Monday, February 19, 2007

This reminds me of Coach Jesus

Here's the article that I read from in my message last night... enjoy.
(I have sized it for emphasis.)

The best coach in America
By
Dan Wetzel

BOISE, Idaho – Is it possible that the best college football coach in America, the one who Saturday at Georgia goes for his 45th win in his last 50 games, rides his mountain bike to work?
"It's a five-minute ride from my house," said Dan Hawkins, whose bike was, indeed, parked right here inside his Boise State office a couple of weeks ago. "It takes longer to drive."
Is it possible that the best college football coach in America, the one who doesn't just recruit better players, but actually makes recruits better, the one with three former walk-ons in the NFL, doesn't believe in screaming at his players?
"I think if you have that sort of environment, kids are afraid to fail, they are afraid to make a mistake, they play not to lose," said Hawkins, coach of the wildest, woolliest, fake-puntingest offense in the country. "We don't want our guys to play that way."
Is it possible that the best college football coach in America, the one who has transformed a program that a decade ago was I-AA into a top-20 Division I-A program, is more likely to quote philosophers than Rockne?
"I go back to my man Maslow," said Hawkins of psychologist Abraham Maslow, by way of explaining his remarkable ability of taking unheralded recruits to an 11-0 regular season.
"It is believing that every guy is capable of doing something. Now, I've got to figure out how to get him in the right spot and provide an environment that we trust in him and let him grow."
... In an era of screaming task masters, Hawkins prefers to forge respectful relationships with his players.

"I am not saying we can't coach our guys hard, because we do at times," Hawkins said. "But [we don't] just dog-cuss them or beat them down.
"I just totally believe in certain things that maximize a person's performance level. I think it is real easy to get frustrated and to scream and yell and take it out on guys, but 99 percent of the time they are not trying to make a mistake.
"Sometimes you try something new and funky and it doesn't work. But if you are chastised and degraded when it doesn't work, pretty soon you just play it safe and say, I am going to just try not to lose.' "
Boise plays to win – every down of every game. "We expect perfection," Hawkins said. But, he said, his players' self-confidence produces "a freedom from the psychological chains and you say, Hey, let's go.'"

The result is a most thrilling style – wild plays, fourth-down gambles, fake kicks, all-out blitzes and just about anything else Hawkins, his staff or even his players can dream up.
It isn't just a gimmick offense. It isn't just a way to overcome better talent. It is a way of approaching life; it is all part of what the former science teacher is trying to teach.
"In order to be successful you have to take risks," Hawkins said. "That is part of life. You have to be to get out of your comfort zone, pack up your family for a new job. [But] I think so many times we are just so afraid to fail in life.
"OK, [but] how about the virtue that I had enough guts to risk? Hey, that's virtue and is more important than [failing]."
So winning isn't everything? Winning isn't the only thing?
Yet all they do is win ...
Hawkins' ability to turn non-recruited prospects into stars – quarterback Jared Zabransky grew up on an Oregon potato farm, offensive tackle Daryn Colledge is from North Pole, Alaska – is what most impresses his peers. ...

4 comments:

Dj Norris said...

good article...
awesome message!!!

staryeyes said...

deehay...(sigh)
thats what I was gonna say!!

Anonymous said...

Keep keeping on Mark. Luv u bro.

P.S. notice the non-navigation bar at home page ;-)

YPMARK....Peter? said...

Thanks D and Star!
Thanks for the non-nav bar Aydin, love it, love you!