What is the Secret Sauce?

Submitted by leftrare on
What is it that only a few coaches, like Harbaugh, Saban, Carroll, Meyer and dare I say Dantonio, have that an otherwise swell guy like Brady Hoke doesn't? How does Harbaugh take moribund programs like USD, Stanford and the 49ers to championships, and so many others just can't? I will hang up now and check in the morning.
MGoBoard
Football
Harbaugh
Hoke

FreddieMercuryHayes

December 27th, 2014 at 11:12 PM ^

Don't forget his three seasons at San Diego. First head coaching gig, three seasons, second sms third were 11-1 conference championships at a non-scholarship school. And Brian thinks Bob Stitt is impressive...



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 12/29/2010

MGoPoints: 40860

Gob1ue22

December 27th, 2014 at 11:20 PM ^

Duuuude what is this thread? The difference is some are much better at their job than others. What the hell are you even asking.

PS... Dantonio???? Really?

Joined: 11/24/2013

MGoPoints: 812

CoverZero

December 27th, 2014 at 11:23 PM ^

IMO....the Secret Sauce is:

1) Insatiable Lust to not only Compete, but to Win.  Refusing to Lose. 

2) Demanding excellence from his team every day, every practice.  Never praising them for "a great week of practice" and then bumble around the field on Saturday.

3) Preparation for each practice, and each opponent.

4) Recruiting

5*) Probably most important:  The best coaches install a healthy Fear in their players.  The players FEAR letting the coach, team and school down.  Therefore they are sharper, make less mistakes than the typical team, and execute their assignments on the field.

Joined: 08/30/2014

MGoPoints: 14571

leftrare

December 28th, 2014 at 8:38 AM ^

For being one of the only commenters to take a stab at an answer. I tend to agree with "fear" and can think of two other coaches that matched that description, Schembechler and Ditka. And of course, those two share Harbaugh as QB in common.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 3213

Class of 1817

December 27th, 2014 at 11:42 PM ^

There's no secret.

Brady Hoje knew a few aspects of the game...he was essentially a specialist with strengths in motivation and charisma, with weaknesses in accountability and cronyism.

We need a football genius more than ever in recent memory now. Someone who knows several aspects of this complex game and still has the ability to lead men into battle.

Lucky for us, we've got possibly the most insane branch from the Bo tree coming our way. He didn't have to coach under him to be a bit of a mad genius.

Joined: 06/23/2011

MGoPoints: 4419

BoFan

December 27th, 2014 at 11:56 PM ^

Carroll failed at NE Saban failed at State and the NFL. Saban can only succeed where there is potential for a recruiting pipeline. Dantonio succeeded where Saban couldn't Meyer and Harbaugh have succeeded at every stop, except for maybe a single season, and will now face each other every year.

Joined: 03/09/2012

MGoPoints: 19938

BoFan

December 28th, 2014 at 1:24 AM ^

Not sure why you're defending his MSU record. His "never had a losing season" was 6/5/1, 6/6, 7/6 I believe. So your statement is misleading and lacks credibility. His last season could have been a fluke and so he bolted to where success is easier. He also failed in Miami. Compare that with Dantonio and Dantonio is the better coach...at State...and could be elsewhere. Compare that with Meyer and Harbaugh's success at every stop and it doesn't measure up. Many very good coaches can succeed at USC and Alabama but only the greatest coaches can succeed everywhere.

Joined: 03/09/2012

MGoPoints: 19938

RobM_24

December 28th, 2014 at 12:21 AM ^

I can tell you one thing that Harbaugh has that none of them have ... the experience of playing (and coaching) the hardest position in football at the collegiate and professional level.

Joined: 01/27/2014

MGoPoints: 63159