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Mark Whipple is a dick

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Most college coaches are dicks. Just the nature of the game. Overwhelming majority are alpha males and egomaniacs.

The smilin' mike approach rarely works.

I feel there are similarities to high-level athletics and the military. Most military leaders are not "nice" and come off as dicks. Need a certain level of discipline, toughness and stress to rub off on the troops or players to be ready to perform.

The opponent or enemy senses the softness and eats the beta-fish lunch.

I think most of us like to believe that these coaches are "good" or "nice" guys and it's just not reality.
 
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Most college coaches are dicks. Just the nature of the game. Overwhelming majority are alpha males and egomaniacs.

The smilin' mike approach rarely works.

I feel there are similarities to high-level athletics and the military. Most military leaders are not "nice" and come off as dicks. Need a certain level of discipline, toughness and stress to rub off on the troops or players to be ready to perform.

The opponent or enemy senses the softness and eats the beta-fish lunch.

I think most of us like to believe that these coaches are "good" or "nice" guys and it's just not reality.
Saban is probably the biggest dick of them all.
 
People have to operate on their own frequency. Whipple was probably trying to shave his hard edges off given his new situation. But if that ain't working for him, he should definitely go back to his more direct ways. Is isn't abusive the tell a kid he's screwing up.
Mickey has no problem getting a kid's attention with a little direct language. Busch gives constant verbal feedback, both positive and negative. Whatever, they are doing now is better than what was happening a few weeks ago.
 
I'll explain it to you. You don't have to be a dick to get results. TO > MW.
Class dismissed.
Make no mistake, Tom could cut guys to the core with one stern well contrived remark. Guys I knew on the team said you didn’t want to incur the rath of “the redhead”.
Tom had a helluva temper. He just didn’t show it much in public
 
Tom Osborne maintained that in part by having others on staff be a dick for him, from what I have heard.

Regardless, whatever works. Different approaches for different coaches. Just win, baby.
I addition to this, TO was not high fiving his players and chatting about their favorite video games. He was very non-approachable. Many players have said if he called out their name, they tensed up. That may not be “being a dick”, but it wasn’t the slap ass buddy system that has been occurring the past several years.
 
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I addition to this, TO was not high fiving his players and chatting about their favorite video games. He was very non-approachable. Many players have said if he called out their name, they tensed up. That may not be “being a dick”, but it wasn’t the slap ass buddy system that has been occurring the past several years.
Hmm, I talked to guys who played for TO and none ever said anything about him being "non-approachable". Where did that come from?

I was in an elevator with TO and another time at a freshman game and he always struck up the conversation. I spoke with him at length when he came to watch Berringer play basketball.
 
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Hmm, I talked to guys who played for TO and none ever said anything about him being "non-approachable". Where did that come from?

I was in an elevator with TO and another time at a freshman game and he always struck up the conversation. I spoke with him at length when he came to watch Berringer play basketball.
A few players that played in the late 80’s. They were all non skill position players, so not sure if that was the difference. They all said when he called out your name, they tensed up because he usually called you out if you were messing up. If they met him in the hallway, he’d walk right by and not say a thing. Not a dick, but not a buddy.

I heard an interview with Matt Davidson and he was asked what TO said after the miracle catch in Columbus. He walked past TO in the front of the bus and shortly after he sat down, Tom said, “Matt - nice catch”. Not a dick, but not a buddy.

I do agree with you that he is very cordial at public events.
 
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