New Texas A&M wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead met with the media Tuesday evening for the first time since arriving in College Station from his previous job at Virginia Tech.

“It’s been good so far,” Moorehead said. “You know, obviously getting in before recruitment was over was nice, being able to get on the road with some of the guys and really, you know, get a feel for them, personality wise, and then, obviously being able to get in the meeting room and meet with those guys a little bit and have a chance to get to know those guys has been great.”

Moorehead has been involved with receivers at each step of his career path to A&M, first serving as a graduate assistant at New Mexico, then an offensive assistant for wide receivers at Stanford under head coach Jim Harbaugh and later David Shaw.

He was finally given the title as wide receivers coach when Virginia Tech offered him the position in 2013.  Under his oversight, three Hokie wideouts logged 40 or more receptions, the first time such a feat had been accomplished at the program, in each of his two years there.  

His coaching philosophy comes down to one simple word — competition — something that’s driven his career since his professional playing days with the Indianapolis Colts.

“I’m a real competitive guy,” Moorehead said. “You guys will get to understand that about me. I’m not gonna sit back and watch a guy not compete. I’m just gonna tell them to move on and go somewhere else. I’ll recruit somebody else who will and that’s just kinda the way I’m built. It’s just the way I’ve gotten to where I am. I was a walk on guy that earned a scholarship. I was a free agent that played five years in the NFL. I didn’t get that from not working hard and not competing every day. I’m not gonna let those players do anything to disrespect this game and, to me, being not competitive is the most disrespectful thing you can do in this football game.”

Moorehead has brought, similarly to defensive coordinator John Chavis, a ruthless mindset to the offense this spring and he firmly believes that Chavis’s presence within the defensive play calling has only raised the level of performance for the Aggie offense.

“We’re not going to sit back and wait for you to figure it out,” Moorehead said. We’re rolling. We’re here to win an SEC championship. If you win an SEC championship, its proven you’re going to be in the national championship hunt. We don’t have time to wait for guys to come on. You’re either on the ship or you’re off the ship. That’s the mentality that we have in our room as an offense and as a football team and coach Chavis has brought that to the defensive guys, and I tell you, it’s as competitive of practices as I’ve been around.”

Defensive tackle coach Mark Hagen echoed Moorhead’s remarks on the competitive level of spring practice. Hagen had been the linebackers coach here at A&M for two years prior to the arrival of Chavis, who assumed control over the linebackers in addition to being the defensive coordinator.

Hagen, however, feels the transition to defensive line, a coaching job he shares with Terry Price, has run smoothly and has nothing but praise for Chavis’s command of the defense.

“It’s funny,” Hagen said. “You go back to the first time he (Chavis) addressed our players and you could have heard a pen drop. I mean all guys were zeroed in on him and our players have certainly bought in and I think it’s been a real, real smooth transition so far, so real pleased on all fronts.”
Spring practice rolls on this Thursday.