By: Cole Mantell (@lightningdragon)
This was a smaller class of freshman ADs than normal. But each of the three freshman ADs (along with one returnee in new Oklahoma State AD Logan Mitchell) brings something unique to the table. For new Texas A&M AD Kade Padgett, it’s the pride of being a lifelong fan of the school he is now leading back into the CFSL.
Texas A&M is one of those schools that longtime fans might remember, but newer fans might not remember. The school was a part of the CFSL from Seasons 2-4, then again from Seasons 9-15. Now, for Season 20, Texas A&M become one of the very few teams to ever get a third shot. Texas A&M, while it does have a large fanbase, doesn’t scream to be above other teams to return. They only have one conference title (Season 10) over their 10 seasons previously in the CFSL. So what’s the difference? Kade Padgett is that difference. Padgett has been a resident of the College Station area for most of his life. His family went to Texas A&M. He bleeds maroon. He’d probably bet he is the most diehard Aggie in all of the CFSL.
That’s what the league looks for in bringing teams back into the CFSL. And clearly, Kade is the kind of guy who is excited to bring a team back from the dead. He will yell and scream for his team in the Texas A&M way no matter what happens. He knows A&M’s last game in the CFSL was a 58-0 loss to rival Texas, and he is looking to even the score against new Texas AD Ryan Moreland. In another wrinkle in that rivalry, the two new ADs have two very different ideas of on-field strategy.
Ryan Moreland at Texas is known as a pass-first coach. He has been since his early Oklahoma State days as a QB. For Kade Padgett, his middle and high school coaching experience is in the run game. “Running the ball is paramount”, he told me. He prefers similar to his former AD in terms of playbook selection. He told me the Aggies, dependent on their talent coming in as an expansion team, are focused on either the Multiple or Pro Style playbook family. He’s been a big part of the Michigan coaching staff and the success the team had this season. He wants to emulate that type of football in College Station.
His defense is also focused on the defensive line. “You need pressure from the [Defensive Line]. It got better later in the season but early in the season we (Michigan) had problems generating pressure at DL.” For Padgett, this was a fix he helped make last season in Ann Arbor he’ll bring to College Station.
Padgett is also a Cowboys fan too. His former fellow coaches know it too. For as diehard an Aggie Padgett is, he has just as much energy for his Cowboys too. He was on a coaching call with the team during a Cowboys game where the team pulled ahead and won late. Padgett forgot to mute his Zoom, and the rest of the staff bore witness to him yelling and screaming for a few minutes celebrating. It was a hilarious moment his staff still reminds him about. And that’s the kind of dedication Padgett is excited to bring to College Station.
When asked, his former AD Aaron Eichenberg had to say this about Padgett. “I think Kade was a great asset on my staff. He was a fast learner and hard worker. Think he is going to be great as an AD.”
