Extreme Coaching!
March 26th, 2009 . by adamnYikes.
We all knew these reports were coming. Reports of a new high-energy coaching staff to breath some life into the dull and emotionless Irish players. We all knew they were coming because there was some major coaching changes, and the Irish lacked fire last year. They didn’t get rowdy on the sidelines, and sometimes didn’t even seem they were paying attention to (nail-bitingly) close games. They were robots.
So, the new coaches seem to show a little more urgency, and we start to see articles like this:
There is a new way at Notre Dame. No longer will the coaches be boring and uninspiring. Randy Hart, Tony Alford, and Frank Verducci are high energy guys. Their motors never stop moving. They are all about player motivation. They would teach 24 hours a day if they could. Hart is 60 years old, but he gets up and runs 10 miles every morning (without water)! They are EXTREME! coaches. They are the Dave’s Insanity Sauce of coaches. Their methods have insanely high Scoville ratings and have been banned at normal coaching clinics! They have too much energy!
If you think I’m exaggerating, look at this.
From Irish Eyes (exerpt):
But while Alford is friendly with the players off the field, he is a demanding teacher on it.
“He’s very hard-working, he’s very intense,” said Hughes. “When he’s out there on the field, he’s out there like he still wants to play. He’s got a lot of energy, he’s a high energy guy.”
Alford knows no other way.
“I enjoy coaching, I enjoyed playing. You have no idea how excited I am to be here,” said Alford. “I probably enjoy it more than my players enjoy me, but that’s okay. That’s kind of my personality. If some people say that’s a high energy then great, if other people say that it’s not, then it’s not. It is what it is; it’s just who I am. It’s how I coach.”
Aldridge does not mind the change of personalities.
“I like that, you need that out on the field,” Aldridge said. “You always need somebody to kind of chew you out when you need it.”
Allen enjoys being around his new hyped-up coach.
“The energy that he brings to the field is awesome; it’s amazing. The feeling that he gives to all the running backs is great,” said Allen. “He gives us good information, he keeps us focused and he really shows us that he really cares and that’s the most important thing that you can get from a coach.”
Notice how the article made sure to mention the “change in personalities”? Talk about playing up to the audience. (I’ve seen countless comments about a lack of team emotion on blogs.)
Look, I am excited about the new coaching changes (what ND had wasn’t working.) But, I don’t give a damn about their personalities-or if they are emotional guys. I give a damn if Verducci can teach Sam Young how to block. I give a damn if they command respect, and get their players to listen. I give a damn if they can turn the team into a family environment where the guys want to win for each other. And I don’t care if they do it in a calm manner or if they run around like the Energizer Bunny.
For all the complaints that get leveled against Weis, his “not being able to motivate players” may be the lamest. Players need to motivate themselves. I remember hearing a quote from Urban Meyer when he won his first championship that he didn’t even say anything to his players at halftime because they were “in a feeding frenzy”. If the Irish don’t have enough fiery players, maybe they should recruit some different guys.
Always remember that players “puff up” the new coaches when they first get on campus. So instead of pitching a tent over the articles of the new “high energy” coaches, take a step back and just hope that they can teach some new tricks. We’ll see how it plays out come fall.