Mike Norvell messed up

boger2337

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THIS IS WHY I LOVE COACH COLLINS.
Mike Norvell head coach at FSU announced to media outlets and Twitter that he has talked with all his players about the protests and everything else. LIES.

This is why Collins is the REAL DEAL. They talk to every player weekly. Collins truly cares in a world where most people don't give a damn or not enough to act on much.
Screenshot_20200604-020828_Twitter.jpg
 

gtstinger776

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Norvell’s reaction is idiotic and Dabo’s tone / actions just aren’t what modern players should expect from their coaches.

I 100% believe African American players / recruits have internalized these events and sentiments. Part of me wonders if these individuals will change their decisions based on coach / program tone. Will a recruit actually select a more conscientious program over Clemson / FSU? Or will the benefits of playing at one of those programs still drive the decision?
 

4shotB

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Will a recruit actually select a more conscientious program over Clemson / FSU? Or will the benefits of playing at one of those programs still drive the decision?

IMO, it is like academics.To some, it will be important. To others, the perceived best opportunity to make it to the league will override everything else. Whatever happens with player payments too will factor into the decision.
 

gtstinger776

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IMO, it is like academics.To some, it will be important. To others, the perceived best opportunity to make it to the league will override everything else. Whatever happens with player payments too will factor into the decision.
IMO - this changes the decision-process / thinking for a small number.

The Tom Herman article someone posted yesterday summed up what I've thought for years - these SEC fans cheer you on b/c you play for their team, but good luck getting their help / support once you are no longer providing that service to them. Most of the SEC boosters just want you to get your arts and crafts degree so you can be a PE coach and wear their colors around the building.

Something about this model just feels messed up...
 

slugboy

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IMO - this changes the decision-process / thinking for a small number.

The Tom Herman article someone posted yesterday summed up what I've thought for years - these SEC fans cheer you on b/c you play for their team, but good luck getting their help / support once you are no longer providing that service to them. Most of the SEC boosters just want you to get your arts and crafts degree so you can be a PE coach and wear their colors around the building.

Something about this model just feels messed up...

Maybe things are different today than it was when I was a student, but this is a series of mistakes strung together. This is the kind of thing that really hurts a coach.
1. The coaching and support staff needed to have more communication with the players over the last few months, with players being spread out due to COVID. When you see them all the time at Spring Practice and voluntary workouts and study hall, you have a better idea how they’re doing. You’ve got to make up for all that lost connection now.
As a player, you shouldn’t have any doubt that your coaching staff has been checking in on you personally.
2. George Floyd’s and other’s deaths and the protests that have followed are on the minds of most everyone from elementary age on up. As a coach, you’re a fool if you and your assistants aren’t talking to your players and support staff about it, and checking in on how they’re doing. The head coach doesn’t have to call everyone (there are a lot of players), but he ought to talk to a lot of players and his assistants should be talking to the rest.
3. You can be mean like Bobby Knight, and you can be quiet or reserved like other coaches, but if players feel like you’re dishonest or untrustworthy, your time as a coach is all but over. If Norvell had misspoken and meant that he was going to talk 1:1 with everyone and hadn’t finished yet, I don’t think you’d see the tweets about his statement being BS. This looks more like trust issues had been festering, and this is the icing on the cake.
4. FSU has been having a great recruiting year, and you need your players to help recruit. If they’re mad, bad things will follow. You can also bet that opposing coaches are showing this to recruits they’re competing for.

Number 3 is the really important point—as a coach, there’s not much worse than losing the trust of your players.


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YJMD

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Feels like FSU is trying really hard to kill their program with coaching hires. I hope for sake of everyone involved that things are more complicated than they appear and that these young men really do have a coach who cares and supports them.
 

iopjacket

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Norvell’s reaction is idiotic and Dabo’s tone / actions just aren’t what modern players should expect from their coaches.

I 100% believe African American players / recruits have internalized these events and sentiments. Part of me wonders if these individuals will change their decisions based on coach / program tone. Will a recruit actually select a more conscientious program over Clemson / FSU? Or will the benefits of playing at one of those programs still drive the decision?


Attached is a link to a Post and Courier story about the incident at Clemson that I think you are referring to.

https://www.postandcourier.com/spor...cle_7c00dcce-a5c8-11ea-8b08-0fbdfafbe4ec.html
 

boger2337

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Two players have now supposedly discussed/hinted at the transfer portal. I am assuming this is an ongoing trend with Mike. I doubt kids would leave if this was a first incident.
 

GTrob21

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Wow, this is definitely going to hurt him immensely. I'm not sure people understand the culture and how this type of stuff, will spread fast. Athletes are competitors on the field, but it's been my experience that for the most part, we were friends off. (Disclaimer, I never played Football), but I am assuming that Football is like other sports.

If he lied, and this lie appears to make himself look good in front of the media, it will be held against him. I don't think it is going to make recruits go from FSU to GaTech, although it might, I do think it could mean FSU loses out on a top recruit to UF or UM.

The bottom line is that for a program this has been struggling to regain a national dominance like FSU, and as their fans expect, this kills a new coach's reputation and sets them back.

Good luck FSU.
 

slugboy

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Reading some of the other comments, it looks like Norvell and the AD had to make some concessions to the players.

“Concessions” may not be the right word, but I can’t think of a better one right now.


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gtstinger776

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Reading some of the other comments, it looks like Norvell and the AD had to make some concessions to the players.

“Concessions” may not be the right word, but I can’t think of a better one right now.


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It’s bad optically when a coach is so out of touch with his players that opposing fanbases are using a thesaurus to describe the coach’s reactions to player backlash
 

YJMD

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Reading some of the other comments, it looks like Norvell and the AD had to make some concessions to the players.

“Concessions” may not be the right word, but I can’t think of a better one right now.


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That's the tone which I get from his tweet, too. But reading into tweets can be dangerous. FWIW, Norvell clarified that he sent a message to every team member and had a back and forth with several. He apologized for the misrepresentation without making excuses and met with teammates to hash it out and supported Williams' open communications. There may be more to this onion, and if mostly misinterpretation it probably says something about his relationship with the team that it happened. All that said, the response has been top notch. I'll keep an open mind going forward.
 
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