Go Sports Life

Another Orgeron rule: He was the only one allowed to make the actual offer.  At many other schools, the position coach or the area coach in charge of a certain recruiting turf could do it.  Orgeron adopted this MO from Pete Carroll.  This way, Orgeron said, his was the only butt on the line, and there were no political ties to any particular assistant coach to worry about when the player arrived.

Pg 14

Rippon: "He's got great balance.  His change of direction is the best we've seen."

Orgeron: "Good.  Listen up, everybody.  If you see something you like or something you don't like when we're watching, say it, loud and clear.  We can all learn from each other."

(Later, after the staff had left the war room, Orgeron explained that he really wanted to hear his coaches' observations.  He was still trying to get a read on their evaluation skills.  He said there was no one right answer or way to evaluate, but he felt pretty confident in his own eye, and he was just as interested to get a read on theirs.)

Pg 19

It didn't take Orgeron long to scope out the secret to Miami's success: talent.  Lots of talent.  Starters were understandably reluctant to come off the field in practice because they feared their understudies might never surrender the position again.

Pg 39

Jimmy Johnson was also never afraid to tell his coaches "No."  He didn't need to hear then-defensive line coach Butch Davis whine about why the Canes should take a certain prospect.  If Johnson didn't believe in his gut that the player could excel, he wouldn't bring him onto his team.  Period.  No way.  End of discussion.

Pg 40-41

Take Care of your position.  Come on, now.  I ain't bitchin' at you.  I'm just talking at you.

Pg 93

As a wunderkind coach- he'd been named head coach at the age of 27- Wilson had transformed hardscrabble O. Perry Walker High's football program in New Orleans into one of the state's great success stories.  He instituted mandatory study halls and pre-school breakfasts.  Players had to wear dress shirts and ties every day.  They had to sit in the front row of the classroom.  Wilson arranged for an academic counselor, who got paid through a grant funded by the NFL's Play It Smart program.  In one year, the team's GPA jumped from 1.5 to 2.5.  The team also gave John Curtis Christian its first district loss in 25 years.  By his third season, Wilson had the school playing in the state title game.

"Frank Wilson made all those kids believe that they could excel in football, the classroom, and as leaders," Louisiana state senator Francis Heitmeir said after Wilson's departure for Oxford.  "It was just remarkable what he did."

Pg 101

Energy is enthusiasm . . . enthusiasm breeds confidence . . . and confidence leads to winning.

Silence, conversely, creates lulls, and lulls make people passive. 

Pg 149

You bring the aspirin.  We bring the pain.

Pg 152

The motto in the Grove: "We may not win all the games, but we've never lost a party."

Pg 192

"Stick to the plan," Orgeron began, pounding the table.  "Be persistent.  I expect you out of the hotel by 7:00.  No sleeping in 'til 9:00.  I wanna hear, 'That coach told me he was going to be here at 8 o'clock and he was here at 7:50.'  That means a lot to me."

The No. 1 thing was attitude toward work, he said, but you got the impression that it was Nos. 2-10 as well.

Pg 229

Orgeron knew USC was the school he had to beat, but he shot straight and didn't try to discourage McKnight from considering the Trojans: "I will never say a bad word about USC.  I respect the program, and I respect Pete Carroll.  You will play there right away.  There is no doubt in my mind."

Pg 277

Can Robert Elliott take the demands of this program?  Is this the type of person I want running the football for me?  Does he have enough confidence?  Can he handle the SEC?  I mean, come on.  If a kid is worried about the depth chart or whoever you're recruiting- those are red flags."

Pg 280