Players Loyalty Could Save Your Job
*Disclaimer* this will not be an article about football scheme. But will still pertain to coaching. I always want to have a disclaimer when it isn’t exactly dealing with scheme so I do not waste your time. This is will be a personal coaching story that is about my father. But this relates to ALL coaches. This will read more like reminiscing about a old coaching highlight. A story that is near and dear to my heart because it reminds me of the impact many coaches have on their athletes. The impact of a feat that transcends wins and losses.
This picture below represents my father’s 33 year career. First, for 30 years out of his career he coached teams in purple and gold being at Carrizo Springs for 20 years and Laredo LBJ for 10 years. That’s neither here nor there. But I’ve always had an affinity for the color combo with Carrizo Springs being my hometown. 30 years coaching in south Texas. Secondly, it symbolizes the bond between a coach and his group of linemen.
When this group were freshman my father spoke very fondly of them. We would talk on the phone and he would say laughingly that this freshman group is just awful. The most unathletic, uncoordinated, weakest in the weight room group that he has ever had the privilege to coach. So, unathletic that they trip their own self when doing drills. This group maybe were victorious in one game in their combined junior high years. They won 2 games their freshman year. Quite the improvement doubling their win total compared to their junior high years wouldn’t you say? I am sure this resonates with every offensive line coach. Just a group of unathletic soft fat kids that some how you have to mold into a competitive, aggressive, killing, bulldozing machine.
Flashing forward to their sophomore and junior year. This group went 1-9 back to back years. Anyone who has coached understands the turmoil you feel when you have a 1-9 season. You not only question your process to mold a great product on the team. But the even bigger question is going into your job with the worst uncertainty you’ve ever felt. The uncertainty that you may be looking for another job next year, not by your own accord. It’s and absolutely horrendous feeling. Quantify that by two. When you have two almost winless years.
After the football season of their junior year. Naturally there were a lot of rumors that the coaching staff were going to be fired. Whether the rumors were credible or not was irrelevant to his linemen. They asked my father if he was going to get fired. He told them it didn’t matter. “We and more importantly you have to keep working towards next year. You keep working, doing the right thing and you all can turn this thing around.” The staff luckily remained intact and were given that “one more year” opportunity. The coaches of course were elated to be given one more year. Also, the group below this senior group were very athletic and had been very successful. The two classes combined were very complimentary to each other and this next year had the makings of a exciting year.
Now it’s offseason preparing for their senior year and they hit the ground running. Everything their coach said was taken as gospel. They were the enforcers when a teammate or group were slacking off or getting out of line. They were the leaders that led from the front and by example. They had the best offseason you could possibly have. By the end of May of their junior year leading into the summer. 4 out of the 5 linemen squatted over 500 pounds. The center had the lowest squat at 450 but coincidentally was the most athletic. This group had bought in and worked like they were going to lose their job and worked like their coach was going to lose his job. It also validated the strength and condition program because it proved that he can change the most unathletic group he has ever had into a bulldozing force.
The next season this group ended up having a share of the district title and making the playoffs for the first time in school history after going 1-9 back to back. After they won the championship they told their coach that they made a pact to work as hard as possible so he would not get fired. A vow to do whatever they had to do to make the team work as hard as possible so they wouldn’t lose their coach. It is the single greatest compliment a coach can get from his players. A loyalty and love that is the most highest accomplishment you can have in this profession. The picture up above was taken after they won the championship. A single moment captured that encapsulates a great achievement and most importantly a love that players have for their coach.
If you read this far. I appreciate you following me down memory lane. Not a conventional article. But a friend of my father reached out to me this morning about getting a picture of him coaching and this is the picture I sent him. It sent me down memory lane and had to tell him the backstory of the picture. I wanted to share this story mostly for myself of course to help keep his memory alive. But to also share with all coaches and remind ourselves why we coach.
“Can you believe we get paid to do this!” - Barry Brinkley