Kenny Guiton Q&A: Former Ohio State QB On Getting Into Coaching, Working For Tom Herman, Houston-Ohio State
College Spun: Was it tough giving up on your playing career?
Kenny Guiton: Yes, it was. But man, I’m not going to lie to you. I came to the realization that my playing career was not going to be that long. I had came to the realization that I was a backup in college and I knew that I (had) a far shot as far as making it to the next level. I’m gonna get my shot and then I have other things to fall back on as well.
CS: You obviously played for Herman at Ohio State. How’d you link up with him for the graduate assistant position at Houston?
KG: I actually saw him at the national championship game (in 2015, when Ohio State beat Oregon). I went to the (team) hotel before the game to say good luck to the boys and to the team. By that time, it had been announced that he would be going to the University of Houston. He knows I’m from Houston and so, when I saw him, he was like, ‘Hey man, you gonna give me a call in this next week?’ And I’m like, ‘heck yeah.’ So I said I’ll be calling you and when I called him, he told me to come meet the coaches and from then on, I was in, full on ready to go.
CS: Was becoming a graduate assistant at Ohio State something you thought about?
KG: I talked about it, I talked about it. I never really had a chance to sit down and explore all my options or anything, but yes, it came up at times. It was an idea.
CS: You were a quarterback, what’s it like coaching wide receivers?
KG: Man, I love it. I love it. Being a player, you don’t really spend as many hours on ball as you do as a coach. So, having wide receivers, it’s different. It’s a bigger room, more guys and everything, different personalities from a quarterback room and everything. It’s a lot of fun man, it’s a lot of fun. Most of the time you’re the guys on the team that do the most running. But it’s fun. You want to be that guy that leads the group.
CS: Speaking of wide receivers, one of your former teammates, Braxton Miller, is now a wideout for the Houston Texans. Have you guys talked at all since that happened?
KG: Yeah, definitely man. I’m in a group chat with him and like 20 of my other guys from O-State. I definitely had to hit him up and say congrats to him, now he’s coming to my city. I went up to his (city) for college and now he’s coming down to mine. And he’s wearing (my college number) 13, so I had to talk to him about that. But man, he’s so focused right now, I let him have his time to focus up. But yeah, our group chat, we talked a little bit and we talk personally (too). He’s telling me how training camp is going and soon we have to link up.
CS: When you were at Ohio State with Braxton, everyone always said you were going to be a head coach. Has the transition into coaching been smooth for you?
KG: Definitely, man. It’s been everything I thought it’d be. In one year I’ve grown so much, matured so much. I can’t wait to see how it goes from here.
You kind of have to change your mindset. You’re not a player anymore so that’s the one adjustment I had to make. I’m not a player anymore so let’s go out and be a coach, a guy that can lead.
Entire interview:
http://collegespun.com/big-ten/ohio...ing-working-for-tom-herman-houston-ohio-state
