Jeff Monken's Deep Respect For UTSA Coach Jeff Traylor

Both UTSA and Army are idle for Week Five of the college football season. Perhaps sooner rather than later, the two schools could be conference mates in the

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Both UTSA and Army are idle for Week Five of the college football season. Perhaps sooner rather than later, the two schools could be conference mates in the AAC.

Back in Week Three, the two squads faced off in San Antonio, ending in a 37-29 win for Army. Following that contest, UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor called Army's performance against his Roadrunners "absolutely perfect."

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During his subsequent media availability, Army head coach Jeff Monken, who has previously expressed his respect for Traylor, was asked about that comment. What followed was a lengthy expression of admiration for the Roadrunners' head coach.

"I appreciate his comments. Jeff's going to do that. Jeff's going to be complimenting other coaches," Monken said. "That's not just us. He does that for a lot of coaches. Jeff's a very respected person in our profession. He's a guy that's come up through the ranks. He was a high school coach and now is one of the most successful college football coaches in the country in the last few years."

Monken went on to talk about how Traylor's player and staff retention has been particularly impressive, something that proves to be difficult for college coaches in 2023. 

"He's done an unbelievable job keeping his team together where everybody else is losing guys to the transfer portal. He lost some, but he's got a veteran team. Look at all the seniors that they've got playing...that has a lot to do with him and the respect those players have for him, the love that he extends to his players and staff...They've got a culture there that those kids believe in. Young men and women who play on sports teams and play in college at these programs, they want to be a part of something special. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves. That's why they play team sports."

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reported this week that Army's conversations with the AAC about becoming a football-only member are continuing in a positive fashion. Fans could see UTSA-Army games become a fairly regular appearance. 

"We've had some really good battles," Monken said of the Army-UTSA series. "We've squared off three times since Jeff has been the coach there. All three have been really close, hard-fought games. I think there's a mutual respect. I'm not surprised that Jeff would extend praise our way. That's what he does. He's gracious, he's humble, that's one of the reasons he has won a lot of games there too. I don't know that we played a perfect game. He's nice to say so, but we played a good, hard-fought game."

UTSA will open conference play in their first AAC season next week when they head to Temple. Army, who remain an independent for now, host Boston College on October 7.