A NYT Q&A with departing MIchigan QB, Denard Robinson

I think one of the biggest issues facing good players who coach - especially at lower levels - is realizing that kids can't all do what you were able to do.  Most high schoolers, middle schoolers, etc. don't have the same balance, strength, hand-eye coordination, etc. as Division I athletes.  That's an obvious statement, but I've seen it be an issue at times.  You go from being involved with very dedicated players/coaches to people who aren't as athletic, don't understand the game as much, don't care as much, etc.  So you really have to lower some of your expectations and sort of simplify the game.

I think Robinson's best attribute as a coach would be his positive demeanor.  He's obviously a good leader and a hard worker, and I think kids would buy into that positivity.  I'm not convinced that he understands the game as well as many other quarterbacks, because he had a tendency to make the same errors frequently, failed to read defenses well, had poor mechanics, etc.  But there are plenty of mediocre players who turn into very good coaches, and Robinson was better than mediocre; he might understand the game better in the film room or from the sideline than he did from behind center.  If I were going to immediately sign him up as a position coach, I would probably want to hire him as a running backs coach; his best coachable trait as a player, in my opinion, was his vision/ability to read blocks.