A reminder to coaches closing practices to outsiders

Harry · August 28, 2015

These days, media access in college football practices is like a lake in California. If it hasn’t evaporated entirely by now, just wait. It will soon.
Many programs don’t allow media in at all. Some, like Alabama, allow media in, and then prohibit their media from reporting what they see – which seems to defeat the purpose entirely.

Regardless, this isn’t to say every staff should share Carroll’s ideas on openness. It isn’t to criticize Sark in particular, or Michigan, or Baylor, or Alabama. Nor is it to argue that all practice sessions should be open all the time. It’s to take an pick axe to the idea that observers watching practice and reporting on what they see lead to the omnipresent enemy of every football coach – distractions – and that distractions prevent teams from winning. No one dealt with more variables, more media, more distractions, than the Carroll-era Trojans, with their two Heisman winners and their resulting status as the de facto NFL team in America’s second-largest market. And still, from 2002-08, no one won like USC, either.
No, if your football team loses this fall, it’ll be because of what happens in practice, not who’s watching.

read more: http://footballscoop.com/news/a-reminder-to-coaches-closing-practices-to-outsiders/

SilverEagle · August 28, 2015

On a related matter. Last night at the kick-off event, Coach Mac was giving out some nuggets of interest regarding fall practice. One of them was that it looks like Marcus Smith has moved into the the #3 spot.

MeanGreenTexan · August 28, 2015

On a related matter. Last night at the kick-off event, Coach Mac was giving out some nuggets of interest regarding fall practice. One of them was that it looks like Marcus Smith has moved into the the #3 spot.

Huh?

SilverEagle · August 28, 2015

Huh?

DaMarcus Smith.

meanrob · August 28, 2015

You would think younger coaches/ADs would stay away from this practice but change comes slowly in that fraternity.

I dare say a coach has never lost a game because of open practices. The NFL has fans at their camps and I don't see team's blaming it for losses.

As usual UNT is a place that should be breaking the mold and instead we completely follow it when it comes to marketing, fan interaction, and presentation. Disappointing.

Harry · August 28, 2015

Yes - everything I have heard is Josh Greer has secured his #2 place behind McNulty. Hey give Greer credit, he has worked hard and impressed the coaches.

Ben Gooding · August 28, 2015

I hope not, Harry. That means Greer will be given the keys first come spring ball. And since he's a good practice QB, D Smith may not get a chance to drive. That doesn't bode well for us in 2016. The probable starter for the next season should always be your #2. Hopefully our QB depth chart isn't telling.

MeanGreenHoops · August 28, 2015

DaMarcus Smith.

Good one. Some other nuggets I remember.

RV referenced some big donations that he couldn't make public yet but that would "change the future of the athletic dept." or some such hyperbole.
James Gray was starting at safety. Also look out for Jaried Combs and Cortney Finney.
Ashton Preston could start at SMU. Also mentioned Nate Brooks will play.
Mentioned Barr and Woodworth on the OLine were already in the two deep and would play.
This was posted as a question once before, but he read a Creed he said the team had come up with and they would recite after every workout this summer and practice this fall. I think we saw it in a periscope. It was pretty cool

That's what I can remember at the moment.

Edited August 28, 2015 by MeanGreenHoops
Remembered a 5th

untjim1995 · August 28, 2015

I hope not, Harry. That means Greer will be given the keys first come spring ball. And since he's a good practice QB, D Smith may not get a chance to drive. That doesn't bode well for us in 2016. The probable starter for the next season should always be your #2. Hopefully our QB depth chart isn't telling.

We tried to tell you that Damarcus Smith wasn't going to start here anytime soon. But even I didn't think that Mac and Chico would bury him behind Greer...I think its amazing that any decent QB cannot move past McNulty on a depth chart, but its even more telling that he couldn't beat out Josh Greer on a depth chart, both for the player and his coaches...Sorry but those top QBs are not anywhere close to being in the top 2 QBs on another FBS roster. Hell, Dajon was better than either of them, and he can't even play QB at D-2 Texas A&M Commerce, apparently.

Cerebus · August 28, 2015

You would think younger coaches/ADs would stay away from this practice but change comes slowly in that fraternity.

Not all old school coaches where this way. Dickey was very wide open. The closed practice was rare during the offseason. Harry and I got media passes under the Dickey regime. I don't think he ever had any specific restrictions on Harry's reporting, and as far as photography went it was just asked I did not shoot so wide as to give away the formation. He restricted his coaches on the record, but off the record we got a ton of good information from them.

Dodge was a complete 180 and seemed to even hate having to have even the DRC staff around. We where not allowed.

Christopher Walker · August 28, 2015

Yes - everything I have heard is Josh Greer has secured his #2 place behind McNulty. Hey give Greer credit, he has worked hard and impressed the coaches.

Did someone just turn back the clock to a year ago or something? Yikes.

Harry · August 28, 2015

Did someone just turn back the clock to a year ago or something? Yikes.

meanrob · August 28, 2015

Not all old school coaches where this way. Dickey was very wide open. The closed practice was rare during the offseason. Harry and I got media passes under the Dickey regime. I don't think he ever had any specific restrictions on Harry's reporting, and as far as photography went it was just asked I did not shoot so wide as to give away the formation. He restricted his coaches on the record, but off the record we got a ton of good information from them.
Dodge was a complete 180 and seemed to even hate having to have even the DRC staff around. We where not allowed.

That was before the whole "closed practices" ball got rolling. I swear Saban does it and other coaches follow thinking it must mean something.

If I was North Texas I'd invite everyone I could. When you guys used to have access the board was frothing at the bit in August. Now, not so much.

I remember seeing Buckles a year before he was eligible to play. I couldn't wait to see that kid hit the field.

Edited August 28, 2015 by meanrob

greenit · August 28, 2015

Did someone just turn back the clock to a year ago or something? Yikes.

Don't worry. Most of the experts that are calling for Smith now, were the same ones that were convinced that Greer or Williams was the clear answer last year. And the year before that it was Berglund, and the year before that it was Osborn, and the year before that it was...

Maybe this is the year.

James329 · August 28, 2015

Good one. Some other nuggets I remember.
RV referenced some big donations that he couldn't make public yet but that would "change the future of the athletic dept." or some such hyperbole.
James Gray was starting at safety. Also look out for Jaried Combs and Cortney Finney.
Ashton Preston could start at SMU. Also mentioned Nate Brooks will play.
Mentioned Barr and Woodworth on the OLine were already in the two deep and would play.
This was posted as a question once before, but he read a Creed he said the team had come up with and they would recite after every workout this summer and practice this fall. I think we saw it in a periscope. It was pretty cool
That's what I can remember at the moment.

*rubs hands together*

Army of Dad · August 28, 2015

Don't worry. Most of the experts that are calling for Smith now, were the same ones that were convinced that Greer or Williams was the clear answer last year. And the year before that it was Berglund, and the year before that it was Osborn, and the year before that it was...

Maybe this is the year.

There's a reason why people want the back up QB, it's because the starter sucks. Do you think Oregon fans were calling to have Mariota's back up to be the starter?

TheWestie · August 29, 2015

Dodge was a complete 180 and seemed to even hate having to have even the DRC staff around. We where not allowed.

Yeah.... Especially after this...

SilverEagle · August 29, 2015

RV referenced some big donations that he couldn't make public yet but that would "change the future of the athletic dept." or some such hyperbole.
*rubs hands together*

Don't get excited. He's made cryptic remarks like that in the past.

I'd be rubbing my hands together if someone like, say, UNTFlyer got up there and made the same remarks.

Edited August 29, 2015 by SilverEagle

greenit · August 30, 2015

There's a reason why people want the back up QB, it's because the starter sucks. Do you think Oregon fans were calling to have Mariota's back up to be the starter?

On this board? Yes.

Ben Gooding · August 30, 2015

On this board? Yes.

No, no they weren't.

UNT90 · August 30, 2015

*rubs hands together*

Just remember he also tossed out that he was negotiating a home game with a P5 program on a podcast last year. He tends to say what you want to hear.

Ill believe it when it's announced.

emmitt01 · August 30, 2015

Don't worry. Most of the experts that are calling for Smith now, were the same ones that were convinced that Greer or Williams was the clear answer last year. And the year before that it was Berglund, and the year before that it was Osborn, and the year before that it was...

Maybe this is the year.

Yes, calling for a replacement to the "quality" Mac has trotted out there is just crazy. I can only assume you catch all of the games via radio.