We're Always On His Mind...

[VegasDawg]

Check out Gary's comments from the MWC press day about the new practice rules.


Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Las Vegas Review-Journal
By MARK ANDERSON

Conference coaches say new practice rules won't work out

The new football practice rules apparently don't sit well with the coaches, who say the changes probably will be just for this year.

Gone are separate practices for newcomers before the veterans arrive. Teams must spend the first five days going through an "acclimation period" of no two-a-days. And twice-daily practices also are not allowed on consecutive days.

"I think (the NCAA) had good intentions," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "I think they screwed it up. What we're doing will change next year because there are a lot of things that haven't been done right. But nothing that dramatic. I think we'll all live with it, and, hopefully, the legislation will improve next year."

Robinson said the Rebels usually stayed away from two-a-days on consecutive days because of concern about the Southern Nevada heat.

Also, one workout every other day was a light one.

UNLV will begin practice Aug. 6.

Brigham Young coach Gary Crowton agreed that the NCAA missed the mark with instituting the rules.

"I think the concept is decent; I've always done the 2-1-2 practice format," Crowton said. "The first five days without walk-throughs, I think that kind of needs to be looked at and tweaked a little bit, but they'll probably do that next year.

"You have these guys for five days with one practice, and it's a waste of money. If guys do nothing but practice in the morning, they're going to have nine hours the whole rest of the day to do nothing.

"Any time you have idle football players, good things don't always happen. I feel pretty good about the kids we have at BYU because we have married kids and we don't have them stay in the dorms. But if I was at Louisiana Tech ... that would be a very tough, tough way to manage some of those kids."

[aubunique]

All publicity has a little good in it. He didn't mention any other school.

[Choudawg86]

I truly believe that Coach C will forever be grateful to Tech for giving him the chance to become what he has become. And I believe that we at Tech will forever be grateful to Coach C for raising the bar of what we expect as fans from Louisiana Tech teams.

[PawDawg]

I truly believe that Coach C will forever be grateful to Tech for giving him the chance to become what he has become. And I believe that we at Tech will forever be grateful to Coach C for raising the bar of what we expect as fans from Louisiana Tech teams.

I just wonder if he is grateful enough to ever give us a home and home. I am grateful to him for raising the bar but I still have a burr under my saddle for his defensive phylosophy (Tulane Game :cry: ). Our defense has never been up to par since Crowton. I give JRP more credit for raising the bar even though he didn't leave on the best of terms. He achieved "separation" for us.

[Cool Hand Clyde]

And JRP hired Crowton.

Give him the opportunity to coach TECH in the WAC and the quality of players we have now, and he may have gone down as the greatest ever in Ruston.

[dawg80]

If you carefully read his statement about the kids he had while at Tech versus those he has now at BYU, you will see part of our problem.

It is something I have alluded to in the past when I posted about raising academic standards, ESPECIALLY for football players and recruiting better STUDENT-athletes. Some (especially one) very prominent posters on this forum took the opposite position in that discussion. I still maintain that we would see a short-term drop-off of talent on the field, but eventually, our football program would be the better for it.

One caveat, ahem, that is predicated on having a very good coaching staff..... so......

[Rossp917]

One caveat, ahem, that is predicated on having a very good coaching staff..... so......

Completely agreed. No even with the best staff you will have a few bad ones, but a properly strict coaching staff would help the situation greatly.
Schools all over the place (yes even LSU) take grade risks, but they have the manpower (I.E. coaching depth) to handle particular issues.

[hisaw]

ummm.....at how many other schools in the country are @85% of the non-freshmen players married??? Maybe Utah has over 3% but that's it. That's what he was saying, not grades, not anything else. Players come to BYU play their freshman year, take their 2 year mission and the come back married, 22 years old and sophomores. They just ARE more mature than any other players anywherel

[VegasDawg]

Actually, what he's saying is with the new rules about two a days going into effect he now doesn't have as much control of the players time. At BYU he won't have a problem with the players getting into mischief because most are married. But at La Tech there would be no telling what those guys would get into.