THE CHAMP IS HERE

A few quotes from Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban following their 42-14 win over Notre Dame in last night’s championship game.

“We’re interested in accomplishment, consistency and performance.”

“The process is ongoing…and if you don’t pay attention to that, you won’t stay up.”

“I’m proud of what this team accomplished but in two days well start working for next year”

“This team never felt entitled”… No athlete should feel entitled to anything.”

“Tremendous work ethic, mental and physical toughness is the key to our success.” On what people don’t know about Alabama football.

“When are you satisfied?” asked an ESPN sideline reporter. “I’m never satisfied…” said the coach.

“One focus: I think a team’s ability to do that, to stay focused on the things that are going to affect the outcome of the game, are critical in games like this.”

“We have a team meeting on Thursday, so I expect him (Saban) to address the new team and say it hasn’t accomplished anything yet,” A.J. McCarron said.

“There’s no question,” said Kirby Smart, his defensive coordinator. “There’s no question he is driven to be the greatest coach in the game.”

 

HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM

TWITTER: @CoachFinamore

A PLAYER’S COACH

What exactly does that mean?

I have heard it used many times. ‘So and so is a player’s coach’.

This morning while driving, I stopped at sports talk radio and someone was on discussing that topic. The guest, whose name I didn’t get because I reached my destination too quick to get his identity mentioned that Tony Dungy is a ‘player’s coach’. (Note to all: Dungy , who was considered a player’s coach was fired by the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2002 before arriving in Indy. The following season Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl)

Bobby Williams, a former head football coach at Michigan State was called a ‘player’s coach’ when hired in 2000; he was fired in 2002 after a 16-17 record.

In his final season the team went 3-6, before he was fired mid-season after falling to the University of Michigan, by a score of 49-3. He was fired on November 4th, 2002. Williams is most noted for a press conference in which when asked, “Do you still have control of your team?”, he simply responded with, “I don’t know.” (Wikipedia)

Is Pat Summit a player’s coach?

How about Nick Saban at Alabama?

What is a ‘player’s coach’?

Someone help me on this?

I wonder if I’m a ‘player’s coach’? Or, better yet, should I care or not?

On the same radio show this morning, the guest and the host were talking about how to handle discipline problems amongst players – the guest said with the New England Patriots the coaching staff doesn’t handle problems in-house – the players in the locker room police the team.

If you’re a coach, do you ever give any thought to being a ‘player’s coach’?

-SF

Hoops135@hotmail.com