Having coached for some 17 years I can

[TVTT]

motivation of players is a crock. You work your butt off trying to get kids prepared, but, you can't look inside a kid's head to see if he's listening or what he's thinking. Sometimes you think your team is mentally ready and they stink it up and again you think they're not focused and they play lights out. You just hope more of your kids are self motivative because then you're probably going to be in good shape. I've never understood how a kid isn't motivated when he only has 11/12 times to play in FB, however, it's a lot different in baseball/basketball where you have so many games to play.

In reading some of the quotes from UT players, it's obvious that some of these guys have a motivation issue and that is not only sad but really hard to understand. IMO, that speaks a lot as to why the season has progressed as it has. Again, speaking as a former coach, to lay the blame entirely at the feet of the coaches is ridiculous especially considering the age of the players - 18-22 yr olds are not infants and should take responsibility.

 

[lawgator1]

Originally posted by TVTT@Nov 8, 2005 3:59 PM
motivation of players is a crock. You work your butt off trying to get kids prepared, but, you can't look inside a kid's head to see if he's listening or what he's thinking. Sometimes you think your team is mentally ready and they stink it up and again you think they're not focused and they play lights out. You just hope more of your kids are self motivative because then you're probably going to be in good shape. I've never understood how a kid isn't motivated when he only has 11/12 times to play in FB, however, it's a lot different in baseball/basketball where you have so many games to play.

In reading some of the quotes from UT players, it's obvious that some of these guys have a motivation issue and that is not only sad but really hard to understand. IMO, that speaks a lot as to why the season has progressed as it has. Again, speaking as a former coach, to lay the blame entirely at the feet of the coaches is ridiculous especially considering the age of the players - 18-22 yr olds are not infants and should take responsibility.

[snapback]185901[/snapback]​

Here, here. I think the motivation issue is due in part to unrealistic expectations. When they weren't met, the team went on the skids and does not seem motivated to get it back together.

 

[cd12]

Reggie Jackson once stated that a great manager has a knack for making ballplayers think they are better than they are. He forces you to have a good opinion of yourself. He lets you know he believes in you. He makes you get more out of yourself. And once you learn how good you really are, you never settle for playing anything less than your very best.

 

[Lexvol]

What a coach can do is expect the players to be great, and let them know when they aren't.

CPF could easily come to practice and say "I coached Manning, Lewis, Clifton, Henry, Stephens, Price (just go down the list), and believe me you are no Manning etc.etc.etc.

Watching the same players make the same mistakes in every game leads me to believe that haven't been well coached.

 

[secfanclub]

motivation of players is a crock. You work your butt off trying to get kids prepared, but, you can't look inside a kid's head to see if he's listening or what he's thinking. Sometimes you think your team is mentally ready and they stink it up and again you think they're not focused and they play lights out. You just hope more of your kids are self motivative because then you're probably going to be in good shape. I've never understood how a kid isn't motivated when he only has 11/12 times to play in FB, however, it's a lot different in baseball/basketball where you have so many games to play.

It's nice to have self-motivated players but they are few and far between. That's where the coach comes in and provides a spark for the players. I have also played and coached and I can tell you that if a player wasn't prepared to practice hard and play hard, then he found himself either off the team or found a seat on the bench. A coach may not be able as you say "get into a player's head" but the coach does have the opportunity to do some butt-chewing and various things to instill discipline in players to perform better and not make the same stupid mistakes over and over.

 

[WA_Vol]

Originally posted by TVTT@Nov 8, 2005 4:59 PM

In reading some of the quotes from UT players, it's obvious that some of these guys have a motivation issue and that is not only sad but really hard to understand. IMO, that speaks a lot as to why the season has progressed as it has. Again, speaking as a former coach, to lay the blame entirely at the feet of the coaches is ridiculous especially considering the age of the players - 18-22 yr olds are not infants and should take responsibility.

[snapback]185901[/snapback]​

When I look around the country and see what other coaches have done with their programs i.e. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma; Pete Carroll, USC; Reicht, Georgia; Saban, LSU; Weiss, Notre Dame, Tubberville, Auburn; etc, I think they are doing more then just teaching their team fundamentals. They are motivating their team to succeed.

The only thing that was changed with each of these programs to turn it around was the head coach. Everyone of them took over a program that had been lackluster and turned it into a program able to compete for a national championship or a BCS birth.

Its difficult to convince me that Pete Carroll or Bob Stoops could not have taken this current UT team and made them a top 10 team. These seniors were the #2 recruited class coming out of high school. It seems to me what was needed was motivation, fundamentals and leadership.

I think when players respect their coach, they make an effort to avoid embaressing him with off the field problems, simply out of respect. How many USC or Oklahoma players have been in the news lately? Fulmer just got unlucky and had all the bad kids in his recruiting class? I'm not saying their wont be off the field problems, I'm saying their will be less.

 

[GVF]

I've never coached football, but I was very successful at coaching baseball. I can see valid arguments from both sides of the motivation fence. Some players you can have good results with, some make you pull your hair out. I've had all of them, but still won leagues and went to all-stars three consecutive years before stepping aside. Chemistry is everything to success. My regular season teams I never really expected much out of, but I invested my time, worked on their basic skills, and come game time I tried to make the decisions that would keep them in the game with a chance to win, and never give up until the last out. That was my job. Come game time, you got what you got, and tried to make the changes and decisions to overcome lackluster peformances. I gave guys chances that would have had none under other coaches, and benefitted from it. My all-star teams were mostly the school ball players. A dream roster from a strong scholl program, and we never made it past district. Go figure. So, over 3 years regular season I was 33-13. 3 all-star appearance with superstar rosters I was 5-10. I had a kid that had never played and never pitched, and never lost a game pitching. I had a school pitcher that would get rocked on his second rounds through teams. With the right chemistry, you can do more with less. UT has a star studded line up of all americans. What have we done as a team. On any given day, even given our youth at QB, we could and should beat all but 2 or 3 teams in the country. Chemistry and motivation is a large part of success. Is it all the coaches fault. No. Players do have to provide you the game effort needed to make the right decisions during the game as a coach. But, it is a large part of what we do. For any of us that have ever coached anything, you know this. I never blamed a loss on my players, but wins were always theirs. As much as I hate to admit how good a coach is, ask Spurrier how to get it done. I bet his players get rocked in the clubhouse. I bet they get taught. And I bet at 6-3 with a meager roster, especially after terminating many key starters, he has even convinced them they can win. His best shot at even one superstar is a freshman receiver that has a shot at Freshman of the year. It may not be all coaches fault in theory, but in practice, if I were the HC, it would be my responsibility.