The word "coach" has been a title of respect. A college or high school coach has a great responsibility; he or she needs to remember that the sport is a part of a larger academic life for the student-athlete. The word "coach" should encompass the roles of educator, mentor, guidance counselor and manager of on-field duties.
With all the college football drama over the past month, between Mangino at Kansas, the Leach debacle and now Lane Kiffin at USC, it is sometimes very easy to forget how we are at Penn State.
The best example is last year when Illinois came a courtin' Larry Johnson Sr. Johnson turned down goobs of money to stay Penn State because of loyalty and love of true meaning of coaching
"I made a decision not based on monetary gain or status," Johnson told the Patriot-News. "The overriding factors were my loyalty to Penn State, my love for my players and my loyalty to their families that are already committed to me.
"I owe it to them to make a good decision, and I think I made the best one I could have made at this juncture in my career," he added.
Often, in college sports, succes is measured only in wins, whether it be in football, basketball, or even volleyball. As fans we forget that these are young men and women who are really just beginning their lives. We forget that equally important success in college sports is success off the field.
Luckily, as Penn Staters, we have coaches that have not forgotten that fact.
5 comments:
I am not a fan of JayPa - never have been - even when he was the State High quarterback...
My distain for JP has quelled over the years (more because of me than him). I've learned to control my gag reflex at the mention of his name - which is progress.
Penn State is a unique place (mostly thanks to Joe) and State College is a unique community - in the state (okay, commonwealth) and in the world. I just don't see "other" assistant coaches across the country taking upon themselves to *publish* their opinions as college football's moral compass - maybe they are - I just haven't seen it.
Jay Paterno is (and has been since the day he was born) the son of Penn State's head coach - and a very successful coach at that - one who has been able (some would say because he was at a school that didn't have a history) create a system and culture that promotes success in football along with success in life. I'm not saying that the guy doesn't work diligently or that his opinions are not valid - but he has been the beneficiary of some serious advantages in life - and he isn't my first choice for (anything) ambassador of the Grand Experiment.
I am not saying that he shouldn't be proud of the reputation and program that his father has put together - he should be, we all should be -
You're right in that most assistant coaches do a lot of talking, at least from what we have seen. But in those cases their Head Coach does. And rarely do we see JoePa talking.
I am not saying JoePa not talking is a bad thing. Just that we have a different way of doing things here it appears. And I would say it has been working for us.
great post, by the way.
I just don't understand why JP feels the need to publish. I guess he feels to stifled by the 140 characters on Twitter.
I agree with most of what is said in the article-but I am still not sold on Jay as a coach. I honestly do not know what part he has had in the offense's general revival since 2005.
I do wonder what will happen at PSU once Joe is gone from the scene. Most of the rest of college football is an ethical morass.
I am not sold on Jay as HC either. I would like to see him as sole OC first. But what I think most people have to admit, in the last few years, Jay has sort of grown up. And his comments about the state college football cannot be denied.
Post a Comment