Veteran defensive ends coach Jon Fabris, who joined the IU coaching staff Friday, spoke to the media Sunday just prior to the Indiana-Penn State basketball game.
Fabris joked that the Big Ten is the only major collegiate conference he hasn't coached in, and also said he has seen just about every situation with teams.
"I haven't been at the Georgia or Notre Dames all my life," Fabris said. "I know what it's like to coach at Washington State, and yet I know what it's like to beat your cross-state rival three out of four years or beat USC."
He said he hasn't seen any tape on IU, and that all his focus thus far has been on recruiting. He has been visiting defensive recruits and families, and his meeting with the press was delayed more than an hour because he was talking with recruits visiting this weekend.
With just 10 days until National Signing Day, Fabris said all of his focus will continue to fall on recruits. He plans to go out recruiting tonight, as well.
As he prepared to reference legendary basketball coach John Wooden, Fabris looked up from the surrounding media members to the walls of the media room in Assembly Hall.
"I know this is a big basketball area, as it should be," Fabris said. "You can't imagine how many times I've watched Indiana play basketball on television at Assembly Hall. To be walking through there was kind of like, 'Man, here it is.'"
He praised numerous aspects of the Big Ten, including the musical aspects.
"It will probably make a lot of people in the south mad that I know, but I always thought the Big Ten had the best bands," Fabris said.
