When Urban Meyer — previously a Notre Dame wide receivers coach — was hired at Bowling Green, he lined up trashcans at the team's first (5 a.m.) practice, and he made them run sprints until people puked.
Before spring camp ended, 21 players quit. Urban was forced to put "help wanted" ads in the student paper just to get bodies in the door. His team finished 8-3.
Compare that to Indiana coach Kevin Wilson, who is just entering his fifth year.
Via Chris Vainnini of CoachingSearch.com:
“I think we’ve gotten to the point where our players see the coaches believe in them,” Wilson told SiriusXM College Sports Nation. “We’ve got kids that have bought in to working hard. We’ve always been a hard-working team, but I feel we’re starting to work for a different purpose. We’re not working so a coach doesn’t yell at you or do extra running up the stadium steps. We’re working hard because we want to play to win and play for each other.”
The program was rocked recently when safety Antonio Allen was arrested for selling drugs, and Allen was kicked off the team. Wilson says this has been his closest team, despite the incident, and he hopes other players can learn and grow from it.
“We’re taking this situation to make sure we’re not just a buddy or a pal, but start being a friend and a teammate and start doing things stronger as a group across the board,” he said. “Not just in his situation, but attending class and treating people right."
Sounds a lot like what Focus3 helped install in Ohio State's team with their leadership training workshops.
Could this mean a righting of the ship for the Hoosiers? Kevin Wilson better hope so; his team finished 1-7 last year in Big Ten play.
