My Questions About the Tomlin Issue

This is not about either "apologists" or "haters" of Tomlin.

This is about coming up with a reasonable debate about the effectiveness of the Steelers head coach. I'll admit I'm not the most knowledgeable regarding the responsibilities of the entire coaching staff. I have only general knowledge. I also perused a few online resources for info. I am re-posting a modified version of two posts I made in another Tomlin thread. However, instead of a thread that starts off as antagonistic, I wanted to kick off a thread that allows us to delve into a more objective look at Tomlin. Also, we can discuss what our expectations are. Because I think expectations are slightly different for many of us, and that will color our outlook.

Anyway... here you go.

Head Coach Responsibilities
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...responsibility


I also found this information interesting regarding the CBA and NFL rules regarding restriction of practice:
http://www.nfl.com/trainingcamp/stor...pact-nfl-games

http://cover32.com/cowboys/2014/08/1...-on-nfl-teams/

http://www.si.com/more-sports/2012/07/26/training-camps
I read teams are only allowed 14 padded practices for the entire season. And that 2-a-days are history. Is this true?

If so, then what other tools does a coach have to motivate his players. Forcing additional practices not only presents a direct consequence for negligent/lazy play, but also provides additional drilling in lacking areas.

If this option is gone for coaches, then what is a coach supposed to do with players who are consistently flat and/or have sloppy execution?

I know there's the argument that other coaches don't have that problem. Is it possible that those coaches just have players who are either: a) naturally more gifted and don't require as much drilling, and/or b) taking their own time to voluntarily hold player-practices to hone their skills?

Let's nail this down so we can fairly and objectively talk about what's up with Tomlin. I like him as a coach, but I do have my concerns about the team. Since there seems to be questions about what his responsibilities are, I looked for a place to start determining exactly what that looks like.

Thoughts?

 

Good info regarding restriction of practice:. Noll had a few stinker teams when the talent level just wasn't there as did Cowher. It stinks for us fans since we have gotten used to the Steelers being good but these types of spells happen to all teams eventually. Heck, the Cowboys and Redskins have been going through it for 20 years and the Lions for a lot longer than that. Thank goodness we have the Rooneys.

 

Who knows what a coach can do, besides bench subpar players or players with attitudes in the new CBA era.
and if I understand correctly, team discipline vs the CBA has gotten pretty lax too.

i know the players be them hustlers or slobs like playing for Tomlin... Could be good and bad in a sense, but I really don't know how much leash he has in this era. Seems to me a players rights are above the teams until sponsors and politics start the threatening game.

It's hard to gauge anymore honestly. This ain't your dad's nfl is a crazy comparison anymore, this ain't your last decades or last years nfl anymore is more appropriate. Sorry if I veered off topic, but I really don't know how much jack a coach has in yanking a chain anymore.

tomlin as a whole has his ups and downs. Good fundamental coaching etc... One week and deer in the headlights the next.

 

Thought I read somewhere that Tomlin couldn't bench/punish the doobie bros because of new CBA laws. If that's the case, then I guess you just have to hope for a coach that can guilt trip players while motivating the team.

 

Jerome Bettis has said of Cowher, "He never fined us for anything. You came late, you never got fined. You never got reprimanded for anything." Apparently, Cowher could be a softie, except for with Jamain Stephens.

 

I've been around a while and a Steeler since about 1975. I have played and watched a LOT of football. It seems that way back players could get away with more away from football but when they were around football they were very well disciplined. Now it seems that they can get away with more around football and less away from it. Not sure what that all means so I have to go with what it makes me feel. I feel that it is a HC's job to make the team a cohesive family. He needs to be able to adjust his method to the individual and the team. If a guy needs a dad he is the man. If a guy needs a kick in the butt he is the man...you get what I mean. I love football but I do feel like football was more fun to watch back then because it seemed like these guys played more for each other than themselves.

 

Coach T puts a Monday morning "newspaper" to the team. He certainly lets guys know that they screwed up and praises those who have done well. I don't know if public shaming is the only tool he uses. Overall I like Tomlin but I don't like some of the play calling (but thats him). I believe that he could be less of a friend and more of a coach to the players, though. The players like him because they relate to him... is that because he's so young or because he is lenient? Coach LeBeau reads Twas The Night Before Christmas to the Defense around christmas time, every year tradition, so there is no doubt he is seen as a father figure (or a grand father??) and maybe that has a lot to do with the Defense being so tough year after year. Sure there are those guys who don't produce, but they get sent down the road.

 

Jimmy Allen?
Jim Wolf? (Except he might be deceased...)

On a more serious note, I tend to agree about the changes to the sport and the guys who play it. I also tend to think that Tomlin has the whole 'family' thing done fairly well... but something is still going wrong when the hit the family. Maybe he needs to be taking more notes on 'family' by watching more Sons of Anarchy and less Roseanne?

 

He could've of deactivated them, they faced some type of punishment internally is what the team said a fine

 

Find this so hard to believe with how fiery he was on field

 

I'm glad you said that because I feel the same way. I kind of pictured Cowher being a little harder in that regards. Maybe Cowher felt the pelting of the chin and the shower of spittle were enough.

 

I think it goes to show how the HCs on-field activity is as much a performance as his players. Likewise press conferences. It's the problem with making any assertions about what happens behind closed doors or in practices based on what we see in public.

 

A head coach can lose his team if he is overboard on discipline, a good example of this was Mike Singletery, he berated his players in public, fined them, threw them out of games for the smallest mistake, until he had a player revolt on his hands that cost him his job, he had absolutely no people skills at all; another example is Charlie Strong at Texas, he has kicked 9 players off of his team and the rest feel like they are in prison instead of playing football and having fun..

All players expect from their HC is that he will communicate with them and is fair with them, and the desire to win is based on a mutual respect for each other between players and coaches....

 

Diamond I agree with your last line, communication being the most important.

As for the Charlie Strong talk he needed to come in and clean house. Mack Brown had let the inmates run the asylum so to speak the last couple of years. I think you will see a much different Texas in a couple of years when Strong has had a chance to build the program with his own players.