Housekeeping
A quick housekeeping update.
Culture/standards/compromises
First, culture. Well, first, the price. Prices are never negotiable. Your goals are, the price isn't. The more you compromise, the more you make loopholes, the less likely you are to ever move forward, but the more likely you are to stay exactly where you are.
If someone does not contribute toward the culture shift wholly, then they go. A handshake, thank you very much, good luck in the future, goodbye. That's simply all there is. The moment you start offering outs because they don't try hard but they have a great attitude, then you open yourself up to holes others will exploit and push back in your face.
I read the biography of a basketball coach who said they used to chase the top person on their team out of practice from time to time to show that there wasn't any favoritism, and that everyone from the star down had to work. The thinking was that if the star could get chased out, then I could as well, and that even the star was held to the same standard. I agree with the idea, but not the practice. I'm not going to create a faux situation or scenario where my best athlete "misbehaves" and puts on an act. I'd rather establish the standard as is.
Standards are not set by the top athletes on the team. They are set by the lowest athlete on the team. Otherwise they wouldn't be on the team. You do not need to have star power up and down your lineup. There are times where solid character athletes who work hard come into play. They are the glue for the program. They elevate everyone around them.
At the same time, you must understand that those lower athletes have to contribute in all ways. If you keep someone on the team because they are nice, but they never progress, and don't improve, then you're setting yourself up for both season by season failure as well as negative culture. The idea is that as long as I do one thing well, I get to stay on the team. I don't have to progress as long as I'm a nice person, or I have a high GPA that boosts the program GPA.
That's not positive culture. That's opening a myriad of loopholes for individuals to slip through.
Program death and culture death isn't something that outside forces act upon. Many would try and have you believe that, but the hard reality is that when your program suffers, when culture is down or negative, it's because of self inflicted wounds.
Clothes make the person
It's become popular to dress down in the athletics office. Leggings, yoga pants, warm-ups are becoming an acceptable way to dress.
I can't believe that I'm the person writing this, but I find that unacceptable. Each department and each team determines how the staff dresses but for me, workout clothes are banned. I'm ok with sweaters or hoodies and pullovers, but athletics pants are a no. I received an ad from a company last night talking about their travel pants which were nothing more than sweatpants with zip pockets. That's travel for children. Not adults.
I had a friend who once told me that the reason she always dressed well was because she never knew whom she might run into. But if she were dressed well, it wouldn't matter. She may not be able to go to a 5-star dinner, but she would dress in a manner that allowed her to attend a business casual lunch or meal or go meet with her company CEO at a moments notice.
Dean Smith, the excellent coach for the UNC men's basketball team had the same rule he learned from his boss. Coat and tie meant that you could meet the school president in 5 minutes rather than having to run home to change. I love that rule though coat and tie might be a bit much.
No yoga pants, sweat pants, leggings, warm-up pants, etc. No sandals, slides, crocs, open toes. School colored shirts. T-shirts are fine if you have something over it like a 1/4 zip or jacket. I am ok with hoodies or vests. Polos should be available.
There is a rule out there that says you should dress for the job you want, not just the job you have. I like that.
I also like the idea that we can go from the office to the expensive restaurant with the parents of a recruit or donor by simply walking out the door rather than having to run home and change.
Culture/standards/compromises
First, culture. Well, first, the price. Prices are never negotiable. Your goals are, the price isn't. The more you compromise, the more you make loopholes, the less likely you are to ever move forward, but the more likely you are to stay exactly where you are.
If someone does not contribute toward the culture shift wholly, then they go. A handshake, thank you very much, good luck in the future, goodbye. That's simply all there is. The moment you start offering outs because they don't try hard but they have a great attitude, then you open yourself up to holes others will exploit and push back in your face.
I read the biography of a basketball coach who said they used to chase the top person on their team out of practice from time to time to show that there wasn't any favoritism, and that everyone from the star down had to work. The thinking was that if the star could get chased out, then I could as well, and that even the star was held to the same standard. I agree with the idea, but not the practice. I'm not going to create a faux situation or scenario where my best athlete "misbehaves" and puts on an act. I'd rather establish the standard as is.
Standards are not set by the top athletes on the team. They are set by the lowest athlete on the team. Otherwise they wouldn't be on the team. You do not need to have star power up and down your lineup. There are times where solid character athletes who work hard come into play. They are the glue for the program. They elevate everyone around them.
At the same time, you must understand that those lower athletes have to contribute in all ways. If you keep someone on the team because they are nice, but they never progress, and don't improve, then you're setting yourself up for both season by season failure as well as negative culture. The idea is that as long as I do one thing well, I get to stay on the team. I don't have to progress as long as I'm a nice person, or I have a high GPA that boosts the program GPA.
That's not positive culture. That's opening a myriad of loopholes for individuals to slip through.
Program death and culture death isn't something that outside forces act upon. Many would try and have you believe that, but the hard reality is that when your program suffers, when culture is down or negative, it's because of self inflicted wounds.
Clothes make the person
It's become popular to dress down in the athletics office. Leggings, yoga pants, warm-ups are becoming an acceptable way to dress.
I can't believe that I'm the person writing this, but I find that unacceptable. Each department and each team determines how the staff dresses but for me, workout clothes are banned. I'm ok with sweaters or hoodies and pullovers, but athletics pants are a no. I received an ad from a company last night talking about their travel pants which were nothing more than sweatpants with zip pockets. That's travel for children. Not adults.
I had a friend who once told me that the reason she always dressed well was because she never knew whom she might run into. But if she were dressed well, it wouldn't matter. She may not be able to go to a 5-star dinner, but she would dress in a manner that allowed her to attend a business casual lunch or meal or go meet with her company CEO at a moments notice.
Dean Smith, the excellent coach for the UNC men's basketball team had the same rule he learned from his boss. Coat and tie meant that you could meet the school president in 5 minutes rather than having to run home to change. I love that rule though coat and tie might be a bit much.
No yoga pants, sweat pants, leggings, warm-up pants, etc. No sandals, slides, crocs, open toes. School colored shirts. T-shirts are fine if you have something over it like a 1/4 zip or jacket. I am ok with hoodies or vests. Polos should be available.
There is a rule out there that says you should dress for the job you want, not just the job you have. I like that.
I also like the idea that we can go from the office to the expensive restaurant with the parents of a recruit or donor by simply walking out the door rather than having to run home and change.
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