Untitled - Fast and Furious Football

202 FOOTBAIL COACHING STR{TEGIES
for. We're going to do the bestjob we possibly can
do to help these kids graduate. Don't misunderstand
me-we don't bat 1007., brl I think we do
a pretty goodjob.
W})en somebody asks me about our graduation
rate, I tell them, "Every one of those glys who
wants to," and right now, about 7 and 1/2 out of
every 10 guys want to. We\e got to get a littl€
bette! but thatl our mission, and our kids understand
where we're coming from.
The values that we have arc character through
discipline. We want character on our team. You
all know wh en its fourth-and-1, you've got to have
the right kind of guys playing for you. We're going
to discipline our kids; we'rc not soing to ha
ras8 them. But we're going to make surc they do
what's rightwhen theyre supposed to do it.Ifwe
have characte! guys, then we've got a chance to
win. Ith important that they understand if they
lack charaeter rhpyre nut going ro lasr in our
program very lone.
The second thing we talk about is our family.
This is our family. We dont have black guys. We
don't have white euys. We don't hav€ sho tsuls.
We don't have fat guys. We've got a team. I'm the
head olthe family, and what I say in that team
meeting stays in lhat team meetine-
There'E awesome power in 100 guys all going
in onc dirFi r ron. hur uhen lou v. gnr $)" jumping
outside that framework, then you've got a
problem. They understand that our fanrilyis the
name ofthe game.
It's our footbali fainily, and we're coin g to hang
tough. You know and I know that when you lose
a football game, the student newspaper is after
you and it's very, very important that your kidts
hans toseth€r Lots of lblks will try to get them
to scattex Ourfamilyis the second valu€ that we
work extrcm€ly hard to preEerve.
Next is our commirmert. Our playels hale to
undedtand the commitment that they have to
make to play at our level. We don't have a lot of
players in Westviginia we've got a lot oftrees
but the p]ayers we have are tough and the commitment
they have to make is big leagne. They
have to understand that in order for us tu wxr,
th ey're going to have to lift, they have to rr!, uey
have to do all the things all you guys expect your
playeft to do in order to play. They have to make
a great commitment to that program.
Football is no longer a game thafs played in
S€ptemb€r, Octob€r, and November. Football is
aU year long. I can't wait to get back to school.
We Ieft the Sugar Bowl and you know I wasn't
too happy about that-and I've been on the road
since.I can't wait to get back to our football team.
They have to make sur€ that they have the commitment,
because we've aheady started oul pro-
Sram ror nexr year.
O1lIn€xtvalueis loJolry. You can't build a proglam
without loyal coaches and players. Our play
€rs kno\\' I'm going to frght. I'm going to scrap.
I'm going to scream for every one of them. My
coaches know the same thing. I expect that the
secrctaries, thejanitor, the third-st ng quarterback,
and the graduate assjstants all have the
same loyalty
One thing I know about coaching football or
about running an organization is that yor can'L
have loyalty if your employee or youl football
player lies to you. I can't support my guy if he's
going to lie. Ourki& understand that. Loyatty is
the most impodant in$edient that anybody can
bdng to any organjzation. Loyalty starts at the
top.It works on do\rn and dsht back up through.
Il they un derstand that, then I think you've got a
chance to motivate your players, andyou'vegot a
Establishing a Style
of Football
I wantourplayers tornd€rstandour style of fbotball.
Number one, we're soing to be p,4Jstcal. I
want them to undentand how we're going to be
pbysical. I want them to undeGtand how we're
going to practic€.Inthe spring, we're going to hit
every day, and we're going to hit in the fall on
Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Thelre soing to hav€
to be physical ifthey're going to play in our procram.
I used to worry all the time about injuries, because
of the way we played. I coached for coach
Schembechler ai Michigan. I said,'Coach a.e you
suie we'rc doingwhat's ghtWe'r€ eoing to bave
to play wjth the thid-strins suard."And he said,
"Don, if he can sunive this week, he'll be good
enorgh on Satuday. That's your basic problem,
Don. You're soft. Our team will play on Saturday
with whoever is left."
And you know what He was .ight almost every
time. Wloever played in that game was ready
to play because th€y had commitment, they had
loyalty, and {.ith that week ofrepetition, they got
it done for us.
Second, you've eot to hav€ ,enc.ious guys on
youl team. I have a little story I teli our team.
There's a guy at the bottom of a we)I, and be's a