Teaching or yelling?

[Green Phin]

I was reading an article of Peter King on coach Bill Walsh and he quotes a foreword Walsh wrote for book that King wrote. "Owners wanted someone who'd yell and scream and whip their players into submission, but I don't believe that's how to coach. I think you have to treat players intelligently. Sometimes you have to threaten players, and discipline them, and yell at them. But my approach is to teach, because players need to be prepared mentally to play the sophisticated football of the nineties."

The controversy between yelling coaches (aka disciplinarians) and teaching coaches (aka player coaches) is still on today, as we can see in a difference of styles between our previous coach (Manny Wright incident) and our current one. When I played sports I always preferred someone who explained to me why we were doing this or that than someone who just ordered me to do something.

So here goes my question. Since both styles have proven they can win, which one you prefer?

 

[finsforce]

Saban? Yelled. Cameron? Teaches.

 

[TarHeelFinFan]

Wanny was a "player's coach"

 

[DearbornDolfan]

Hell, Saban always struck me as being more Drill Sergeant than most Drill Sergeants. His entire manner was like that. Even the Army nowadays tries to keep the yelling to a necessary minimum and focuses on teaching its soldiers. If the Army's doing that, maybe the NFL should get a clue (well, Cam already has one, but there are still a lot of yellers around.)

 

[SouthFlorida23]

Yelling...

 

[Geforce]

The situation should dictate the coach's behavior.

You should teach a player until he knows what he is doing and/or gets his techniques down. Even then you should continue to teach him.

You should yell at a player if you cannot get through to him any other way. You can only yell so much before players start to tune it out and it loses its effectiveness.

 

[phinphan11]

Teaching = Respect
Yelling = Disrespect

 

[#1dolphinsfan]

if teaching the will listen to u better

 

[3Ply Stagliano]

I went for 'teaching' but that doesn't mean someone can't be a bit of a disciplinarian at the same time. If a coach is quiet, he can still let people know they can't just walk over them. A thoughtful coach with a bit of a backbone, who lets the players know where they stand and what they want from them is best, in my opinion.

 

[Kinzua]

Teaching = Respect
Yelling = Disrespect

Exactly. More to the point, you don't have to yell in order to be a "disciplinarian". Yelling and treating players like doodoo makes them "think" so that they concentrate on not making mistakes that will get them singled out for a tongue lashing -- but what they really need to do to be successful is to do things instinctively without "thinking". That extra split second it takes to "think" means a missed tackle or a dropped pass or a "wiggle" that brings a flag.

The Giants last year were the poster boys for a team that fell apart because their "disciplinarian" coach made too many players undisciplined. The lack of progress of many of Miami's younger players under Saban also indicates that his style of coaching wasn't effective.

BTW, I don't think Wannstedt's problems were his coaching style. His problems stemmed from his personnel decisions. If Miami had truly split the GM/HC positions and not allowed Wannstedt and Saban to run the personnel side, I think Miami would have more talent today.

 

[madisonfan90]

Teaching is obviously the better option. Look at last year with Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy both being successful.

 

[PhinGeneral]

It depends on the type of players you have and what is needed to get through to them.

Some of the great coaches of our time (Lombardi, Parcells, Shula) were yellers. But they also knew when to do it and when to compliment the players. Players won't like it, but they'll accept the yelling if they respect the coach and the ends justifies the means.

 

[Stoobz]

Wanny was a "player's coach"

Wanny was also generally clueless :unsure:

 

[Green Phin]

Wanny was a "player's coach"

True, but Wanny didn't know how to teach. I still can't believe Pitt hired him. Maybe he can recruit.

Fortunately we got Butch Davis. Now, at least my UM friends will talk college football with me

 

[cheyannefan]

I dont think yelling (disciplinarians) can work in todays game. The best coach is a coach that can be a little bit of both. You have to teach the players and discipline them. Saban didn't teach and look what he did. Bill Parcells was a great coach in the past but in Dallas he didn't fare well. Its a different game now and you have to be able to teach and get on a players *** when needed.