Dave Aranda sounds like he’s getting out ahead of college football’s new reality.
… the Baylor coach said that he actually views the current landscape as a giant opportunity for growth for coaches.
“I think it’s good,” Aranda said. “It’s changing for sure. I think the coach that in the past that would take out his frustrations on players, that would take out his anxieties on other coaches, or take out his insecurities on players and then later call that coaching, I think that coach is probably struggling. We’ve all been around them and we’ve all probably been coached by them. I just think there’s an opportunity for that coach to grow and to really kind of transcend, man.”
I don’t know about transcending, but I do think we’ve entered an era when being a control freak isn’t what it once was. For what that’s worth.
“There’s getting out of your comfort zone and what comes of it when you stay in your comfort zone. I think the ability for coaches to have an open mind and to not look at it and say, ‘I’ve got power over players,’ but ‘I’m working with my guys, I’m seeing them as people, I’m pouring into them as people.’ That better person is going to make a better player. I think that’s going to be a view.”
For some, sure. But old habits die hard.
Get The Picture 
“I think the ability for coaches to have an open mind and to not look at it and say, ‘I’ve got power over players,’ but ‘I’m working with my guys, I’m seeing them as people, I’m pouring into them as people.’ That better person is going to make a better player. I think that’s going to be a view.” “
Mark Richt was before his time.
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And Saban is going to be behind the curve resulting in his exit. He’s recruiting based on his trophy case, but he’ll never adapt to coddling rich proms donnas. See NFL, Miami, Saban experience.
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Only, by most measures, that’s what he did last year?
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There are certain jobs where being tough and hard on your men is a requirement. I don’t know any position where being a sadistic, sarcastic asshole is necessary. Being a pussy and a pushover is A technique. Wouldn’t recommend that when dealing with young men.
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One of the most rewarding things from when I was a middle school teacher was getting my students to embrace that feeling of resistance before working on a difficult task. So many people just say “wow that’s hard” and attach negative/unmotivated feelings out of habit and never grow out of it.
My kids thought I was a hard ass but they loved it at the same time. I don’t see that kind of culture from the likes of Jeremy Pruitt or U Meyer and I agree with Aranda.
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UM knew how to manage (though unethical, selfish, uncaring, maybe mentally ill) and recognized talent and how to direct it. His lack of character finally let to program rot. Pruitt could coach a position but was unable to direct a large program – just didn’t have the competence, intelligence and certainly not the force-of-will. Fulmer (and the Fulmer enablers) played him for a fool. Same result – program rot.
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That’s what a great leader does. Demand and support. Demand without support is being a jackass. Support without demand is coddling.
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I demand support and am considered to be a jackass. #doingitwrong
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When I demand IT support, it usually ends with me pouring a gallon of sweettea (1 word) on the keyboard
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“Sorry, we’re outta sweettea” said the waiter at Cypress Grill to me a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday evening. I shit you not. How the hell does a place in southwest GA run out of sweettea?
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In every line of work, as a leader, you have to be somewhat demanding to get results. The real question is where is the line. Would you demand that to the child of your best friend or to your own child is probably a good place to start?
Finally, just because it was done to you when you were in the follower position doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do now. I’m hoping that’s one of the positive outcomes from the transfer portal.
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It may all depend on what your record is at the time….
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Ha! That scene is hilarious.
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“Control freak” isn’t going anywhere.
Screaming bullies are going to be dinosaurs.
That’s not a bad thing.
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A great feeling is being dawg tired, wore down and lose your last breath from laughing because your instructor/coach is just that entertaining. You get more accomplished with a growl and a laugh than a growl alone.
Then again, being unable to take a bit of an ass chewing, deserved or not, won’t make things easier. Life ain’t fair. “Got to be ready for the hard times.”
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There’s no clear answer here. I just know Woody and Knight were on the wrong side. Gunnery Sgt. Hartman went too far as well.
For me, I’ll always be grateful for that one professor who was the biggest jerk I (anyone else probably) ever had. I left not afraid of a damn thing. Which I would think is the optimal result of negative reinforcement training.
Of course, I wouldn’t have wanted two of those types and it was always only verbal with no implied threat of (or) actual violence. And that is my best effort of drawing the line. You put your hands on someone or give a real impression that you are about to be physically harmed, then you’ve gone too far.
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Agreed on Woody and Knight. They were probably assholes in all phases in their life. Had a professor similar, made life miserable four quarters of Russian language, immigrant who got his citizenship through the United States Marine Corps. He got his comeuppance because enough students complained. Of course his later students who got easy A’s can’t carry on a conversation in Russian upon graduation while I still could until recently. Got my money’s worth. He’s still a fuckn asshole.
Concerning GySgt Hartman? You’re just flat wrong. I do think it’s necessary to restrain the more sadistic types and remove from training those who abuse their positions for personal pleasure. That’s why there’s a professional NCO corps and officers supervising. I’m sure the abuse doled out in the movie was a bit extreme, but I’m also sure worse went on in reality. Those men were headed to two-way range where I can assure the abuse was much worse. Not enough space here to explain. But I’ve talked to officers who said while laying behind a dyke in a rice patty with bullets flying over and mortars exploding close their thoughts were, “At least I ain’t in Ranger School.” As long as you’re not crippling trainees you’re not abusing them.
I’ll never forget being graded after a successful patrol by SSGT Bronson. Not for being a fuck up. For being over confident and cocky and being too damn cheerful because what we were doing was easy and natural for me. Things would be tougher one day and I needed to harden the fuck up. I was shocked, shamed and embarrassed as the man chewed my ass without ever raising his voice.
I didn’t like it. But I needed it. I wasn’t some greenhorn either. The value of tough training for those going to war can’t be overstated. That sort of treatment has no place in modern athletics. In retrospect I’m grateful that was the way football practice was for me from the third grade on. I wouldn’t allow it now.
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I refer you specifically to the post-jelly donut scene and consequences for same.
The examples of former Marines shooting a President and a bunch of civilians probably isn’t a great idea either.
R. Lee Ermey even says his character went too far and was an exaggeration. There was probably a little of all of what was depicted from time to time but not all in one drill sergeant or within one 8 week basic training course. They just loaded it all up for dramatic, cinematic and artistic effect.
I certainly am sympathetic to the idea that it was wartime and you can’t simply allow someone to play dumb and useless to get out of serving in a “forward area.” It would become too a popular choice.
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Post-jelly donut scene? That was a blanket party and was once a common form of soldiers policing their own. Nothing in which I ever engaged, but also something that I never interrupted and I’m often the anti-bully. Blanket parties bring Congressional inquiries and jail time nowadays.
“Marines shooting a President and a bunch of civilians”. That’s just unfair to the Corps. One was a damn commie (and I still ain’t sure he made those shots) and the other had a brain tumor.
Now the great Hobby Lobby crayon robbery and subsequent banquet? That was all Marines.
Movies wouldn’t be interesting if they depicted normal life. They’d be documentaries.
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Sure Aranda, stoop to the Millenials and see if they learn to flex their chests in the 4th quarter when the GOAT is driving down field and running down their throats.
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You know UGA97, during the regular 2021 season it seemed from some of his interviews as if Saban was trying to be kindler and gentler. We did see the Dawgs in the 4th quarter of the National Championship, which they won 33-18, driving down field running the ball down their throats.
😉
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Agreed on Woody and Knight. They were probably assholes in all phases in their life. Had a professor similar, made life miserable four quarters of Russian language, immigrant who got his citizenship through the United States Marine Corps. He got his comeuppance because enough students complained. Of course his later students who got easy A’s can’t carry on a conversation in Russian upon graduation while I still could until recently. Got my money’s worth. He’s still a fuckn asshole.
Concerning GySgt Hartman? You’re just flat wrong. I do think it’s necessary to restrain the more sadistic types and remove from training those who abuse their positions for personal pleasure. That’s why there’s a professional NCO corps and officers supervising. I’m sure the abuse doled out in the movie was a bit extreme, but I’m also sure worse went on in reality. Those men were headed to two-way range where I can assure the abuse was much worse. Not enough space here to explain. But I’ve talked to officers who said while laying behind a dyke in a rice patty with bullets flying over and mortars exploding close their thoughts were, “At least I ain’t in Ranger School.” As long as you’re not crippling trainees you’re not abusing them.
I’ll never forget being graded after a successful patrol by SSGT Bronson. Not for being a fuck up. For being over confident and cocky and being too damn cheerful because what we were doing was easy and natural for me. Things would be tougher one day and I needed to harden the fuck up. I was shocked, shamed and embarrassed as the man chewed my ass without ever raising his voice.
I didn’t like it. But I needed it. I wasn’t some greenhorn either. The value of tough training for those going to war can’t be overstated. That sort of treatment has no place in modern athletics. In retrospect I’m grateful that was the way football practice was for me from the third grade on. I wouldn’t allow it now.
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I’m an excellent driver.
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Its happened to the best of us….
Me. Many times….
😂
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Saban was out there talking like a therapy dog supporter at times with his team last year. Gotta give it to the guy – his desire to win exceeds everything.
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