Good Cop Bad Cop

[Speedy Thomas]

(02-07-2022, 02:14 PM)pally Wrote: I read an interview, and for the life of me can't remember where, but the interviewer asked an offensive player, I believe was Isaiah Prince, about who was the "enforcer" in the locker room.  Who was the player who steps up and calls out transgressions, lack of attention, etc?  Kind of like the locker room Dad.  He said there were 2 players who took care of the locker room.  Jessie Bates, who will pull the player to the side and have a conversation.  The other player is DJ Reader who takes a more direct approach.  He walks across the locker room, using every bit of his size to stand in front of the player and calls him out in front of everybody, and tells him how it is going to be. Kind of a good cop bad cop situation. The player also pointed out that very seldomly does anyone need that kind of attention.  But, it made me think of what we lost when in one off-season, the team lost Andrew Whitworth, Domato Peko, and Cedric Peerman the 3 acknowledged locker room leaders.  I don't think this team had any leaders approaching that trio until this year.  And it is so important to have them especially on a team with so many young men on it

Pally, great point about losing Whit, Peko, and Peerman, and the effect off the field as well as on.  It has taken us till now to recover from that.

This morning I listened to Solly and Torry Holt ask Zac about how he will keep the players' focus amid all the distractions.  He said something like, "I can set a curfew but it's up to our captains to see that everyone stays focused."

This is a great approach to leading adults -- IF you have the right locker room.  Leaders the coaches can trust, players who are willing to follow them.  I once visited the Indiana University locker room back when they were winning national championships, and a sign on the wall has stayed with me:  "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."  Bob Knight and Zac might have dissimilar approaches, but share the same philosophy.

Regarding leadership style, you have to be yourself.  No one will follow a phony.  Bates and Reader sound like a great combination.