want to know what the
secret to good coaching is?
get good players …. hmmmmmmmmmmm

Adapted from the article, Super Bowl 59 winners and losers: Eagles come together as Chiefs fall apart, by Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY where Mr. Middlehurst-Schwartz writes:

“You want to know what the secret to good coaching is?” Sirianni asked on NFL Network’s postgame show. “Get good players.” Roseman [Philadelphia Eagles GM] has unquestionably done that and then some. After Philadelphia flamed out in spectacular fashion to end last season, the architect of the roster embarked on what will be remembered as one of the most aggressive and transformative offseasons in league history. He netted massive returns on free-agent contracts both big (2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley) and small (NFL Defensive Player of the Year finalist Zack Baun), and a draft class highlighted by Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean took the secondary from a weak point to a source of strength. Recall what A.J. Brown said on Opening Night: “I think Howie Roseman is the reason we are here tonight.”

I am reminded of a college game years ago when a feller named Keith Jackson was the play caller for ABC Sports and after some stellar play, Mr. Jackson quietly said … “It’s the players … not the plays.”

On the other hand, the line, ‘… get good players” reminds me of comedian Steve Martin’s bit, “You can make a Million Dollars … and not pay any income tax.”

Made it sound so easy.

Especially as the instructions started, “First … Make a million dollars .. then … “

Secret to good coaching?

Just get good players.

(Haiku question – how many syllables in hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm)

boy, hate to say it
especially hard when its true
still same old lions

Was it fun to be a Detroit Lions this year?

Weren’t the Lions the best team, won more games, played harder, flew higher than any other Lions team?

Yes yes yes and yes.

But.

Can I still say, same old Lions?

Sadly yes.

Up by 17 last year and … lose.

The best team in the NFC and get a week off and … lose.

Hard to win with 5 turnovers.

Hard to win with 12 men on the field on 4th down.

And why?

There might just be a clue in the analysis of Tom Brady and his role as color commentor during the game.

In the article, How Tom Brady handled his ownership-analyst conflict on TV: Key takeaways By Dan Shanoff (Jan 19, 2025), Mr. Shanoff writes:

… Brady was unafraid to call out the Lions’ defensive struggles. Notably, on a crucial penalty when Detroit had 12 men on the field, Brady was imploring: “Time out! Time out!” Then, “Nope … nope.” Then, a lament: “Oh NO.”

What he said right after that was amazing: “I had a coach for 20 years, Bill Belichick, that said you can’t win till you can keep from losing. And plays like that … playoff football? That’s why you win and lose games in big moments.”

Brady spat out the word “losing.” He was audibly and viscerally disgusted. And it was a great moment.

I admit I had a bad feeling about this game going in.

I felt the Lions had pulled so many rabbits out of hats defensively with all the injuries that they were out of hats and rabbits.

But the inability to call time out with 12 men on the field on a 4th down play just brought the same old Lions out of my mouth.

As Mr. Brady was quoted quoting Bill Belichick: you can’t win till you can keep from losing.

Keep from losing.

Can’t win till you can keep from losing.

Seems simple.

And the Lions, after a great season, keep losing.

To be sure, love them until I die.

But it seems, until I die, the same old Lions.

losses piled up and
critics piled on Lions stayed
the same old Lions

They mocked him in the beginning, convinced he was going to end up just like the rest, run out of town within a few years because nothing had changed. Nothing ever changed in Detroit. Then they ripped him during the climb for being too honest, for being too out there, for having the nerve to think some sort of miraculous turnaround was coming, even as the losses piled up and the critics piled on and the Lions stayed the same old Lions.

From The genius of Dan Campbell: ‘He’s the best leader I’ve ever been around’ by Zak Keefer in the New York Times on Jan 15, 2025

culture easy to
identify difficult to
define – a rare skill

Culture is easy to identify but difficult to define. You know a good one when you see it, when you feel it. Understanding the specifics of what it takes to build one? That is a rare skill.

Harbaugh has changed the Chargers’ culture in one season. The Chargers went from 5-12 in 2023 to 11-6 in 2024. They are in the playoffs and will play at the Houston Texans in the wild-card round on Saturday afternoon.

How did he do it? The trust exists in the moments. In doing up-downs in front of the team. In reciting Black Eyed Peas lyrics. In wearing Jordan cleats to every practice while doing drills with his players. In wearing powder blue gloves on game day while catching passes from Herbert.

The process cannot be faked. It cannot be rushed. This culture was built day by day, brick by brick, steady and gradual. It was proven and reinforced by, as Slater put it, “Coach Harbaugh being Coach Harbaugh.”

“You don’t really get buy-in if people don’t look at you and say, ‘He’s being authentic. He’s being real,” Slater said. “He’s so vulnerable and OK with just being goofy like that — because that’s just how he is — that you have no choice but to respect it.”

From How Jim Harbaugh built the Chargers culture: Black Eyed Peas, blue-collar gifts, authenticity by Daniel Popper, Jan 9, 2025, in the Athletic (click here for PDF).

I hear you Mr. Popper.

I agree with you Mr. Popper.

Still, in the early years of Mr. Harbaugh coaching on the University of Michigan, I got my Doctor to write, Suffers from Harbaugh on my chart (he was a Notre Dame Grad) but my insurance refused to cover it.

I went to school with Jimmy Harbaugh.

Saw him often in the hallways of buildings of the University of Michigan.

Doubt he ever saw me.

I admit he can make athletes achieve things they didn’t know they could and as long as you win, the show works.

And I enjoyed that Championship season very much and thank you.

But in my book, you will always be, Jim “I lost the Brown Jug” Harbaugh.

Time can’t change that.