Great Read On Coach Huff and Marshall Football
- Thread starter MU PIKE
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His agent writes a nice article, but I guess no NIL money from A-Z rental.
One of the best articles I have read in some time. Really not very flattering of how Doc handled things. Glad Huff is here for the time being. Players seem to really like this staff. I know Owen does - tremendously.
Now it’s clear why he looks confused on day day. Spent all his time BSing w the players
I think good things lie ahead for Marshall University. Brad Smith is a brilliant person who will move this University in a positive direction and Christian Spears and Coach Huff are both forces that are making things happen. Pretty exciting to see what lies ahead in the next couple of years.
It's pretty clear from the players that they enjoy playing for Huff more than the previous staff. Their words.
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In todays player/coach/transfer portal dynamic it means a lot.I would say it’s better to have that then not. I had numerous personal interactions with the last coach and he was an ass. Also easy to lose a team when no one likes you And some losses pile up.
We heard from what? A couple players in this article? Just like with any coach you'll find people that love them, like them, neutral, or dislike them.
Great Huff is a "players' coach" let's see if that turns into a championship. Evidence thus far does not point to that.
Great Huff is a "players' coach" let's see if that turns into a championship. Evidence thus far does not point to that.
We haven't had the issues we had under the previous staff. I will take that as a huge positive.
Building a culture and a real TEAM take time. Trusting the guy in the head office is critical for teams to be successful. Last season could have really finished very ugly, following the BG debacle. However, you saw the guys learn to refocus and come together as a team, finishing the year strong...which would have never happened under the previous system. I think this season is a turning point for the program.
It was an article. What did you want a team "poll"?? Christ, if you cant take the word of your team leaders/captains as there being a positive change, who can you listen to. You doubt the word of 5 year captains???
You think coming in as a new head coach, it's not important to build trust and continuity with your players? There were clear issues with trust, poor communication, and apparently limited interactions with the players from the last head coach. That should be obvious. Things, some of us pointed out continually on here. The Captains in the article are telling you that.
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Great post and well said.
Surely you don't wish for the staff and program to fail. I doubt you do but .........
No I don’t hope they fail an open door policy imo doesn’t do much. Familiarity breeds contempt. I’d rather see the HC spending those hours with the AC reviewing game film. Making players better putting them in better position to win
Just couldn't wait to try to trash Doc when there's no mention of him, actually, mentions of other head coaches directly.
We both know what the players were saying and insinuating. Not gonna draw this out. Every coach we've ever had did both good things, and not so good.
Who were the captains’s (who played under John) speaking about?
The change of things is seen all the time with anyone new coming in.
Yeah, they referred to the idea of the head coach's office door being open as a new, good thing.
I'm sure they'd object if he were suddenly fired, like other players did with the previous regime.
Doesn't mean the players are going to be angels either.
Didn't Doc create the annual run to the cemetery where the team would gather and learn about the history of the program? That was a refreshing thing to see and hadn't been done before.
I don't care if the HC is as friendly as a golden retriever or as big a douchebag as ever...if he can coach a team to win, that's what matters, as you have successful coaches in other programs who fit one or the other.
Everyone allowed themselves to get distracted by the smoke and mirrors show of Dan's public persona and now we're stuck with him for 3 more years.
This is a stupid take.
You should care. The HC is ultimately your CEO of the program. Valuable off the field interactions with players and staff are completely necessary. You've got to be solid in both aspects (off field and on the field) to ultimately be successful. A "douchebag" doesn't get the job done. A douchebag builds contempt and distrust. Open door communication inside the building builds trust. It builds culture of a program. It sets a high standard and consistent expectations.
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I will say this, college bball has and always will be one of the dirtiest behind the scenes sports in 🇺🇸. Have you ever been a part of AAU community at a high level of highschool bball? It's dirty and most good bball coaches are sleazy scumbags. Trust me when I say that there are alot of "douchebags" out there "getting the job done" as someone so eloquently put it. 3rd party back room deals have been going on for decades and now it's worse. Only thing that matters is winning, with the portal I am not even sure if it matters to graduate kids now. Lol, only half joking.
It is great to be a good person and I hope all our coaches amd players truly are great people. But the only thing that matters anymore is winning. Do what it takes to win championships, because loyalty and love for your school is dead with coaches and athletes. Its all about the almighty dollar and that is where we are in college sports.
I’m not sure what AAU basketball and an MU football coach have in common…but….ok???
Funny how you use the term CEO then completely gloss over what a CEO is.
Boardrooms aren't going to have a first order of business asking, "What about the feelings of others?"
It's going to be, "How do we maximize the profit of our company?"
I can't name many coaches who I would consider friendly, or at least act the way you describe, who have truly won consistently in the manner of expectations of the fans, but the successful ones, like Saban, are absolutely NOT the type you're hoping for.
Dabo even said something along the lines of players shouldn't be paid a dime because of what they already get. That sounds more like Bezos than a mom and pop shop owner.
Sure, plenty of players would say how great and supportive Saban is. Many stand by Doc as well, and many will stand with Huff.
But they have equal parts of critics and people who regret or disliked the coach/program. Hence why plenty leave/transfer...not the sole reason, obviously.
You're seeing it happen before your eyes.
Do you really think Texas and Oklahoma care about their Big 12 conference mates?
They just potentially ended decades long rivalries for a paycheck, and that's what the coaches have to do as well.
Many fans are pissed but this has been going on for a decade and it's happening more and more, not less.
Huff is a great person, but his demeanor is that of a small business owner over a CEO. He's friendly and approachable because he has a small net cast in a medium sized pond. That's fine, just don't complain about anything less than a NY6 Bowl or being left out of the CFP, because the very select few who can make those happen, are about business.
Players leaving programs for the largest NIL they can find vs. a Saban or Dabo type who doesn't have time to directly deal with a player because he's reviewing game film...
Tell me the difference.
He's saying in the world of competitive HS basketball (and all high level sports) it's very cut throat. It's the Wild West.
Coaches are not afraid to make 100 student athlete enemies to find one who'll win them 3 more games than the previous season.
The same in football and I don't doubt coaches purposely remove players off the board under the guide of playing time, just to prevent another team from acquiring said player, who would actually get playing time.
It's like you've only watched interviews of Saban after a game talking to the press. Watch interviews with him speaking with former players and coaches. Watch him interact with players at his home during the pre or off season. He's an ass on the field. As he should be. As Huff is. But off the field, away from cameras they are different.
As someone that runs a small business it sounds like any business owner who already pays their employees to work. That doesn't make them a "douchebag".
Did I ever say that was the case. Did I ever say a CEO isn't responsible for profits? NOPE. But a CEO/Football coach has a responsibility for setting the mindset, culture, and direction for the company/program. Thats ultimately established through consistent, honest, straight forward communication and collaboration with a focus on building high performing teams.
Marshall now has a President that was a CEO of a fortune 500. You might want to read up on Brad's style of leadership and why he was as successful as he was at Intuit. "Douchebag" wasn't a part of his style. True leadership of people never is.
That is the difference.
I like Brad Smith, and being a former CEO is a good thing for MU, but don't think he won't do what's best for MU, even if you disagree.
I also doubt MU is his final stop in life.
CEO/HC is responsible for profits, and those that know this, are going to maximize the ability to produce. In most cases, it's winning.
Assembling a football team every season, costs lots of money, and in the end, it's about winning.
If you can't win, you can't stay.
Doesn't matter if you're a nice guy. The school can't afford to have you.
I'm not faulting Huff for being nice, I'm saying the true separation from his mindset from those like Saban or truly elite coaches, is (among many, many other cognitive factors) he isn't going to be willing to do what it takes to move his program to the next level and remain there for a consistent amount of time.
If you want a "gee golly gosh darn good guy" with no real wins head coach, hop on Dan's bandwagon.
Why would I disagree? I've said nothing that disagrees with "Brad doing whats best for MU".
Just pointing out your suggestion that to be a winner and successful, doesnt need a douchebag mentality. In fact, for longevity of building a respected program, being a douchebag off the field is a liability for the success you want.
Irrelevant to the conversation we were having.
Duuuuhhhhhhhhhhh!
We shall see what this year brings. Year 3 is critical for seeing how he has built his program with his players. No one fully knows yet. The fact that he beat ND and led the team to finish the season strong last year demonstrates to me, he is moving us in the right direction.
Beyond the fact that the article posted, nor did I ever allude to Huff being that kind of coach; you're trying way too hard here. Nothing even remotely points to Huff being like that. It appears his players have his respect. Having an open-door policy with players appears to have gone a long way in building that respect and trust. That in itself is a step towards improvement over prior years under John.
For the record, I believe Dan should have been let go. Again, not sure what MU BB had to do with this thread.
The disagreeing in reference to Brad Smith was more akin to he doing something for MU that people may not agree with. Say he takes over and levels an old historic building to make way for a new academic area, some people would complain. They did when MU bought the Veterans Field House and turned it into a soccer field.
To the bulk of what you're saying, you're basing this whole premise on some form of longevity.
Huff ain't gonna be here long, in fact, when his name was floated in potential P5 hires, everyone in here lost their minds and reminded themselves he wasn't a terribly good coach, pointing out his blunders, and he's had a few...in his 2nd year.
He, like all coaches, have their own personal agenda...they'll defend their programs to the death, but are also the first out of town when the NCAA hits them with violations.
I doubt Huff is going to be any different, and I am fine with that, as long as everyone is aware.
You may not have to be a total douchebag to be successful, but the ones I constantly see I winning, are.
It's good to have cohesion on a team, but that doesn't always translate into wins. Huff is really going to be the reason the team loses if they are as unified to listen to him as you claim.
Oh, and Dan needs let go. We can agree on that.
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You’re rambling incoherently now and just flat out making shit up. We get it though. You’re a fan of John.
Ah, well, you could just wave a white flag.
Sorry, the old people like you can't keep up.
No reason to wave a flag just because your mommy forgot to give you, your ADHD meds.
"wave the white flag", "take you out to pasture"??
Who is supposed to be "old" here? hahaha
Had to update the language so you could understand.
Cause bruh, doubt you could decipher what is said today in regards to communication fr.
What language did you update? It appears you deleted your response last night and weren't capable of even finishing this sentence correctly today. Keep trying. One of these days you'll make sense.
Deleted it because it was too mean to you.
But then again, I am dealing with someone who's pinnacle of life and success is flexing on a fan forum.
