Go Dillard
- Thread starter kougkurt
- Start date
I was surprised that Dillard said some of the things that he did because players have been pretty quiet about it.....but it makes perfect sense. As much as I appreciate what Leach did for WSU, we all know that he's an egotistical person who rubs people the wrong way all the time. I worry a bit that we'll regress now that he's gone, but Leach's character definitely made it easier for me to say, "Bye Felicia!" when he decided to move on.
Mike Leach was the right guy at the right time for WSU and WSU was the right place at the right time for a guy like Mike Leach.
At the time, the program needed a drill master, a hardass to instill discipline and toughness. I imagine it was probably like when Bear Bryant did the whole Junction Boys thing at Texas A&M. There were 'cancers' that needed to be cut out of the body. The program needed intense chemo and radiation treatment.
Over time, though, once the body healed, that treatment wasn't necessary any longer. Not that it wasn't appropriate at the time - but the radiation machine needed to move to another body. The Cougs went into remission, so to speak. More chemo and radiation would have eventually killed it.
Hopefully the new general practitioner will be more of a physical therapist/pyschologist who can take the now-healed body on a different training journey that will lead to continued wellness.
At the time, the program needed a drill master, a hardass to instill discipline and toughness. I imagine it was probably like when Bear Bryant did the whole Junction Boys thing at Texas A&M. There were 'cancers' that needed to be cut out of the body. The program needed intense chemo and radiation treatment.
Over time, though, once the body healed, that treatment wasn't necessary any longer. Not that it wasn't appropriate at the time - but the radiation machine needed to move to another body. The Cougs went into remission, so to speak. More chemo and radiation would have eventually killed it.
Hopefully the new general practitioner will be more of a physical therapist/pyschologist who can take the now-healed body on a different training journey that will lead to continued wellness.
There is a way to handle yourself, sorry Dillard, this ain't it.
Observer, your chemo and radiation analogy was pretty good. There is a time and a place, but once the concerns have been corrected, it is time for the next step. That is just as true in the dynamics of leadership as it is in adjustments to offensive strategy.
I don’t think he said anything that most of us haven’t thought at some point, and what he said wasn’t any more inflammatory than stuff Leach had said. He’s entitled to his opinion, let him speak his mind, I say.
Dillards mad because he/his unit was directly called out. And guess what - they did suck, a lot. As much as Falk took too long, the OL would look like a sieve at times, AND THEY COULDNT RUN BLOCK FOR SHIT.
That being said, I get that Leach isnt everyone's cup of tea. I wonder if Dillard thinks about what a dick Leach is when hes cashing his NFL paychecks...
That being said, I get that Leach isnt everyone's cup of tea. I wonder if Dillard thinks about what a dick Leach is when hes cashing his NFL paychecks...
I don't think Molton would say that to his face. He might get...wait for it...slapped! 
It seems like a lot of the fan base was ready to move on...and I think Chun hit it out of the park as he seems to be doing with alarming regularity.
I think a lot of kids would love to play for the Hat.
It seems like a lot of the fan base was ready to move on...and I think Chun hit it out of the park as he seems to be doing with alarming regularity.
I think a lot of kids would love to play for the Hat.
Who recruited those players, and who hired their o-line coach, and who implemented an offense that didn’t give them equal practice time for run blocking?
Eagles are happy with his run blocking. Question his make-up.
https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/andre-dillard-jason-peters-reason-to-worry
Dillard's not doing himself any favors in Philly by whining about adversity.
Leach is Leach. If you want a coach to tell you how great you are after a 9-40 run, he's not your guy. If you want slip and slides, he's not your guy. If you want a coach who tolerates substandard effort, he's not your guy. If you want a coach who gives clear expectations and will hold you accountable, he's a great coach.
Some people were ready to move on from Leach in the first half against BYU. Some downplay everything he did here because he wouldn't suck up to them. Others are pleased with where he took the program, but felt it was best to move on.
Rolovich is cut from a very different cloth. I expect he'll provide a start contrast to Leach's strengths and weaknesses. Rolovich should be a much more charismatic recruiter. We pick up a lot of points in the charm department. I suspect we'll see an uptick in recruiting. I also think the offense will be more dynamic. But we'll also see things missing from Rolo's teams that we took for granted under Leach.
Leach is Leach. If you want a coach to tell you how great you are after a 9-40 run, he's not your guy. If you want slip and slides, he's not your guy. If you want a coach who tolerates substandard effort, he's not your guy. If you want a coach who gives clear expectations and will hold you accountable, he's a great coach.
Some people were ready to move on from Leach in the first half against BYU. Some downplay everything he did here because he wouldn't suck up to them. Others are pleased with where he took the program, but felt it was best to move on.
Rolovich is cut from a very different cloth. I expect he'll provide a start contrast to Leach's strengths and weaknesses. Rolovich should be a much more charismatic recruiter. We pick up a lot of points in the charm department. I suspect we'll see an uptick in recruiting. I also think the offense will be more dynamic. But we'll also see things missing from Rolo's teams that we took for granted under Leach.
For those bashing on Dillard......think about what Jahad Woods said after meeting Rolovich:
"He's a real player's coach. I would say he's real genuine. He wants to get to know everybody, wants to know everybody's names, he wants to have real relationships with each and every one of us on the team," said senior linebacker Jahad Woods. "That makes us want to play for someone like that because he literally wants to have that father relationship. It's pretty awesome."
He didn't say that Leach didn't do those things, but it's easy to infer that Leach didn't. Of note for me was that when HBO did their special this year, Blake Mazza said that he was pretty sure that Leach didn't know his name and never took the time to talk to him.
"He's a real player's coach. I would say he's real genuine. He wants to get to know everybody, wants to know everybody's names, he wants to have real relationships with each and every one of us on the team," said senior linebacker Jahad Woods. "That makes us want to play for someone like that because he literally wants to have that father relationship. It's pretty awesome."
He didn't say that Leach didn't do those things, but it's easy to infer that Leach didn't. Of note for me was that when HBO did their special this year, Blake Mazza said that he was pretty sure that Leach didn't know his name and never took the time to talk to him.
If you think about it, the cancer thread probably is why we got to where we got to. Were it not for Judy Doba's cancer, I truly believe Bill would have been more in tune with what was going on, rather than having assistant coaches f'ing around (literally) instead of out recruiting and building the program. Doba was a straight shooter and with full focus, I don't think some of the things that slid would have gotten to the point of disrepair. Which then means, no Paul Wulff and no Mike Leach.
From the article "Dillard is a sensitive kid. He spoke after the season to my colleague Dave Zangaro about how mean the fans in Philly were and what an adjustment the NFL was after playing in Pullman, in “the middle of nowhere"
Dre is "sensitive" aka "soft". Leach is/was/always will be a Big Effing Meanie. And yes I would say it to Dillard's face, as would Molton.
Don't doubt me....Rolo will beat your ass if you mistake his kindness for weakness...just sayin.
Judy Doba or not, Jim Sterk had no succession plan in place for a coach soon to be 69 years young at the end of his 5 year extension (2009).
Wulff or his equivalent was inevitable with Sterk - was more interested in moving the Apple Cup to Seattle than the football program as a whole.
And a Wulff equivalent will happen again - not under Chun but his successor.
He is probably better off in the South where you can still be a prickly coach and people will play for you.
The West Coast kids don't want to play for a guy like that. It isn't fun. It isn't a happy time. I think they're looking for a players coach.
Mike Leach goes on vacation for 5 months per year (reportedly). He has no interest in being friends with kids.
The West Coast kids don't want to play for a guy like that. It isn't fun. It isn't a happy time. I think they're looking for a players coach.
Mike Leach goes on vacation for 5 months per year (reportedly). He has no interest in being friends with kids.
Agree. Leach will fit better with the players in the south. I'm not so sure how he will do with the media/alum requirements, but that is his problem.
And yes, his player concern was primarily with their academics and staying out of arrest situations. Beyond that, they were on their own. Maybe that is not so bad, in the long term, but it was not going to produce many warm and fuzzies with the players. Rolo will get a lot of short term benefit from the culture contrast; if he builds on that, he will do well.
Leach is clearly over the top with some of his post game rants. However I find it ironic the example that Dillard gave after the Boise State game the team went on an 8 game winning streak after that.
Also agree not a great look for Dillard when everyone is questioning his toughness in Philly. If I wanted to be mean I would have responded to the tweet everyone should google "Andre Dillard crying". Reporters do not care but they are probably hurting Dillard more than they think, if Pedersen and the Philly GM read this given what they are already worried about with this player.
I'd like to see Leach's solid APR and graduation rates continue under Rolo. Also, the winning.
Leach = Bill Parcels.
You don't have to like him, but you have to respect his results, but its never a recipe for long term success. And sooner than later, everyone will begin to roll their eyes at his methods and he'll begin to lose respect and effectiveness, whether its from not beating Bama or something he says or tweets - yes, he'll have his own "Jap play" moment.
Oh, and Dillards a p***y, everybody thinks it. Fortunately for him he has enough talent to have people overlook that, but its going to cost him $$ in the long run.
You don't have to like him, but you have to respect his results, but its never a recipe for long term success. And sooner than later, everyone will begin to roll their eyes at his methods and he'll begin to lose respect and effectiveness, whether its from not beating Bama or something he says or tweets - yes, he'll have his own "Jap play" moment.
Oh, and Dillards a p***y, everybody thinks it. Fortunately for him he has enough talent to have people overlook that, but its going to cost him $$ in the long run.
There is not one person who played football in the South or Texas that did not play for a dictator coach ( a winning one at least). Actually do not even what the hell the alternative is .
Dillard obviously did not watch "Remember the Titans" > "This is not a democracy. This is a dictatorship. I am the law." -Coach Herman Boone
To each his own. I don't really fault Dillard or Leach.
When I went to MCRD almost two decades ago, our platoon drill instructors - a bunch of early PTSD head cases with combat deployments - were NJP'd for beating the sh-- out of recruits. When officers came knocking to investigate why kids were showing up to medical with black eyes and broken ribs and strangulation marks, we were coached to STFU. I was incredulous: why would anyone lie on behalf of his DIs so they could keep the beatings coming? Ultimately someone ratted; it wasn't me but I have to say the beatings created a dark prison camp feel that went beyond "breaking you down." It didn't even feel like we were on the same side. But when we got into the fleet, I was shocked to learn that a lot of my then-fellow E-1s and E-2s kind of enjoyed the dark atmosphere and were looking forward to "paying it forward" to junior marines once they hit NCO.
A little extreme as an anecdote, but my point is that everyone's experience - even when on the same team - is different, and also everyone processes it differently. I cannot wrap my head around who would have found that experience gratifying, just as Dillard probably cannot understand how Molton could find it encouraging to see coach taking shots at the boys in the media.
When I went to MCRD almost two decades ago, our platoon drill instructors - a bunch of early PTSD head cases with combat deployments - were NJP'd for beating the sh-- out of recruits. When officers came knocking to investigate why kids were showing up to medical with black eyes and broken ribs and strangulation marks, we were coached to STFU. I was incredulous: why would anyone lie on behalf of his DIs so they could keep the beatings coming? Ultimately someone ratted; it wasn't me but I have to say the beatings created a dark prison camp feel that went beyond "breaking you down." It didn't even feel like we were on the same side. But when we got into the fleet, I was shocked to learn that a lot of my then-fellow E-1s and E-2s kind of enjoyed the dark atmosphere and were looking forward to "paying it forward" to junior marines once they hit NCO.
A little extreme as an anecdote, but my point is that everyone's experience - even when on the same team - is different, and also everyone processes it differently. I cannot wrap my head around who would have found that experience gratifying, just as Dillard probably cannot understand how Molton could find it encouraging to see coach taking shots at the boys in the media.
Leach has always been an interesting guy. As said above the perfect person for that time frame. Not all that different than Walden during his time. Why Walden was perfect for the job is very different than why Leach was perfect for the job.
Leach is a guy who is very demanding and believes in repetition. The down side is after awhile the message gets stale, or the players are wanting something else.
I think some of the kids (and might explain why year 1 and 2 were his best years in terms of recruiting) simply got indifferent by what appeared to be indifference. The staff and Leach from some (and please read some and it is anecdotal) players and recruits want more of a connection that didn't seem for some to be there from the coaching staff. I think fans did too. They want passion about the AC for example.
The really interesting "thing" about Leach is he preaches mental toughness, he preaches about his difficulty with being PC, yet when confronted about his job he comes across as thin skinned.
I also believe players WANT to play for a guy who acts like a teammate. I watched Georgia under Mark Richt and now under Kirby Smart. If players were ever jacked on the sidelines under Richt, it was in spite of Richt, not because of him. Under Kirby, players are jacked every game and Kirby really gets emotional and into it. That's what players and fans want to see. It's not THE formula to winning, but in a competitive league where inches separate winners and losers, the charisma and the energy can be the extra 10% that pushes you over the goal line.
Well, Saban doesn't seem like a rah, rah master motivator type to me. He's been successful.
Leadership has to be genuine. A guy trying to be a cheerleader that's not a rah, rah guy comes off as phony. The worst thing you can be is phony.
On a similar note, the only real criticism of Gordon that I had last year was that he wasn't a natural leader. You watch GMII on the sidelines and everyone is like, "Hell Yeah!" and he's got them pumped up. In comparison, Gordon felt like Stuart Smalley going, "gosh darn it, we are good enough, smart enough and dog gone it....people like us!".
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Top-3 classes every year compensates for Saban’s lack of cheerleader-esque demeanor.
Just like in sales, leadership also comes in many different forms. In real estate you would think the most successful people are ones with dynamic personalities. I have met people where it is more interesting to watch paint dry than talk to them, but they are grinders and ultra successful. Those who pretend they are what they are not are bound for failure.
I was reading on a different site (not Brand X) that said that Jahad Woods response to Dillard's Interview was "Facts on Facts". Interestingly enough.....Jahad deleted his tweet in the meantime.
Yes, see my quote:
Also don't know that I agree that "fake energy" is worse than "no energy." Nor did I suggest faking energy (Kirby doesn't). IMO energy is the engine and scheme/execution is the transmission. My .02chipdouglas said:
