Part 3 Continued
Certainly, having the Ohio State
playing date written in red letters on the blackboard was an incentive and was
a clear group goal. No one had to say or even verbalize the importance of that
Ohio State game. It was simply understood. The expectation was great and the
consequences were clear and the outcome could only be provided by this group of
young men/ the team.
Bo understood this concept of
group/team cohesiveness. Bo himself had great teachers and he learned from the
best like Woody. Bo also surrounded himself with smart coaching minds and
valued their input. Serving in the U.S. military no doubt contributed to his
understanding of the dynamics of groups. Some people compare psychologically a
football team’s cohesiveness to being in a foxhole with a buddy, within your
company during battle with the enemy. Woody was a great field general and
understood historical battles and taught his protégé Bo well.
Bo also knew about human
learning, human development, group dynamics and motivation. He realized that
external and situational factors play a part and create motivations which
otherwise might not exist. He knew about focusing. He knew about expectations
and probability of reward/ reinforcement. Bo also was cognizant of the fact that
reinforcement (feedback) didn’t always have to be positive. In fact he knew
when to talk disparagingly to his young troops. He was smart enough to realize
that negative or critical feedback also works and influences behavior. He knew
who could take it and who couldn’t. Some like Brandstatter heard comments, from
the coaches, such as “you’re the worst tackle in the history of intercollegiate
sports; “and “We wasted a scholarship on you;”
Bo called Gusich “a candy ass.”
By the way, candy ass co-captain Gusich was called by his teammates “the
toughest dude on the team. “ When Bo told Keller “cut your hair.” Keller
responded “baldness runs in my family and I am keeping my hair as long as
possible.” Bo also said, according to
Seyferth something to the effect that, “I have the 10 worst players in college
football.”
Coach Schembechler’s assistant coaches
realized (on their own) that these young man required positive interactive
reinforcement. The assistant coaches knew that Bo was going to break the men down
(mental toughness), so that he could rebuild them to excel at the highest
level. Within this situation, of being
in a highly competitive big time Division 1 program, football players were
obedient and eagerly followed directions( of an authoritarian, no- nonsense
disciplinarian, tough- love father figure), the head coach during that era . In
spite of Bo being, on the field, critical, these assistant coaches also knew
that Bo was gentler with his young players, one-on-one, behind closed doors.
The assistant coaches also knew that Bo (warm and fuzzy as an assistant under
Woody) somewhat imitated Woody, when Bo became the man and ran his program.
It was okay with Bo that the
assistant coaches would be the good guys, gentle, personable, friendly warm,
who made football fun with their creative drills. Gary Moeller, for one, had
his defensive men doing end zone drills,
laughing-having a good time while Bo’s offense were doing their not so fun drills.
According to Frank Gusich, Dick Hunter was a good guy, and even fed Hunter’s
kids lunch during his junior and senior seasons. During a practice/scrimmage
session, Fritz Seyferth was discouraged by Bo’s criticism. However, assistant
coach Jerry Hanlon would come by and pat him on the back and say “you are doing
this right.” Did that ever sooth the wound.
To Be Continued
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