December 12, 2024 • 10 mins
New Mexico State Head Basketball Coach Jason Hooten talks about facing off against long time friend Rodney Terry this weekend.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the morning kickoff right here on Sports
Radio AM thirteen hundred Zone, Mike Carball, Harts the world's
strongest man in WWE Hall of Famer, the Mark Henry,
and of course we got our guy Khalil holding it down.
We're gonna get right into it because this is a special,
special guest. This is someone that I've known since I
was a little kid, and I've watched his journey as
(00:22):
he wanted to be a basketball player, and then I
definitely knew he.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Was going to be a coach.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
He is the head basketball coach for the New Mexico
State Aggies as they get ready to take on the
Texas Longhorns tonight at the Mood seven pm. And I
believe all of Colleen will be at this basketball game.
He is Jason Hooton. Good morning, Jay hook Man.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
How you doing.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I'm good man, I'm good, glad to have you on.
I'm glad it kind of worked out where you would
have a little bit of time as I know that
you are already breaking down film and trying to get
your squad ready to take on the Longhorns.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well shit, you having me on.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It's a it's an honor and privilege to this opportunity
and super proud of you. Man. It's it's pretty neat
to have your own radio show, so appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Well, you know, his intro was was pretty good.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
But uh, you know, I have known even since he
was a little little bitty guy, and uh man, you know,
there was not much he couldn't do.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Everything he picked up he was really really good at.
So he went from being a.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Little guy to a guy that I was competing with.
And luckily we were always on the same team. So
I'm glad I didn't compete against him.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Yeah, that's my man right there. So Jake, tell us
about your basketball team. Obviously, this is a big move
for you. You came to this university amongst some turmoil and
some changes that were happening and happening, and then you
just started building and slowly getting to where you needed
to be. And you're still going through those processes. But
now you get a chance to come into Austin, Texas
(02:05):
take on one of your closest friends in this business
as your team continues to try to figure out who
they are.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, you know, I think two years ago when you
know this phone call happened. Yeah, I wasn't really sure
what I wanted to do, and it was a tough
situation and you know, tough decision to leave sam Houston,
a place that you know, I'd been at for so
long nineteen years total, uh, you know, and six six
(02:35):
of those as an assistant, thirteen of those as a
head coach, and you know, it was it wasn't easy.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
You know.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I think sometimes in life, when you feel like you
have a little bit of a part in that journey
of building it, and you know it's kind of running
the way you wanted to run, that there is some
complacency in your life. And I just felt like that
we needed to chat challenge and you know, I took
(03:02):
one on for sure, you know. I mean it was
probably maybe one of the biggest stories in college basketball
and maybe on the front page of you know, ESPN
every day for the wrong reasons, and you know, there
was just something there that I just felt like, you know,
it was what I wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And last year was hard, you know, going you know.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
And I've been a head coach for thirteen years and
only had one losing season, right, and you know, to
go into last year knowing that it was going to
be pretty difficult. You know, it's hard to say the least.
And you know, and also moving, man, I'm you know,
lived in Texas for fifty four years and to move
to another state and and then to just take on
(03:46):
that challenge of a job was it was a lot.
Last year was probably you know, and then I lost
my father last year, so it was you know, it's
probably the hardest year of my life.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
And you know, and then you know.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
To be able to win that game like we did
on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You know how it is.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I mean, sometimes you can win those games and you
can look back and say, man, this is why we
did it, you know, but we got a long ways
to go. I mean, everyone's really excited right now. I mean,
you know, when that rivalry is hard to explain. You know,
I've lived in Texas my whole life, and obviously Texas
and Texas A and M and then you know even
(04:24):
Clean and Ellison or Sam Houston and SFA.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Man, no disrespect to the Aggies or the Longhorns.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
But that robbery is is it's that times times two.
And I say that because there's so much pride in
that state, because there's no other proteins there's no other
division ones. It's just New Mexico and New Mexico State.
That's it, and you know it is amazing. Yes, sir you, I'm.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Sorry about the loss of your father.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I know that was rough, and man, I've been through it.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
What is the identity of your team? Like when you
when you put your team and introduce your team, how
do you introduce them? Are you a defensive team? Are
you a scoring team? Are y'all multiple? Or do you
do you like the press? You know, like, what what
is that identity of your team? Now?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
I think, you know, running in our lot of likes.
I mean, I think our teams are pretty much the
defensive minded. You know, that's always been kind of my
my reputation or my guys are always going to play
pretty physical, pretty tough, pretty hard. I think right now
we're we leave the country, we're top two or three
in the country.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
And you know, fiuling, we got to clean that up
a little.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Bit, but we're also in the top fifty right now.
In defense, I think we give up about thirty eight
percent of game. So that's kind of always what we've done.
And you know what what what our teams have always
been known.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
For We're talking to the head coach of the New
Mexico State Aggie's Jason Houghton as they make their trip
to the Moody tonight to take on the Texas Longhorns
and coach. When you get a chance to look at
Texas on film, I know that obviously, you just mentioned
your relationship with Rodney and the style in which both
of you loved to coach and expect your teams to play.
(06:19):
What is it that you see that stands out about
this Texas basketball team.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Well, first of all, yeah, it's tough. You know, Rodney.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Rodney and I have been friends since probably like you know,
we played against each other in high school back in
nineteen eighty six and got to know each other, really
got to know each other when he was a.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
GA, well he was a high school coach.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
We knew each other pretty well, but we got really
close when he became a GA at Bator and you
know I was at Tarlton as an assistant. That's when
we got super super close. And you know, he's one
of my closest friends. So it's always hard to play
your friends, and you know, this summer they were still
looking for one more game. Obviously, this are programmed to
(07:01):
play this game, and you know, we agreed to do it,
and you know, and then you get closer to the
moment and it gets harder and harder. But when I
watched them play, they're super talented. You know, he's doing
a great job. I think all of us right now,
and probably his basketball we have a hard job.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And I know I'm not.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Trying to take up for him or me, but to
throw you know, nine or ten new guys together every year,
it's going to be really hard to do. And I
think that his team is just going to continue to
get better and better as time goes.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
On, as we are, I hope as well.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
But right now there, I think they're really really long,
they're really athletic and talented. He's arguably got one of
the top five players in the country. But I think
they're still trying to figure out how.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
To play with each other.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
And you know, offensively, I think, really right now, that's
been his biggest deal. Although I know, you know, Yukon
on Sunday, you know, he felt like defensively they didn't
guard and do the things they needed to do.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
But Yukon can make you feel that way when they're.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
And you know, so, I mean, I expect our guys
tonight to you know, to go out there and to
play as hard as we did on Saturday, and hopefully
we can make a bunch of shots.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, I know that you guys are going to have
a great crowd support. I talked to a couple of
people yesterday that they told me that they were coming in.
I know your family's coming in and I can't wait
to see you. I'll be at the arena early to
come and say hello, bro.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yeah this James.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, I remember my first year at SAM Houston
when Rodney was an assistant here and yep, we got
we got the game, hooked up with coach Barnes and
played that when a few times, played Shock a few times. So,
you know, always a neat place for me to come
back to. The greatest thing about this trip this time
is I'm at a place now where I've got a
whole staff, I've got a ticket person, I've got at person.
(08:51):
You know that first year at Sam Houston, man I
had all these phone calls and I'm I'm trying to
get these thickets together, and man, I couldn't even concentrate
on the game and so you know, this year, I
told everybody, I'm like, hey, here's my guy's picket number,
and y'all needed.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
To call him.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Don't call me.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Uh, I got filmed to watch, so don't don't mess
with me.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
So it's it's you know, I've been to the Moody
actually one time already, I think a couple of years.
My last year at SAM Houston, we had a game
at Christmas with Missouri State that was canceled because of snow,
and we were coming down.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Obviously, my wife's parents live in.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Georgetown and we were coming down to stay there for
a day for Christmas. And I called Rodney and said, hey,
I'm gonna bring my son to a game tonight.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And they were actually playing louise Analofayette.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Who is the former coach of SAM Houston and one
of my one of my mentors.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
So we came down and watched the game in the
Moody and you know what an amazing place. You know,
it's it's really cool because it's.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Built like real modern and uh, you know, almost like Austin, right,
and so I just think it's it's a really cool
place to watch a game. And I'm excited about bringing
my team here tonight and competing.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Well. I appreciate you taking the time.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I know it's a busy time and best of luck tonight,
but not too much luck, bro. I represent the two
five four every day, but you know I got to
make sure that them horns put it on.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
You appreciate it, man, Thanks for having me on. Always
appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Jay There, he is Jason Houghton, basketball coach of New
Mexico State. Aggie's when we come back. You know what
time it is? Kwan Cosby, that's right, Legends of the
locker Room. Kuan Cosby joins us next right here on
the morning kickoff on sports Radio AM thirteen hundred The
Zone
Welcome back to the morning kickoff right here on Sports
Radio AM thirteen hundred Zone, Mike Carball, Harts the world's
strongest man in WWE Hall of Famer, the Mark Henry,
and of course we got our guy Khalil holding it down.
We're gonna get right into it because this is a special,
special guest. This is someone that I've known since I
was a little kid, and I've watched his journey as
(00:22):
he wanted to be a basketball player, and then I
definitely knew he.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Was going to be a coach.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
He is the head basketball coach for the New Mexico
State Aggies as they get ready to take on the
Texas Longhorns tonight at the Mood seven pm. And I
believe all of Colleen will be at this basketball game.
He is Jason Hooton. Good morning, Jay hook Man.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
How you doing.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
I'm good man, I'm good, glad to have you on.
I'm glad it kind of worked out where you would
have a little bit of time as I know that
you are already breaking down film and trying to get
your squad ready to take on the Longhorns.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Well shit, you having me on.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It's a it's an honor and privilege to this opportunity
and super proud of you. Man. It's it's pretty neat
to have your own radio show, so appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Well, you know, his intro was was pretty good.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
But uh, you know, I have known even since he
was a little little bitty guy, and uh man, you know,
there was not much he couldn't do.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Everything he picked up he was really really good at.
So he went from being a.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Little guy to a guy that I was competing with.
And luckily we were always on the same team. So
I'm glad I didn't compete against him.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Yeah, that's my man right there. So Jake, tell us
about your basketball team. Obviously, this is a big move
for you. You came to this university amongst some turmoil and
some changes that were happening and happening, and then you
just started building and slowly getting to where you needed
to be. And you're still going through those processes. But
now you get a chance to come into Austin, Texas
(02:05):
take on one of your closest friends in this business
as your team continues to try to figure out who
they are.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, you know, I think two years ago when you
know this phone call happened. Yeah, I wasn't really sure
what I wanted to do, and it was a tough
situation and you know, tough decision to leave sam Houston,
a place that you know, I'd been at for so
long nineteen years total, uh, you know, and six six
(02:35):
of those as an assistant, thirteen of those as a
head coach, and you know, it was it wasn't easy.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
You know.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I think sometimes in life, when you feel like you
have a little bit of a part in that journey
of building it, and you know it's kind of running
the way you wanted to run, that there is some
complacency in your life. And I just felt like that
we needed to chat challenge and you know, I took
(03:02):
one on for sure, you know. I mean it was
probably maybe one of the biggest stories in college basketball
and maybe on the front page of you know, ESPN
every day for the wrong reasons, and you know, there
was just something there that I just felt like, you know,
it was what I wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
And last year was hard, you know, going you know.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
And I've been a head coach for thirteen years and
only had one losing season, right, and you know, to
go into last year knowing that it was going to
be pretty difficult. You know, it's hard to say the least.
And you know, and also moving, man, I'm you know,
lived in Texas for fifty four years and to move
to another state and and then to just take on
(03:46):
that challenge of a job was it was a lot.
Last year was probably you know, and then I lost
my father last year, so it was you know, it's
probably the hardest year of my life.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
And you know, and then you know.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
To be able to win that game like we did
on Saturday.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You know how it is.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I mean, sometimes you can win those games and you
can look back and say, man, this is why we
did it, you know, but we got a long ways
to go. I mean, everyone's really excited right now. I mean,
you know, when that rivalry is hard to explain. You know,
I've lived in Texas my whole life, and obviously Texas
and Texas A and M and then you know even
(04:24):
Clean and Ellison or Sam Houston and SFA.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Man, no disrespect to the Aggies or the Longhorns.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
But that robbery is is it's that times times two.
And I say that because there's so much pride in
that state, because there's no other proteins there's no other
division ones. It's just New Mexico and New Mexico State.
That's it, and you know it is amazing. Yes, sir you, I'm.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Sorry about the loss of your father.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I know that was rough, and man, I've been through it.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
What is the identity of your team? Like when you
when you put your team and introduce your team, how
do you introduce them? Are you a defensive team? Are
you a scoring team? Are y'all multiple? Or do you
do you like the press? You know, like, what what
is that identity of your team? Now?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
I think, you know, running in our lot of likes.
I mean, I think our teams are pretty much the
defensive minded. You know, that's always been kind of my
my reputation or my guys are always going to play
pretty physical, pretty tough, pretty hard. I think right now
we're we leave the country, we're top two or three
in the country.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
And you know, fiuling, we got to clean that up
a little.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Bit, but we're also in the top fifty right now.
In defense, I think we give up about thirty eight
percent of game. So that's kind of always what we've done.
And you know what what what our teams have always
been known.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
For We're talking to the head coach of the New
Mexico State Aggie's Jason Houghton as they make their trip
to the Moody tonight to take on the Texas Longhorns
and coach. When you get a chance to look at
Texas on film, I know that obviously, you just mentioned
your relationship with Rodney and the style in which both
of you loved to coach and expect your teams to play.
(06:19):
What is it that you see that stands out about
this Texas basketball team.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Well, first of all, yeah, it's tough. You know, Rodney.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
Rodney and I have been friends since probably like you know,
we played against each other in high school back in
nineteen eighty six and got to know each other, really
got to know each other when he was a.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
GA, well he was a high school coach.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
We knew each other pretty well, but we got really
close when he became a GA at Bator and you
know I was at Tarlton as an assistant. That's when
we got super super close. And you know, he's one
of my closest friends. So it's always hard to play
your friends, and you know, this summer they were still
looking for one more game. Obviously, this are programmed to
(07:01):
play this game, and you know, we agreed to do it,
and you know, and then you get closer to the
moment and it gets harder and harder. But when I
watched them play, they're super talented. You know, he's doing
a great job. I think all of us right now,
and probably his basketball we have a hard job.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
And I know I'm not.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Trying to take up for him or me, but to
throw you know, nine or ten new guys together every year,
it's going to be really hard to do. And I
think that his team is just going to continue to
get better and better as time goes.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
On, as we are, I hope as well.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
But right now there, I think they're really really long,
they're really athletic and talented. He's arguably got one of
the top five players in the country. But I think
they're still trying to figure out how.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
To play with each other.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
And you know, offensively, I think, really right now, that's
been his biggest deal. Although I know, you know, Yukon
on Sunday, you know, he felt like defensively they didn't
guard and do the things they needed to do.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
But Yukon can make you feel that way when they're.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
And you know, so, I mean, I expect our guys
tonight to you know, to go out there and to
play as hard as we did on Saturday, and hopefully
we can make a bunch of shots.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, I know that you guys are going to have
a great crowd support. I talked to a couple of
people yesterday that they told me that they were coming in.
I know your family's coming in and I can't wait
to see you. I'll be at the arena early to
come and say hello, bro.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yeah this James.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, I remember my first year at SAM Houston
when Rodney was an assistant here and yep, we got
we got the game, hooked up with coach Barnes and
played that when a few times, played Shock a few times. So,
you know, always a neat place for me to come
back to. The greatest thing about this trip this time
is I'm at a place now where I've got a
whole staff, I've got a ticket person, I've got at person.
(08:51):
You know that first year at Sam Houston, man I
had all these phone calls and I'm I'm trying to
get these thickets together, and man, I couldn't even concentrate
on the game and so you know, this year, I
told everybody, I'm like, hey, here's my guy's picket number,
and y'all needed.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
To call him.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Don't call me.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Uh, I got filmed to watch, so don't don't mess
with me.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
So it's it's you know, I've been to the Moody
actually one time already, I think a couple of years.
My last year at SAM Houston, we had a game
at Christmas with Missouri State that was canceled because of snow,
and we were coming down.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Obviously, my wife's parents live in.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
Georgetown and we were coming down to stay there for
a day for Christmas. And I called Rodney and said, hey,
I'm gonna bring my son to a game tonight.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
And they were actually playing louise Analofayette.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Who is the former coach of SAM Houston and one
of my one of my mentors.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
So we came down and watched the game in the
Moody and you know what an amazing place. You know,
it's it's really cool because it's.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Built like real modern and uh, you know, almost like Austin, right,
and so I just think it's it's a really cool
place to watch a game. And I'm excited about bringing
my team here tonight and competing.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Well. I appreciate you taking the time.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
I know it's a busy time and best of luck tonight,
but not too much luck, bro. I represent the two
five four every day, but you know I got to
make sure that them horns put it on.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
You appreciate it, man, Thanks for having me on. Always
appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Jay There, he is Jason Houghton, basketball coach of New
Mexico State. Aggie's when we come back. You know what
time it is? Kwan Cosby, that's right, Legends of the
locker Room. Kuan Cosby joins us next right here on
the morning kickoff on sports Radio AM thirteen hundred The
Zone
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