First Look into: Red Wolves Saturdays

A team doesn’t go from 1–4 to bowl champions by accident. We’re joined by Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones and explosive receiver Chauncey Cobb to talk about what actually changes when a program turns the corner and how “momentum” becomes an expectation. Coach Jones explains why every season has its own identity, why Team 112 matters, and how spring football is where leadership is built, not borrowed.

Chauncey gets specific about connection and brotherhood: being pushed through hard situations, learning to trust each other, and showing up for teammates beyond the facility. We dig into what a player-led team really means, and how coaches can be “coach-fed” while still giving players room to be themselves. Coach Jones shares the Fourth And One year-round curriculum focused on choices, leadership skills, and personal branding, which feels tailor-made for the transfer portal era.

Then we lay out the Red Wolves team DNA in plain language: toughness (mental, physical, emotional), connection, resiliency, and composure, plus the “juice and energy” that keeps standards from slipping. Coach also connects culture to stability, development, and an NFL pathway, explaining what the Arkansas State football brand is designed to produce on the field and in life. We wrap with what’s next, including the April 25 spring game and why the community piece matters.

If you care about college football culture, leadership development, and building a winning program the right way, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a Red Wolves fan, and leave a review, what part of the DNA do you think wins the closest games?

Transcript

Welcome And Season Momentum

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Red Wolves Nation, it's Butch Jones, and we're really excited to welcome you to Red Wolf Saturdays.

SPEAKER_02 0:16

Really excited to be here today. We got Coach Butch Jones of the Arkansas State Red Wolves football team and one of our explosive receivers, Chauncey Cobb, is here today. Coach Jones, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Boy, uh, no, let's not start with that. They know all that.

unknown 0:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Coach Jones, uh, you guys ended on a high note last fall. Uh tell us about uh your expectations going into this season, uh, right now in the winter and spring conditioning after that huge Xbox bowl game win.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

Well, obviously the Xbox Bowl win was big, you know, for our players, our seniors, our newcomers, it really, you know, experienced a lot. You know, we talk about football's life just sped up a lot faster. And you look at last year starting one and four and then going six and two, and uh only program in the country to be able to do that. You look at the new age of the transfer portal and everything that goes with your connection. And so to be able to get our second consecutive bowl victory, we're only one of 15 programs in America that have won back-to-back bowl wins. So that's how hard it is to win. So I think there's a lot of momentum there and an expectation, you know, about winning. We're now winning. And uh it's been a process, it's been a journey, but three straight bowl games in a row, uh, two straight bowl victories, and there's an expectation now. We always talk about playing to a standard, and Chauncey Cobb is one of those individuals that I think really illustrates our football program, you know, third year in the program, uh, had his opportunity this year and stepped up and was an all-conference football player for us. And then he continue continues to grow and elevate his game. He's one of the leaders now of our football program. It's really interesting, just, you know, we talk about the composure and resiliency in our program and just how far he's come. And he's just beginning his journey, really, of being a great football player. So it's kind of exciting to see him kind of take some reins over in leadership. And I think that's when you look at it, every team is different. This is team 112. We've been playing football here at Arkansas State for 111 years. This will be a 112th football season. So every team is different, and it's exciting because you know, it's new opportunities. There's new leadership opportunities, new playmaking leadership opportunities. There's so much that, you know, goes into the identity and personality of each different football team.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Wow, I really

Becoming A Player Led Team

SPEAKER_02 2:47

like what you said there, Coach. You you complimented Chauncey on kind of how he's elevated his experience here, both athletically and from a character perspective. Chauncey, what is the program doing that's helped you reach that level?

SPEAKER_01 3:01

I can say the program, not just only the coaches, but also the players. Just all of us coming together and building our brotherhood with each other and not just like we try to be a player-led team and not just a coach-led team.

SPEAKER_02 3:12

Oh, I I really like that. That's a that's a buzzword in like the coaching community. Player-led, um, your top coach, coach-fed, player-led. Um, Coach Jones, what are you doing from a coach-fed perspective to help them be player-led? Uh, do nothings for you.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Well, I think it's giving them a platform to be who they are. And uh I think it's also recruiting character individuals in your football program, kind of like-mindedness, but it's it's my job to facilitate that. And then the teaching. I love spring football right now. This is where your team is really building their identity, their personality, their leadership. So we do, you know, every Wednesday's we call it our fourth in one program. It's really a year curriculum. We're one of very few schools in the country that have a year-round curriculum and personal choices and decisions and personal branding, uh, leadership skills that Chauncey just spoke about. So, again, you're developing your team and your skill set. But for me, it's a platform. We want people to be who they are, the ability to express themselves, but also do it in a team concept, a team discipline. And you still win with details and discipline. But the great thing is the expectations, the culture is in place, but you have to fight and demand your culture every single day. And that's what I think it gets back to what Chauncey said about being a player-led football team, is they really enforce the culture every single day. I lay the plans out, but they have to buy into it. They have to set it. And I think at a very early stage, you could see the pride that our older players had in teaching our newcomers, whether they are freshmen or transfers into our program, the pride that they had of being able to really teach the newcomers what Arkansas State football is all about. And we are. We're different than any place in America. And uh, we talk about a connection, a brotherhood that Sanchi just spoke about. And I think our connection is unheard of. And again, I'm gonna go back. We start one and four, we finish as bowl champions, two plays away from being conference champions, two five, two plays, two games that we lost on the final play of the game, or we're we're division champions. And I think that's how fragile winning is, but our team stuck together. They had that connection, they had that belief, and we kept believing, and at the end of the day, we became bowl champions. And so there's a lot to build upon.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

Man, that is that's pretty powerful. One and four to six and two. Um, coach, you keep using the word connection. Um, Transi, you said connection too. Um, what is coach doing to help the program be connected? And then, coach, if you can kind of talk about and lead us through like what your culture and DNA looks like.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

Sure. I can say what coach is doing to help us with our connection is like putting us through hard situations. Putting us through hard situations. So like let us letting us like build a platform that's like I got his back, he got my back. There's just like the word brotherhood I said earlier. So just like letting my teammates know that like I'm not just for them inside the building, but also got him outside the building.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

How cool is it to have a coach that is letting you, especially during this transfer portal era, let you be yourself? Uh what does that mean to a player?

SPEAKER_01 6:25

To a player, I can say like it actually means a lot because we feel like we know Coach Jones, yeah, we preaches

The Four Part Team DNA

SPEAKER_01 6:31

about like he got us, but at the same time, we gotta admit to him that we got him also. So it's just like trusting him and like let him build a platform and us just like leading each other going around and doing it.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

Coach, can you touch on what that team DNA looks like?

SPEAKER_00 6:43

Well, you know, before we get to the team DNA, we also talk about ownership. And right now within our fourth and one program, we're really dissecting renter versus owner. And, you know, when you own the team and how you invest in the team, but you really find out about your ownership really when adverse situations, when something comes, and that's kind of what Chauncey just spoke about. You know, every day is not gonna go according to plan, but the composure that you have, the resiliency that it takes. So we really have four components to our DNA that's really big for us, and it serves us individually and collectively as a football team, and it's something that you're gonna need your entire life to be successful, and it starts with toughness. And how do we define toughness? And we talk about mental, physical, and emotional toughness. That's really what toughness is, it's measured in those three areas, and then the connection, the connectivity. How well do you get along? How do you embrace each other? How do you invest in each other? And that's probably the biggest challenge in the portal era, but that's also the reason why we're win. We're different. You know, when you walk in a building, you can feel it, you can see it, you can smell it, you can feel the culture. And our players are very well connected. And then I just spoke about the other two items is the resiliency, the resiliency that goes with overcoming adversity and the resiliency that it takes to compete, play in and play out, day in and day out as well. And then also with that is the composure. You know, when things don't go your way, how do you handle yourselves? And I think that also gets back to that emotional toughness as well. And really that DNA, those four components. Uh, we've also talked about those juice and energy. Yeah. And uh, you know, that really defines who we are is, you know, you got to have a passion for what you do every day. You got to have juice, you have to have energy. And Chauncey is one of those individuals that brings juice and energy every day, that consistency and performance that we speak about on a daily basis as well. But, you know, we want individuals who love football, love being around, love being part of a team, and love to be coached. And right now, Team 112 is really showing all the characteristics that we're looking for.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

Coach, you just you like blew my mind there because like the juice and the energy part is so important now more than ever. And um, then you spoke about resiliency and composure. When you win in football now, people may leave, coaches may leave, and you've been able to weather the

Stability Development And NFL Pathway

SPEAKER_02 9:16

storm. How have you been successful in weathering that storm and then being able to go and seek and find athletes like Chauncey?

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Well, it's all about stability, and I think you know, consistency. We talk about consistency and performance and everything that we do and then sustain success. We've been able now to sustain our success and build upon our success. So I think people understand now what comes with the brand of Arkansas State football: the winning, the connection, the culture. I think also the development piece is big. You know, we're in it for development. The definition of coaching is creating change. So, you know, how are you a better individual because you are part of our football program? And I think you're seeing that with individuals leaving our program with a degree and being successful in their next profession. But the other thing now is we're starting to build a platform or a pathway to the National Football League. And I think that was really monumental last year that we had four individuals make NFL organizations. One individual, Mikai Butler, was a participant in the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots. So when you really look at now, we're producing NFL talent, and it's really a personal brand. And they understand now, you know, if you get a player from Arkansas State, they're gonna be early the meetings, they're gonna know how to sit in a meeting room, they're gonna be able to take great notes. Um, you know, they're gonna be fundamentally sound, they're gonna understand football from a football intelligence standpoint, and then they're gonna play with great effort, and then the juice that we just spoke about. So I think it's a brand that's really now been proven at four different spots. So it's not like you know, we've just done it one place or two places. This is now the fourth spot that we've been able to do. And I think it's a body of work that's proven its course over time in all four places.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

Oh man. Um, we're gonna this is a perfect way to kind of like end it here for you, coach. So uh and Chauncey, I want your input on this too, as a third year in the program. So, coach has talked about like the success and where it's headed right now. Um, coach, you've been successful at all of your stops. Uh, can you tell us how you see that transcending right now at Arkansas State as you've just had two back-to-back bowl wins?

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Yeah, well, it is. It's transcending and it's a momentum, it's a belief, it's a culture, it's in place. And uh, you can never take it for granted. But, you know, we have great people, and we always talk about people make a place. We have a great support staff, we have great coaches, and we work for our players. You know, it's personal growth and development and everything that they can do, not only on the field, but off the field. It's in the community, it's academics, you know, it's providing them a platform with our donors, internships. So I think when you really look at it, it's all about the program and it's all encompassing in everything that we do. And you have to have a group of people that are in it for the players. And that's why we do what we do. But, you know, we've built now a national reputation. You know, I think the other thing is when you talk about momentum of the program, we had the most televised, nationally televised games of any team in the country from a group of six and top ten in the country of all footballs. When you look at playing on the ESPN platform with this year, whether it was ESPN, ESPN 2, or ESPNU, we've had that great opportunity now to really showcase our brand, and we'll be able to do that entering next season as well. But you know, you have to take advantage of those moments for your football program. Those are growth opportunities, and we've been able to take advantage of it. And then we're in a great community. They're very, very supportive, great fan base, and a tremendous, tremendous administration. And we're all on the same page. And I think it really goes through all of our athletics department in terms of all of our sports as well. We're doing exceptionally well. And uh, you know, Chauncey will tell you all of our student athletes are very close. They're bonded with the juice and the energy and the expectations of winning, and I think it shows.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

Chauncey, how can you add to that?

SPEAKER_01 13:20

Uh, I can say, like, just like Coach Jones just said, yeah, all of our student athletes, we are connected. Like, just the other day I had one of our teammates come to the house and take a nap. Like, we didn't even do nothing excited. He just came over because he didn't feel like being home. He took a nap on my couch. We just kicked it there. So I can just say, like, they know like we got each other, just not with football, but even off the field. Like, if we're in the same class, one of them comes to us, like, bro, can you help me on this assignment? If I already did it, yes, I got you. We're finna do this, sit down and do it together. So it's just not only football when we got each other. We got each other do it with life, with each other family, because what he might go through, I might be going through the same thing. So I probably can guide him in the same problem.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

Okay. Well, I mean, I think it's gonna be a really exciting

Spring Game Plans And Baseball Love

SPEAKER_02 13:57

2026 fall for you, coach. Uh, just hearing about the resiliency and the composure and all the juice and energy that has the program soaring right now. Uh, you know, we have the spring game in a couple weeks. Uh, how can you touch on that real quick before we uh bring on our next guest?

SPEAKER_00 14:14

Well, we're excited about our spring game. It's April 25th, and uh it's a great opportunity for our fans to come out and really support this football team, Team 112, but also see all the new faces. And I think change is good. You know, again, you're trying to elevate your play. I think we've been able to do that from a coaching staff perspective, but also from a player standpoint. But it's our community coming together and uh it's a great weekend. Uh, you can come watch our spring game at one o'clock and then turn around and go watch our baseball team. They're in the midst of having one of the best seasons we've had around here in a long time. Coach Silva's done an amazing job of really vital revitalizing that baseball program. So it's really a great weekend. We'll have all of our parents here. It's parents' weekend for our players. So it's something that we look forward to. Yeah. We we hear uh you're quite the baseball fan, Coach. I do. I love baseball kind of, you know, there's nothing like going to a ballpark and seeing the green, whether it's the turf here or grass, and just being able to watch baseball. And I think it's one of the most difficult sports in terms of hitting a baseball, so have a lot of respect for that game. And it's kind of therapy for me to watch a great baseball game.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

Love that, love that. Well, Coach Jones, thank you for getting on the podcast today. And Chauncey, thanks for joining us. And we can't wait to uh the next episode where we'll have Coach Jones back with another special guest.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Yes, sir. We appreciate you.