Remember this Titan

by Steve Sullivan

  Were the Titans superhuman kids? Far from it. If you took a look at the rosters you would see that we were smaller than many of the teams we played. There is nothing novel in a smaller team dominating a bigger team. We did it in Virginia but I can tell you, it happens everywhere.

  It was a dream season. The Titans had come a long way. We set a goal and achieved it. I decided it was time to move on. For me it didn’t matter that I wasn’t moving up. I’d never had much of an ego. Great expectations were for Pip. When you start life in a cotton field you don’t look beyond getting promoted to the watermelon patch.

  Even though I was coaching at T. C. Williams I was still teaching at Hammond. They had a J.V. team and that was fine. I knew the players and they were great. If I could help them achieve something that would be enough. I’ve always believed the earlier you impact a kid the more you can do for them. I think the guys who coach Pop Warner understand the concept. I left.

  I don’t know how Herman Boone took my resignation. On the one hand I’m sure he was disappointed to lose an effective coach, on the other, he recognized we were very different people. Our philosophy and style of coaching were often at odds. In the course of getting through the season there were numerous times when conflict came to Titanville. I’m an easy-going guy and I’ve always believed that it helps if you ride a horse in the direction it’s going. Herman was going his way and I decided to go mine.

  I took my program home. Glenn Furman made a decision to go with me. We had been together for years and fit like a banana and peel. The venue would be smaller but that didn’t matter. The kids would be the same. Our personalities were a compliment. In some ways Glenn was my alter ego. I was quiet and he was loud. I was methodical and Furman was impulsive. I was a lava lamp and Glenn was Quasar. Between the two of us we covered the spectrum. I provided the ambiance and Furman lit the fire. I guess it worked. Over the next few years, coaching everything, our program went 64-1. We had a thirty-eight game winning streak.

  One day I was told Hammond would shrink again. Football would be replaced by hopscotch. The next day my phone rang. I picked it up. It was Boone. He was mellow. I figured he’d popped a Prozac. An invitation was extended. If you’re a coach you need a team. I said yes and so did Glenn. We became Titans once more. The year was 1974. In 1980 I left to assist a friend in getting a program started. It worked.

  Two years later Herman retired. Two years after that Glenn Furman was given the Titan head coach job. He’d earned it. He called and asked if I would help. He knew the answer. A role reversal was taking a place and what a compliment. There is no greater satisfaction than knowing that someone you mentored is now better than you. When they want you to be a part of their future it punctuates the point that he or she valued what you gave them.

  Glenn Furman inherited a losing program. He turned it around in one year. Over the next ten seasons the “Furman Assault Force” went 96-21-2 and won eight district titles, four regional titles and two state championships. In 1984 they were 14-0 and were ranked third in the nation by USA Today. They were also picked as the Metropolitan Team of the Decade. In 1985 they were the state runner-up. In 1987 they produced another 14-0 season and were ranked 7th in the nation. Furman was selected as the Washington Metropolitan Coach of the Year three times. He was a Virginia coach of the year and voted into the Fairfax County Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

  At the end, I watched with great pride. Three decades earlier I had taken a brash twenty-year-old biology teacher with a big heart, loud mouth, and marginal judgment and gave him a chance. Thirty years later Glenn Furman had become a star.

  NO MAGIC

  There is a saying, “know thyself.” When you know yourself you can be yourself. When you don’t know who you are you might try to be someone else. In the coaching business and life it never works. I didn’t always know who I was. I didn’t know being myself was important. Early on in my coaching career I wanted to be like Lombardi. I wanted to be rough and tough. I wanted to intimidate. Then I read an article about a well-known coach. In this exposé, he was described as “punishing, intimidating, and explosive.” You had to feel sympathy for the players. His dictatorial style got results but at what expense? Did he win because of what he did or in spite of it? I knew the answer. I also understood the association between how you are treated and what you become.

  It’s incredible in this era of enlightenment how many people haven’t gotten the word. There are those that still believe a bullying style of leading is conducive to producing results. The failure of countless teams where a despot called the plays would indicate otherwise.

  After that article I recognized I could never be that kind of coach and it didn’t matter because results could be achieved other ways. Sure Lombardi was great but so was Susan Jones and she was quiet and soft spoken. When Susan was around you might not notice. There was no huffing and puffing, no threats and no fists in the face. She didn’t wear jackboots and a spiked helmet. But that didn’t mean her plan wasn’t solid. She just found a different way to implement it. I suspect if Vince attempted to ride his personality horse in the opposite direction I wouldn’t be mentioning him now.

  I might as well stop here and tell you I am a student of history. I read a great deal and pay attention to what others have done in getting followers to higher levels of accomplishment. There is nothing cryptic in a leader-follower relationship. The things that motivated players a thousand years ago are appropriate today. Have you ever read the techniques that got Solomon through a tough day? They weren’t much different than what Knute Rockne used to bring it home for the Gipper. Because coaching and leading have so many parallels, when I refer to a coach I could just as easily say leader.

  There are those that have complicated the process of coaching. I’ve been to the clinics. I’ve heard the speeches. I’ve invested in the literature. Some of it has been excellent and much of it hasn’t. Whenever I find myself disagreeing with the input, I recognize it is because the expert has elevated form over substance.

  They seem to discount the part emotion plays in winning and losing. They’ve captured the science of getting a strategy down but have left out the art of getting a player up. Formulas don’t win games but minds do. Coaches that lose have players that say, “I can’t” and those that win have players that say, “I must.”

  This doesn’t happen by accident and it may take a few years of fits and starts to get the recipe right. I believe there are countless things that get a team into the victory circle and the vast majority of them having nothing to do with you.

  There was a time when I was a “hands on” guy. If things were going to happen I would have to be involved. The responsibility for the team was mine so it didn’t seem unreasonable to hold the bridle tight. I don’t remember if it was by accident or design but at some point when I loosened up, things improved. A light ignited.

  I figured out my job, as the leader, was not to dominate the situation, but rather facilitate the process. In coaching, just as in the universe, there is a natural order of things. Much about coaching is letting the process evolve on its own. Too many cooks spoil the soup and too much instruction can ruin a kid. I once drew a parallel between coaching and surveying. My job was to establish the operational boundaries. As a player you had leeway as long as you met my performance criteria:

  ♦ You will show up on time.

  ♦ You will work hard.

  ♦ You will pay attention.

  ♦ You will be a team player.

  I believe in quid pro quo so that meant there were criteria for me:

  ♦ I would show up on time.

  ♦ I would work hard.

  ♦ I would pay attention.

  ♦ I would be a team player.

  That’s right. I was part of the team. I was not above the team. Doing what I expected from others just seemed right. The perception your players have of you is critical to the coach-player relationship and if they think you don’t live your sermon they will not only quest
ion who you are but everything you tell them.

  For me, the team represented all those elements that had an impact on success: coaches, faculty, trainers, cheerleaders, and fans. There was the team that played, there was the team that instructed and there was the team that supported.

  As a coach, you have a large constituency and it is your responsibility to create harmony among the different elements. One detractor can ruin your day. I’m sure that’s why a number of coaches have described their job as akin to a conductor. They don’t want to play the trombone; they just want to hear some perfect notes. One of the greatest coaches of all-time, John Wooden, understood the concept. So does Bill Billichek. If you’re wondering how Southwest Airlines became the king of the skies you should see how Herb Kelleher works his baton.

  And then there was Bob Atkins. What a coach! He saw his job as that of a servant. Why not? He was asking his athletes to perform on his behalf. He was demanding hard work, sacrifice, and abstinence. He wanted much from the girls he guided. For him it seemed reasonable that he should give something back. He’d be happy to run an errand, carry your shoes, or get you some water. If you fell, Bob was the first one there with a Band-Aid. I never saw a request go unfulfilled. We coached together, roomed together, and shared a friendship. He was black and I was white. We both were colorblind. Bob is gone but the memories are fresh. In the years that he and I worked together, I got to witness how a great man could be humble and in his humility he inspired everyone he touched.

  Facilitating the process involves embracing the attitude that you are only half as smart as you think.

  If you believe you don’t have all the answers, you’ll go looking for them and they will show up in the most unusual places. Coaches who facilitate the process see everyone as a resource and every situation as an opportunity to learn.

  GO WEST!

  Lewis and Clark understood the concept. In the annals of American history there may be no better example of leadership or the display of leadership principles than what is chronicled in their expedition log.

  At the request of Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were to take a group of intrepid explorers and document everything they encountered in their journey from St. Louis to parts unknown. In the course of their travels they would encounter innumerable obstacles that would challenge the essence of their ability. Incredibly, they overcame every adversity. A year and a half after leaving St. Louis, they found themselves on the northwest Pacific coast, with winter approaching. Short on provisions and eager to report back to Jefferson they contemplated what to do—return to St. Louis or stay put until spring. The decision had life-threatening consequences. Assembled by a roaring fire, the matter was opened for discussion. Every possibility was reviewed and yet Lewis and Clark could not make a decision. They decided to take a vote. Majority ruled. Everyone would participate. Everyone! Even Sacagawea, the Shoshone Indian they had retained as an interpreter.

  I suspect a couple of lesser leaders would have disenfranchised her. She didn’t have the look. Talked with an accent. Lacked credentials. Wore a deerskin dress.

  Lewis and Clark thought otherwise. They understood when venturing into unknown territory every resource is important. And as a result, their expedition is now ranked as one of the greatest accomplishments in American history.

  When you retire the “know it all” attitude, you open up a world of possibilities. There is nothing wrong with questioning what you are doing. If it’s right you’ll validate it and if it’s wrong you’ll discover the error in your thinking. When you seek input and criticism you have changed nothing. You will become aware of what already exists.

  One of the great leaders in American industry in the twentieth century was the CEO of Intel, Andy Grove. He wrote a terrific book about his company thriving because of paranoia.

  I was going through an airport one day and it caught my eye. I owned some Intel stock and couldn’t believe my CEO was paranoid. Sybil was paranoid. Rasputin was paranoid. Richard Nixon was paranoid. But Andy Grove? I had to buy it to see if I should dump the stock.

  The concept behind his dissertation was if you aren’t paranoid you are never examining what you’re doing. You are never looking over your shoulder. One day you awaken and the “boogieman” has taken you down. Paranoia forces you to constantly evaluate where you are. And it is that assessment that ultimately makes you better.

  I guess I’ve always been a little paranoid. Maybe insecure is a better word. The formative years had an impact and mine were anything but ego building. I have regrets but then I can also see the upside. When I knew I didn’t have the answer I turned to others for help.

  Early on, I thought I could identify who was an asset. I figured I could spot the talent. What I’ve learned over the years is that I’ve seldom been able to determine who can get the job done until I’ve given them an opportunity to perform. Facilitating the process means everyone gets a chance because it is opportunity that is the catalyst for performance. People who have never been given an opportunity are thirsty for a chance. When it comes, they have been known to seize the moment and perform at astonishing levels. Juvenile delinquents have become Medal of Honor winners. The down and out have risen to greatness.

  I’LL TAKE THEM ALL

  Building a team involves capturing the collective talent of a group: big ones, small ones, dark ones, tall ones. Throw in some thick heads and smarts guys as well. Diversity means you will employ a cross section of talent.

  My daughter Angela moved to California. She fell in love with an oil field worker. They moved back to Virginia and because there was no black gold, he found himself unemployed. Rick Garrison had initiative so he went to plumbing school. Whenever they came over he talked about plumbing and pipes. I yawned. I wanted to discuss FOOTBALL! I was about ready to ask Angela to trade him in when a major winter storm hit the area. My pipes froze and burst. The Virginia Plumbers Association estimated a week. Five minutes later the most beautiful guy on earth showed up and fixed the problem.

  I still fall prey to stereotypes. I forget that a lot of people are acting. I still believe I can spot the winner. And then when I least expect it, I’m surprised again. I was on a speaking tour when I stumbled into a restaurant. I had few hours to kill and thought I might do a little sight seeing. I didn’t know much about the area so I figured I’d get some input from a local expert. There he stood next to the cash register: Physically fit, clean-cut, expensive shoes, beautiful tie, and Armani suit. He was obviously an intelligent businessman. I approached and asked if he could give me some information. A frown appeared, a vacant sign showed up in his eyes. He confessed he knew nothing. He was innocent. He pleaded for me to retract my question. His mother told him not to talk to strangers. He asked if he could be excused.

  I granted the request.

  A teenager sitting in a booth nearby heard my question. In an instant she was in my face—purple hair, no suit, sandals, beads, a spike through her nose and tattoo on her cheek. “What do you need to know?” she asked. I was a little intimidated. I was innocent. Thank God my mom had told me to talk to strangers. I gave her my request and she gave me back an encyclopedia worth of information. Once again I’d been fooled.

  I’ve been fooled so many times I now have an operational directive.

  Ignore First Impressions!

  They’re seldom accurate and always incomplete. When I joined the Air Commandos I remember standing in formation. I looked to the left. I thought it was a casting call for Beach Blanket Bingo. Beautiful dudes and muscles too. I gazed to the right. How’d they get in? I wondered. I knew who would make the cut. I was wrong. On graduation day everyone wanted the commandos to fight but no one wanted a picture. Experience has taught me more often than not that people are the inverse of their facade. So now I’m a “show me” kind of guy. If you’re acting, I’ll find out.

  When you facilitate the process you open up communication.

  As a coach you will always be venturing into un
familiar territory. The good news is what is unknown to you, is known to someone else. One brain is good. Many brains are better. Listen up. Pay attention. Don’t take offense that someone is trying to help. Their motive may be noble. Their input may be accurate. Accept it, digest it, let it ferment, and then put it under a microscope. If you find it’s healthy, employ it and if not, put it in your cerebral storage shed for another time. On occasion you may want to flush it away.

  When you assume a leadership position you can’t help but have biases. It’s part of being human. Just keep those biases in check. Adopt an attitude that everything is fair game. Encourage access. Solicit feedback. When you do, everyone will know that you view them as an asset and they will become one.

  One of our toughest competitors over the years was Washington and Lee High School The school drew from a large area and as a result they always had talent and size. They also played a wide six defense. In that formation, the defensive tackle lined up against the offensive guard. In Jimmy Locher’s case it meant he was trying to block a 250 pound behemoth. For all his desire, it wasn’t working. He suggested we flip the guard and tackle. That way our big tackle would block their big tackle. In a wide six there was no one on the tackle so he would be free to block a linebacker. I had trouble making the adjustment because my mind was in a rut. I was handcuffed to the past. Thank goodness he was a salesman and convinced me to try it. I did and it worked beautifully. We won the game and from then on, every time I encountered a wide six I employed the “Locher Plan.”

  Was Jimmy Locher responsible for us winning the Regional Championship? What do you think?

  I learned from that experience and employed the knowledge a few years later. It was the beginning of the Titan season and there were a number of reasons why I wasn’t the most popular coach around. One of them had to do with color. A number of our Titans hung with the Black Panthers and had adopted an attitude that white wasn’t even good on milk. I was the defensive coach and having one of my stars, Julius Campbell, think I was the devil was no way to bond.