Player Leadership and Offseason Workouts
This Ryan Autullo article in the Toledo Blade rovides insight into the tone set by the new coaching staff for offseason workouts and the role for player accountability.
"If you're not doing what you're supposed to do, you can get called out by anybody, freshman through senior," said offensive tackle Taylor Lewan. "If you're doing the right thing, you're able to call somebody out. I think that's the way things should be done."
The consensus among the players is summer workouts are being conducted differently under new coach Brady Hoke, with an emphasis placed on accountability and ownership.
"It's definitely different from what we're used to, and I think that's good," said Elliott Mealer, a Wauseon graduate. "Not that the old way was necessarily bad, but we've really been stressing on accountability to each other, and competitiveness. I think that's what coach Hoke wants out of us -- to make us hate losing."
"The craziest thing about this is a lot more people are being accountable," Lewan said. "New coaches set a whole different tone for everybody else, so people are really starting to work hard. These coaches are giving us an opportunity to be our own leaders. They're not just saying, 'Oh, we're the coaches, this is how it's going to happen, this is how we're doing it.' They're doing it, in their words, the Michigan way."
Encouraging stuff, I'd say.
Also encouraging: Lewan says his elbow is fully healed.
Very good to hear, thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for sharing this. Also glad to hear that Lewan's elbow is back to normal and healed.
I imagine it must be nice to walk into a situtation where quality young men, ready to be coached are committed from day one instead of the way it was in 2008.
I was a RR guy as much as anyone, but what are you trying to accomplish here? Stop it.
Please stop bashing our hall of fame coach Lloyd Carr. Thanks. Yes, the situation is different. But, as many have said, there are numerous coaches who have done more with what RR was handed. That said, he was a Michigan coach, and I will always respect the effort he put forth. He just didn't make the grade. Move along.
Somebody's awfully sensitive.
He didn't say one word about Lloyd Carr. What he said isn't even deniable, it's just unpleasant for you to acknowledge.
Also? Hall of Famer:
Thats right, Hoke is so lucky that everything seems to be going right. It obviously has nothing to do with his actions or approach to coaching and recruiting.
/s
Hoke is lucky. That's not an insult. I'm GLAD we have a lucky coach.
There are a lot of high character guys here right now. That was NOT the case three years ago.
How do you know this? Did you ever meet anyone on the 2008 team?
I'm pretty sure the "a lot of us didn't buy in right away last time" quotes from the players justifies his point.
I mean, I don't know how getting players and recruits to buy into what you're trying to establish as a coach is luck. That sounds like good coaching and being a good salesman to me.
Maybe my memory is fuzzy, but this doesn't sound any different than what kids have been saying year-in, year-out no matter who the coaches are.
No 2 coaches run practices the exact same way. So anytime there is a coaching change at any school the students will say something similar to this. The fact that they are all being held accountable for is great. I'm glad to hear of Freshman calling out seniors as well as the other way around. I'm sure the upper classman don't like being called out by the freshman so it should give them extra incentive not to make the same mistake. Not that maintaining your starting position isn't incentive enough.
...coaching staff gave instructions to the team and expected a certain level of commitment from the players. However, both Mealer and Lewan state that this offseason is different. I'm not sure I understand why this is so hard to believe (or comprehend from their very plain language assertions in the quoted passages).
It's normal and understandable for players to put things in the best possible light and to embrace the change that a new coach brings, but that doesn't mean that they're incapable of assessing when coaching methods are substantively different than before and even to evaluate the effectiveness of these various methods.
I'm looking forward to the day when a discussion of Hoke's way of doing business doesn't cause a reflexive reaction by people to compare it to RichRod's approach (good or bad). In the end, those comparisons are patently useless. There's only one Michigan Head Football Coach, and his name is Brady Hoke.
Many of the veteran players in 2008 did not "put things in the best possible light and [ ]embrace the change that a new coach brings." Many of them whined. One of them transferred to Ohio State. Some of them complained to the Free Press. I think their actions in 2008 reflect directly on their character. I am glad that the veteran playerson on the 2011 roster appear to be different.
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At this point in 2008, there was no whining or complaining to the Free Press. Boren was universally bashed by his ex-teammates when he left. The players, we were told all offseason, had taken a real shine to Mike Barwis, and his revolutionary methods were going to lead to stunning physical gains. The "eeeeeeee Barwis!" meme was in full force.
Only after the 3-9 disaster did people look back and claim to find evidence of guys not buying in.
I was commenting on the quality of the players on the 2011 roster. There are no Borens, for example, whining about having to play at a faster pace or practicing in a different way than they were used too ...and then transferring to Ohio State and complaining about a lack of family values at Michigan (ironic now). In addition to Boren, I believe there were a number of other veteran players in 2008 who did not embrace (or even accept) the coaching change. This lack of character in the veterans, I believe, played a part in the 2008 season.
Thankfully, it does not appear that there is a similar problem with the returning players on the 2011 roster. Those who left did so with class and those who stayed appear to be working hard and accepting the change. That's good. And it reflects well on them.
I didn't bash Lloyd Carr. No need. His record speaks for itself.
Honestly, I think this is a byproduct of losing. I'm not trying to bash former players, but to some extent my impression was that there was an attitude of entitlement, and they didn't feel they needed a change due to the recent success of the program back in '08. Now these kids are hungry to win and are embracing anything that gives them a chance to win.
I'm hoping for a monster year from BIG Lewan!!!
Champions are made when no one is looking. Now hit the weight room and don't report back to campus until you all have put on 20 pounds of muscle.
What if there is something to the whole "Michigan Man" mind set. Is it possible that our team that we've always considered tight knit cannot compare to how close they will become as "Michigan Men".
Here's my flimsy evidence.
Exhibit A:
The public vocal criticism of Rich Rod, the spread, non Michigan Man, that whole bit.
Can you maybe see how a group of people with an almost unhealthy bond could react that way when an outsider came in and is ruining everything?
Exhibit B:
The ever emerging reactions towards fake Buckeyes who are traitors to The Brotherhood.
Can you maybe see how a group of people with an almost unhealthy bond could react that way when a scandal arises and is ruining everything?
Am I insane?
I think it's simply human nature to look for scapegoats when things go wrong. After we went 3-9, people had two prime candidates: the new coaching staff, or the players. Some chose the former ("He doesn't understand Michigan"), others chose the latter ("They won't buy in."). At OSU, the rival camps are between those who blame Tressel, and those who shoot the messenger. Since Tressel was very successful, most prefer to shoot the messenger. Conversely, since RR was unsuccessful here, he ultimately took the blame.
Many Michigan men quit football and went on to become fine citizens when Bo came in. I don't think Bo would in the long run take Michigan man from their legacy. The unhealthy aspect you refer to is what makes me shiver.
There is nothing inherently Michigan that is going to win games in the fall. That will be done with hard work and team ball. Every other team on the schedule and in the B1G is trying to do that as well. Hoke, for his part, is doing good work. Players are buying in. This is good.
The concept of who is and is not a Michigan man is so vapid at times. Deconstructing RR, the decimated defense, the horror, Oregon and even the Florida win is just as vapid. Let's just win. I'll take that and give up the basketball on grass top end (which the best teams are playing) for a couple double digit win seasons.
Fortunately there is no honor amongst coaches when it comes to stealing plays and schemes. I'm hoping for something fresh this fall that plays to this team's strengths. Please make time go faster...
Not that this SHOULD make a difference, but when these coaches say, "This is the Michigan way," then kids can actually take that to heart. Jackson, Mattison, Hoke, and Mallory have all been there before.