Charlie Strong's expectations of Texas players

[BaytownHusker]

How many coaches run it like this? Pelini would get bashed if he tried to.

 

Strong expectations:

 

• Players will attend all of their classes and sit in the front two rows of all of their classes. GAs, academic folks, position coaches will be checking constantly now.
  
• No headphones in class. No texting in class. Sit up and take notes.
  
• If a player misses a class, he runs until it hurts. If he misses two classes, his entire position unit runs. If he misses three, the position coach runs. The position coaches don't want to run.
  
• No earrings in the football building. No drugs. No stealing. No guns. Treat women with respect.
  
• Players may not live off campus anymore, unless they're a senior who hits certain academic standards. The University will buy out the leases for every player currently living off campus and put them in the athletic dorm.
  
• The team will all live together, eat together, suffer together, and hang out together. They will become a true team and learn to impose accountability on each other. The cliques are over.
  
• There's no time for a rebuild. "I don't have time for that." The expectation is that Texas wins now.
  
• Players will learn that they would rather practice than milk a minor injury.
  
• The focus is on winning and graduating. Anything extraneous to that is a distraction and will be stamped out or removed.
  
• Strong met individually with seniors and key leaders and re-emphasized that the plan is to win now. They can lead the new culture or be run over by it.
  
• "I don't want to talk about things. I'd rather do things. We just talked. Now it's time to do."
  

Edited January 15, 2014 by knapplc
thread title edited for clarity

[Count 'Bility]

Bo cant do anything right, 1st of all

 

2nd, I like it. But the issue I see him running into with this if he actually follows it, is that players are simply not gonna wanna play for something like that. Top caliber players are treated like rock stars in the recruiting process. I doubt they would wanna take part in something so strict. It's unfortunate, but the good ole days are over.

[Decked]

I'm confused.. Why would Bo get bashed for this? That he has expectations for his athletes to succeed in the classroom and life as well?

[BigRedBuster]

I'm confused...where did this come from?

[NUpolo8]

I'm confused...where did this come from?

 

This is purportedly what Charlie Strong is implementing at UT.

 

And just for my own record keeping, has the argument shifted away from "Bo deserves a pass because he's making men out of boys and preparing them...."? Because this sounds exactly like what some would like here.

[STL Husker]

Yeah, I find the Pelini comment to be pointless. The only thing I don't agree with is mandating that players live on campus. Although it can be a distraction, part of the college experience is learning to live on your own. And how much money will they be wasting on the buyout of leases?

[NUpolo8]

Yeah, I find the Pelini comment to be pointless. The only thing I don't agree with is mandating that players live on campus. Although it can be a distraction, part of the college experience is learning to live on your own. And how much money will they be wasting on the buyout of leases?

 

Well, that money will obviously be "re-allocated" somewhere else.

[knapplc]

Wonder if the university buying out leases would count toward the NCAA's nebulous "benefits" rules.

[Enhance]

I'm confused...where did this come from?

It looks like these are Charlie Strong's expectations for Texas football.

 

If that's the case, and with such little context, it's tough to really judge this list; but, I'm going to anyways. Face value - some of that list is reasonable, but A LOT of it sounds over-bearing and slightly maniacal. No earrings - really? I'm not a fan of them, but they're only earrings. What, no flat billed hats anymore either?

 

And what about a key word in there - "suffer." When did football change from a violent and physically demanding sport to one that's supposed to make you suffer? The line about injuries is confusing, too. What constitutes a minor injury and wouldn't this now force a player to reconsider sitting out practice, when perhaps they should?

 

I know the pressure is on Strong to win but if I were a player and looked at this list, all I would think is that he's trying to take away the fun of the sport. I think Texas needed more accountability in it's program but some of this... woah.

[NUpolo8]

Wonder if the university buying out leases would count toward the NCAA's nebulous "benefits" rules.

 

No more than a university allocating x amount of dollars for a scholarship athlete to live somewhere off campus, then that athlete finding the cheapest rents possible and pocketing the difference....

[StPaulHusker]

The only clear reason I see to implement this type of expectation is because it didn't exist with the previous coach. Which might be why he is no longer the coach.

[teachercd]

Some of it is cool...some is a waste.

 

Things that are kind of worthless

1. No earrings...That seems old school for the sake of being old school. I don't hate it but I would not care enough to enforce it.

2. Sitting in the front two rows at class. Not sure if there is really a point to this one but I get it.

3. Not living off campus. This one bugs me the most, some kids want to live off campus, they want their own space.

[Landlord]

I am reminded of Turner Gill's overbearing rules when he started at Kansas as the hot new hire - no cell phones, no girls, etc. Didn't work out well for him.

 

I appreciate and commend the perspective and the intent, but the execution seems overbearing and counter-productive. Time will tell.

 

 

 

 

Wonder if the university buying out leases would count toward the NCAA's nebulous "benefits" rules.

 

No more than a university allocating x amount of dollars for a scholarship athlete to live somewhere off campus, then that athlete finding the cheapest rents possible and pocketing the difference....

 

 

This was the big thing that jumped out to me. Rent in a cheap off-campus house split a few ways amounts to significantly less money than room and board, but the scholarship covers that exact amount. These players are used to pocketing hundreds of dollars per month not having to pay that difference - they aren't going to be happy.

[StPaulHusker]

I am reminded of Turner Gill's overbearing rules when he started at Kansas as the hot new hire - no cell phones, no girls, etc. Didn't work out well for him.

 

I appreciate and commend the perspective and the intent, but the execution seems overbearing and counter-productive. Time will tell.

 

 

 

 

Wonder if the university buying out leases would count toward the NCAA's nebulous "benefits" rules.

 

No more than a university allocating x amount of dollars for a scholarship athlete to live somewhere off campus, then that athlete finding the cheapest rents possible and pocketing the difference....

 

 

This was the big thing that jumped out to me. Rent in a cheap off-campus house split a few ways amounts to significantly less money than room and board, but the scholarship covers that exact amount. These players are used to pocketing hundreds of dollars per month not having to pay that difference - they aren't going to be happy.

Then they won't be able to afford their full arm sleeve tattoos at age 18 either. Bummer.

[Ulty]

• Players will learn that they would rather practice than milk a minor injury.
  

 

Most of this looks good, but what does this mean? Who decides what a "minor injury" is? Will injured players be belittled and forced to tough it out? Will concussion victims be locked in Mike Leach's supply closet?