Only Cowards Hide in Anonymity

I don’t often get comments to my blog. I treat it as a way to get some thoughts out there for the two or three people in the world that might be remotely interested in what I have to say. It’s my minuscule commentary and opinion on my minuscule part of the world. And because I don’t claim this blog to be anything but opinion, I don’t think people feel compelled to comment.

But I did get a comment last week. It was more like two comments, but by what I assume to be the same individual. I can’t say for sure if it was, because that individual didn’t say who he or she was. Personally, I find that cowardly and that's why they aren't posted. Maybe my opinions here are biased, maybe some people find them disagreeable, but at least I am brave enough to put my name on them. I’m not telling people out there what to think, but I do say what I think for good or bad. Either way, I’m brave enough to take a stand and sign my name to it whether people agree or not.

Part of the coward’s argument was that the best thing to happen to UVM football is that I was fired because, to paraphrase, my practices were a joke and that I think I’m the best coach that’s ever lived. He/she also goes on to argue that I lacked the respect of the players because of play calls and other things.

I’ll call him Mr. Coward, because I have no other name to go by and this one fits my current attitude toward him/her. I can only assume that Mr. Coward was a member of the 2007 team that was dissatisfied with my coaching style or game day decisions, or maybe I just got under his skin. Either way I don’t begrudge him his opinions, I just wonder why he was not man enough to identify himself.

That all being said, let me address the comments. I make no excuses for practices; they were what they were. I had, for the most part, an inexperienced staff and needed a practice format that we could all manage. My thanks to the captains of the team who really helped the practices run smoothly, but they needed to be the way they were so that I could oversee everything and make corrections where necessary.

As far as thinking I’m the best coach that’s ever lived, that’s just ridiculous. I’m a good coach, not a great coach or an exceptional coach, but a good one. I can say this because I have gained the respect of not only coaches I’ve coached under, but of coaches I’ve coached against. And I’ve overwhelmingly earned the respect of my players. Almost 75% of the 2007 team sent me emails thanking me for coaching and wishing me the best after they heard I was not coming back. I assume Mr. Coward was not among them.

Do I make mistakes? Every single day! Every practice and every game is a learning experience for any coach. That’s why I put so much time into preparation for each game and made sure each member of the team last year had a scouting report. I prepare and prepare and hope that the hard work is enough to see me coach a perfect game. I’ve still never coached a perfect game, so I know I’ll have to work even harder in the future.

Mr. Coward is upset, I guess, because he feels that I’m taking unwarranted shots at the new UVM coach, David Motherway, and perhaps the program as a whole. I can understand why he feels that way, so let me try to summarize my feeling briefly.

I love my players. Every player that’s ever played for me I feel is part of my family. And just like family’s, there can be good times and bad, agreements and disagreements, closeness and separation, but you’re still family.

I couldn’t care less that I was fired. Trust me, this isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last time. If the Club felt that I wasn’t the right person for the job, that’s their choice. That being said, I still want this program to succeed. There is a rare opportunity here to prove to the state and the university that football can thrive at UVM. It frustrates me that bad decisions were made after my departure that are retarding the development of a football culture.

While Coach Motherway and I have unresolved personal issues, I have no problem with him as a person. I do, however, think that UVM needs a coach with more experience. Otherwise, your stepping backward and calling it progress. A more experienced coach would have more wins this season. I'm confident I'd be 3-3 right now.

In conclusion I do want to apologize for being ill last week and not getting to mention the first win of 2008: and impressive 34-0 victory over a familiar foe, the Vermont Ravens. I was hoping that it would be a springboard for another victory over Bates College but alas, the Cats fell 38-0. I predicted three wins for 2008 and with two games to go, the Cats need to win both. I hope they do.