor joining us here on the Adam Gold Show. Mike, thanks for your time. Really do appreciate it. First things first, how much do you not miss all the hitting and contact at training camp right now?

How does it feel not knowing how to put pads on and not have to hit anybody right now or get hit? Well, let me say, first of all, it's great being on you guys' show. And then secondly, about your question, I can't even believe that I played the game. That's how long ago it's been, right?

So it's like, you was that crazy to do that? So I cannot imagine putting on some pads right now and trying to get ready for training camp. I don't miss my two days from college.

That is definitely for sure as well. Mike Mentor, Campbell football coach, joining us here on the Adam Gold Show. Dennis Cox sitting in for Adam Gold. Alright, Mike, let's get into this upcoming season for your Camels. But before we get into this upcoming season, let's actually take a look back at last year. You finished 5-6 overall, but that 5-6 record can be a little bit deceiving in the fact that four of your losses last year were one-possession games. How much of the focus this offseason for you all, for yourself, your staff, your team, has been on finding that one play or two in a game that can be the difference from a one-possession loss to a one-possession win? Well, you know, the great thing, Dennis, is that when you look at the progression of a football program and a football team, you lose big, then you begin to lose small, then you win small, and then you win big, right? So we are looking for, let's start to win those games that we lost last year in that one-possession game. And, you know, you do that now, you're 9-2, and you're in the playoffs. And so I think it was a little bit of two things going on, Dennis, because we're going into, I believe, the toughest conference in FCS football in the CAA, so I had to revamp my whole roster.

65% of my roster is different. I went into the portal, I got about 17 FCS guys, and then, you know, for the second year in a row, we got the number one recruiting class, and so I had to change my roster. I believe that was number one to be able to close the gap in those games that we lost last year, was depth.

And we have that now. Now, a couple of those losses that I saw last year were pretty close against Jackson State that won the whole thing, or that loss to NC Central, a team that you beat that won the celebration bowl this past season. So you've been right there in a lot of these games, but since you mentioned the transfer portal, I'll bring this up. For you as an FCS coach, does the transfer portal benefit you? Absolutely.

How so? Well, what happens is that a lot of these kids, it's probably around the COVID year, and so a lot of these guys are probably going up to these Power Five schools and really wasn't ready for that. And so now they know that, the Power Five coaches know that, and they're going to be letting some of these guys go.

And so that's how it benefits us. Normally, them guys will just stay there the whole four years. But now we get a chance to get these guys away from the Power Fives and put them into a program that can develop them. As you know, man, you Power Five, there's no development there. You better be ready to go, or they're going to get the next guy. And in our program, we can develop you and unlock that greatness that you have.

And Dennis, that's really how the portal helps us at this level. Now, going into the CAA, as you mentioned, that's a no-pushover conference, like you mentioned, because William & Mary is no pushover. Elon was in the playoffs this past year. North Carolina A&T State, ain't no pushover. Delaware ain't no pushover. How much more difficult is it going to be going from the Big South to the CAA?

It's night and day, man. I know we're an ACC country, so this is no disrespect to the ACC, right? But it's like leaving the ACC and going to the SEC, man.

It's really that difficult. Everybody is good. Nobody is bad in this conference. In the Big South, you had some teams that you was like, okay, they're not very good. We'll be able to win that game. In the CAA, it's nothing like that. So you're going to have to come week in and week out ready to play some football. They had five teams that go to the playoffs last year, and that is unheard of in one conference. So yeah, man, it's going to be tough.

And guess what? When the newbies come in, they're going to give you all the tough teams, too. And so we've got William & Mary game one at home, and it's going to be a good, strong ride this year. But man, we've got a tough schedule. That game against William & Mary, Thursday, August 31, against down in Buies Creek.

So that's the way you kick off the season. Again, Mike Mintzer, Campbell Head Coach, joining us here on the Adam Gold Show. Now, we saw in the state of North Carolina last year, Elon, Gardner Webb, Davidson, all make it to the postseason play. I'll throw NC Central, obviously, with a celebration bowl victory. So four FCS schools made it to the postseason. You add on top of that five power or five FBS schools that made it to bowl games as well. That doesn't even count App State that won six games. We're looking at nine schools in the state of North Carolina between FBS and FCS that made it to the postseason in some way, shape, or form. How have you seen college football in this state continue to grow to the point that we have nine schools making postseason? Wow. I didn't even know that.

That's a great stat. What I did know is that you have a lot of great college football in this state. OK, because I'm recruiting against them.

I'm trying to get guys to come to my school. We was nine scholarships like Davidson was for the first five years that I was here. Then we become scholarship. And so you got to talk about those things, you know, and convince people that they need to come to Campbell University instead of all the nine schools that you just talked about that has history. And so, man, it says a lot about the coaching that's going on in this state, man. And we just want to add to the list. Why is it important to keep recruits in state?

Well, you know, mom and dad is here. So you're going to get a follow me. And that's the biggest thing is not only you're going to get a follow me for the family because they can travel and see the game. You also get their friends. You also get their high schools. And then now all of a sudden you start filling out your stadium with local kids. And that's why it's very important, because if you can create the atmosphere that these young kids who's playing Pop Warner right now and they say, man, I want to go to North Carolina. I want to go to NC State. You know, I want to go to Campbell when you start to say that because of what you got great football in this state. And you saw Johnny who went to the NFL because he went to one of these schools. That creates a whole lot of energy around the state, man.

That's why it's so important that kids stay home, that you try to get kids to stay home, because, you know, it's a storyline behind that career. Plus, as well as that being in the CIA, you're not really traveling much outside of South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. I know you got Monmouth in New Jersey and there's Maine in there, but you're not really traveling that far. I mean, everything's within a tank of gas, which I'm sure for you has got to be a big thing.

It's real big, right? Because, you know, expenses go down. You don't have to get on flights. That's very, very important, especially with a budget like an FCS football program has. And it's easy for the kids, man, as far as the academics. They're not missing much time. They can leave after school on a Friday and bus over to where we're going to stay overnight for the game. So it's so economically friendly for us to be in a conference that we can just drive to 80 percent of our football games.

Mike Minter, Campbell football coach, joining us here on the Adam Gold Show. Final thing that I have for you. Like you mentioned, just five years ago or so is when you actually were able to get scholarships. And you've come a long way in a short period of time. What's the next thing? What's the next step that takes you guys over the top?

To be mentioned with Elon Davidson, Gardner Webb, A&T Central about consistent postseason teams. What's that next step for you and your program? Well, the next step is, you know, developing this talent that we have. For two years, we put together the number one recruiting class at our level.

And so now we have to, you know, put it together. Now it's about winning games. My whole objective when I got the job was to get us a scholarship. Right. But to do that, you got to build a brand and the brand has to be bigger than just winning in the PFL. Right.

Because at the end of the day, too many people caring about that. So my job was to get us a scholarship and then get us to a tough conference like the CIA. And now we're there. Now, man, it is 100 percent about winning football games and getting this talent developed. So we can be in the likes of Elon and Davidson and Gardner Webb and all these other football teams. That's why, you know, we want to be mentioned up there with with the powerhouses of the FCS. And now it's really about putting this talent together, David, because we got the talent.

That's not an issue. It's about developing this talent as one team, making them tough, smart, physical and fast. And we do that. You'll be hearing about us in November. Check out Campbell football this upcoming season.

Mike Minter, thanks for your time. I was actually, by the way, real quick, I was actually at the game that you guys beat NC Central is actually at the game on the sideline doing some film work and things like that down at Barker Lane Stadium. It's a great atmosphere that you guys have down there.

It really is. So honestly, best of luck this upcoming season. Rooting for you all. Definitely rooting for all these schools here in the state of North Carolina.

I'd like to see Campbell in the postseason this upcoming year. Mike Minter, thanks for your time. All right. Thank you, guys.