• Slug: Sports–Coaching evolution. 1,668 words.
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By Keller Brown
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – While some view coaching football as a chore, others see it as an opportunity to teach a younger generation. With college football undergoing constant changes on and off the field, some have argued that the art of coaching a football team has evolved.

Coaches come from all walks of life. Whether they are in their first season as the head of a program, or wrapping up decades of dominance at one school, everyone has a different philosophy of how they go about their business.

Monday’s College Football Playoff showcased those differences in coaching styles and experience, with Ohio State coach Ryan Day and Notre Dame Marcus Freeman – named the 2024 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year – emphasizing their unique approaches, while Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham & Co. nearly took down Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns in the CFP quarterfinals.

“I think (coaching philosophy) comes from obviously your experiences and where you come from,” former ASU football coach Todd Graham said. “Different people believe in different things.”

Old school

Graham believes in a philosophy of teaching, a method he picked up during his childhood in Texas.

“I believe that you have to first activate players through an individual and a personal relationship where you build trust,” Graham said. “You motivate through trust instead of fear.”

Graham credits the coaches he played under, including North Mesquite High School and Hall of Honor coach Gary Childress, for instilling in him what football means. To Graham, football is so much more than a sport.

While coaching at ASU, Graham would put a picture in his players’ locker. That picture was of that player’s family.

“Every morning, I’d go in there and blow the whistle three times,” Graham said. “I’d have them focus on that picture for three minutes.”

Graham wanted his players to focus on how much their families sacrificed for them to be there. He wanted to connect with his players on an emotional level, as he believed this was the best way to get his players to perform.

“Allow us to coach you today,” Graham said. “Give us permission to coach you.”

Graham’s philosophy of teaching and connecting with his players still resonates with his former players. Seventeen of Graham’s former assistant coaches went on to be Division I head coaches, as well as some former players earning coaching jobs as well.

One former player is Jaelen Strong, who played under Graham at Arizona State for two seasons. Strong is well known for his last-second catch to beat a ranked University of Southern California team in 2014.

Now the head coach at AZ Compass Prep school in Chandler, Strong still thinks of Graham when it comes to his own coaching, as well as how to go about his everyday life. Graham still keeps in contact with Strong, and Strong texted him to let him know what impact he had left on him, and that he’s taking after Graham in his own coaching methods.

“Thank you coach Graham, you’re one of the best things that have happened to me in my life,” Graham read off his phone. “Not even talking about football, but talking about life. Seriously coach, I want you to know that I love you.”

This shows that Graham’s philosophy of being a teacher first and coach second has left a lasting impact on his former players, and that they appreciate his style.

“He saw the great in you before you did,” Strong said. “He would try to do things to help you feel uncomfortable to bring out that ability that you have buried inside you.”

Strong came from Philadelphia, which he described as a tough environment. That tough environment and Graham’s coaching was just right for him. Graham taught him more than just the ins and outs of football, such as everyday life lessons, which are things that Strong still carries to this day as a head coach.

“We have to perfect our small things,” Strong said. “We have to know how to tie our shoes the best way possible, because if we don’t, we’re going to be tying our shoes five, 10 times a day.”

Strong felt as though his life was meant to be a coach rather than a player, a strong statement for someone who was drafted to play in the National Football League. The way he was raised, and coached by Graham, helped him realize he had a bigger calling than playing.

The teach first, coach second mentality didn’t mean that Graham didn’t challenge his players. Graham thought that while a coach needed to relate to his players, he couldn’t just be a friend to them.

“They don’t need a buddy, they need a coach,” Graham said. “If your coach never makes you uncomfortable, I just don’t know that you can accomplish greatness.”

That mindset trickled down to Strong and his methodology coaching at AZ Compass Prep. He wants to mentor the young players.

With being a head coach comes the challenges of balancing everything outside of the football field, including dealing with parents. In this age of coaching, Strong feels passionately about keeping parents away from influencing coaching and football decisions.

“I don’t like how dads are able to get close to coaches to help them influence their decision-making for the football team,” Strong said.

Graham knows that to be a “player’s coach,” you can’t beat around the bush with your team. His players knew that he loved them, and they knew he knew what he was talking about.

“The player’s coach, and the reward, is building a legacy in the hearts and minds of your players, and giving them the truth on what it takes to be successful in life,” Graham said.

Part of Graham’s family-like philosophy stemmed from an absence in his own family. Graham’s father left him and his mother, but that void was filled with something else that felt like family to him – football, and his seventh grade coach, Buddy Copeland.

“I did have a dad, it was my seventh grade football coach,” Graham said. “He inspired me, he strained me, he gave me what I called tough love.”

New school

Graham’s coaching philosophy of teaching can be seen by some as old fashioned, and the original way of coaching. Specifically looking at college football, and how the game and everything around the game has evolved, some may argue that a new philosophy is needed from the lead man.

Look no further than Dillingham. He is the youngest active head coach among the Power Four conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC). At 34 years old, he is much closer in age to his players than some older head coaches.

“Coach Dillingham can sit there and play a game of Madden with you and be able to ask you questions,” said DJ Foster, the director of player development at ASU.

Foster played for Graham during his ASU career. Foster pointed to more than just Dillingham when looking at younger coaches that have seen success, and a coach that Dillingham was under before landing the head job in Tempe.

University of Oregon coach Dan Lanning, who is 38 years old, won 10 or more games in each of his first three seasons at the helm in Eugene. Lanning has kept Oregon at the top of its conference, even with their recent move to the Big Ten.

As long as you understand your players, your culture, and what you’re trying to build, Foster thinks you’ll find success, no matter how old you are. As long as the wins come, Foster thinks that is all that matters.

“It’s still getting to the same result, but it’s a very different style and approach,” Foster said. “Kenny has done a great job surrounding himself with some coaches that have been around for a long time.”

One of those coaches that has been around football for decades is Hines Ward, the 2005 Super Bowl MVP for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ward is in his first season as the wide receivers coach at ASU, and he recognized Kenny’s liveliness from Day One.

“He’s young, he’s energetic,” Ward said. “His message has all been the same.”

That message has been simple: take it one game at a time. The Sun Devils have certainly felt that message throughout the entire football program, seeing a remarkable turnaround from year one to year two. From three wins to a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game, it’s something Dillingham will keep with him forever.

“He will never forget that,” Ward said. “That’s kind of permeated throughout the whole organization.”

Ward and Dillingham don’t necessarily have the same personality, but as long as they are on the same page culturewise, the structure will be just fine.

Football is also not the same in Tempe as it is in Los Angeles, same with in Alabama or Miami. Different cities breed different kinds of cultures and coaches, and Foster thinks it’s important to represent your city well.

“I do think you kind of fit the mold of your city,” Foster said. “I think your head coach has to be a reflection of that.”

Age is just a number

While Dillingham and Graham have both seen success at the same school, both are far from the same in terms of their route to get there.

Graham had an old-school mentality of preaching uncomfortability, in hopes that it brought out the best in his players.

Dillingham brings a young energy, one that helps him relate to players. His decision to bring in coaches with experience, such as a Super Bowl MVP in Ward, helps him with different perspectives and personalities.

It goes to show that two different types of coaches can have the same amount of success. Whether you are Dillingham’s age, a coach in their mid-30’s, or someone like Curt Cignetti at Indiana, a 63-year-old coach that just led the Hoosiers to double-digit wins, you can find success no matter how old you are.

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