Scenario - you are coach, kid is a bit wild

[Dark Energy]

Thinking about Ford Focus.

You are a D1 coach.  You have a guy or two on your team that has a big personality and is embracing social media.  Can tell he isn’t the super focused athlete.  Likes to divert.  Likes to have what he calls fun.  See / hear about some stupid / weird / stuff you’d rather wasn’t happening but not illegal.  Perhaps guy is working NIL — building a brand to make $$$$.  
 

couple questions … What do you do?  

Did Coach Smith handle Ford Focus correctly ahead of the blow ups?

 

[olddirty]

Seems like you are projecting your own personality that is low key, humble, and straight edge.  You have to remember, not all people are like that.  That being said, a wrestler might be trying to build his own brand, but as a coach, you are building your own brand for your team as well.

[ionel]

4 hours ago, Dark Energy said:

Did Coach Smith handle Ford Focus correctly ahead of the blow ups?

 

Be hard for any to answer that as I doubt any on here really know exactly what all they were doing to handle him, some might surprise you.

[Dark Energy]

18 hours ago, olddirty said:

Seems like you are projecting your own personality that is low key, humble, and straight edge.  You have to remember, not all people are like that.  That being said, a wrestler might be trying to build his own brand, but as a coach, you are building your own brand for your team as well.

Perhaps.  I propose that a wrestler like RBY is pretty active on social media.  Has a personality.   But does things differently from Ford Focus. There are likely other examples.  

This is hindsight but .. if 2 years ago I said that between Ford Focus and RBY one of them is going to do really freaking stupid and bad things, get in trouble with law, nearly kill someone and themselves, and get removed from team.  Which would you have picked?  Why?

I propose you would pick Ford Focus based on other antics you’ve seen.  
 

When a coach sees antics that would make one think this guy risks getting in trouble - what do you do?

 

[PotentiallyDan]

You weigh the risk vs the reward and try to delicately manage it.  Coach Smith did a fine job the first year with Ford Focus, most college wrestling fans didn't even know who he was until the Championships when he had the bizarre interview.  Year 2 is when JS had his work cut out and it appears from afar, he was not up to the task, but he unquestionably did a great job year 1 and Focus happened to break the longest individual champion streak in Oklahoma State history.  

This is more a function of Farrari being an egotistical POS whose head swelled too fast following his year 1 success, and I suspect it was multiplied by the current age of social media + NIL bootlickers.  John Smith has done enough good to not be taken down by a narcissist like Ford Focus.  

[Dark Energy]

I don’t want to imply Smith did wrong.  I see this as a very tough situation.  
 

Would one of us lock down a national champ?  Don’t think so.  

But perhaps there is a smart way.  Regular discussions? Some help from rest of school?  Expectation setting?  Advice on things to watch out for?

Tough one.  Want to protect the team and brand, and the wrestler …. While also not wanting to squelch some individuality.  Still, at some point — do the warning signs build up … and require intervention.  No idea if those signs were clear / present with Ford Focus before all went to hell.

[ionel]

16 minutes ago, Dark Energy said:

I don’t want to imply Smith did wrong.  I see this as a very tough situation.  
 

Would one of us lock down a national champ?  Don’t think so.  

But perhaps there is a smart way.  Regular discussions? Some help from rest of school?  Expectation setting?  Advice on things to watch out for?

Tough one.  Want to protect the team and brand, and the wrestler …. While also not wanting to squelch some individuality.  Still, at some point — do the warning signs build up … and require intervention.  No idea if those signs were clear / present with Ford Focus before all went to hell.

Again, you don't know what they were doing ... 

Look at the dad and all will be clear ...

[bnwtwg]

2 minutes ago, ionel said:

Again, you don't know what they were doing ... 

Look at the dad and all will be clear ...

Well spill the beans instead of hiding behind veiled walls or no one will take your counter-argument as valid. What were "they" doing?

[ionel]

4 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

Well spill the beans instead of hiding behind veiled walls or no one will take your counter-argument as valid. What were "they" doing?

Not for forum fodder. 

[Formally140]

I don’t think people always totally get how much of this stuff has not been uncommon but is now widely available public knowledge because of social media. 
 

Im sure Smith and them tried to handle in house. The way many college coaches have handled issues in the past.. But there’s only so much you can do. Especially when the athletes.. “support system” seems to not discourage the behaviors he was exhibiting. 
 

I actually think if he hadn’t gotten in trouble he’d have still left Oklahoma State. Again, there’s only so much the coach can do now a days

[bnwtwg]

3 hours ago, ionel said:

Not for forum fodder. 

"I can't tell you, just trust me."

Right up there with "My girlfriend is from Canada, you wouldn't know her."

[ionel]

54 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

"I can't tell you, just trust me."

Right up there with "My girlfriend is from Canada, you wouldn't know her."

My Italian girl friend (knows grandpa Ferrari) told me, swore me to secrecy or else.  We all understand "or else" correct? 

[mspart]

I'm not ascared of Guido.  

I think the coach sees the behavior, even if National champ, and sits down and has an honest discussion about the way things are going to work.   He has the option of towing the line or moving on.   Period.

mspart