[NU Sports] Great article about Randy Walker

[BSchooler at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/24/2005 12:25:30 AM Central Standard Time, 
thehaze at earthlink.net writes:

> A glowing piece on our coach was in Friday's Sun-Times.  I think we have 
> an outstanding person as our coach.  I'm glad Mark Murphy feels the same 
> way. -- Jim B.
> 
> http://www.suntimes.com/output/campus/cst-spt-nu23.html
> 

I read the article and came away with the opposite conclusion - that maybe 
Randy Walker isn't such an "outstanding person". I base this conclusion on the 
following statements:

Walker - "He told his players that being a leader didn't mean being 
somebody's friend. He told them that being a leader meant telling people what they 
needed to hear, even if that was uncomfortable."

I disagree with this definition of leadership. Positive reinforcement has 
just as an important role in successful leadership as does negative 
reinforcement. Besides, the most successful leaders lead by example; not intimidation. My 
guess is that this Northwestern team fights for each other; not the coaches. 
It's the same mentality that motivates a military basic training company; 
they've have only each other to rely upon after enduring a horrible experience 
together. I wish Walker had more motivational arrows in his quiver besides fear and 
intimidation.

Walker - "'I'm always the bad guy',Walker said this week as the Wildcats 
prepared to face UCLA in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 30 in El Paso, Texas. 'I tell the 
staff and the leaders of the team, 'It'd be nice if some of you would take a 
little of that on.' I feel like the Wicked Witch of the West all the time, but 
I'm not afraid of being unpopular. I worry about trying to do the right 
thing'.''    

My take on this quote is that Walker is whining because no one else on his 
staff (since Glowik, Wilson and Kromer were run off) is willing to be the "bad 
guy" (ie. bully and intimidate players) while, at the same time, justifying 
this approach by rationalizing that he's just worried "about trying to do the 
right thing". Of course, this completely ignores the possibility that other 
coaches on the staff, as well as players, may prefer to motivate through means 
other than fear and intimidation. Like "being somebody's friend"? Interestingly 
enough, we've had some folks on this List, including Jim Bendat, who have 
recently excoriated the late Woody Hayes for being a "bad guy" but don't seem to 
object to Randy Walker assuming this role. And by the way, it's no coincidence 
that Randy Walker has held up Woody Hayes as one of his coaching role models.

Walker - "Walker said he comes from a time when the priority was doing what 
was in the best interest of the student-athlete and the group. It wasn't about 
just making people feel good. That tough love is hard for his players to 
accept sometimes, but it is getting results on the field."

Walker has erected a straw man. At Northwestern, and most other schools, I'm 
sure, there never was a time when the priority hasn't been "doing what was in 
the best interest of the student-athlete and the group". Walker then destroys 
the straw man by saying, "It wasn't about just making people feel good." 
Which, of course, is Walker's justification for his "tough love" approach. If you 
are stupid enough to buy this sophistry, then I suppose you can come to the 
conclusion that "tough love" and "making people feel good" are mutually exclusive 
motivational approaches.

Walker - "'Everyone talks about the Rose Bowl, and that was one of the 
greatest achievements in this school's history,' Walker said of the 1995 team 
coached by Gary Barnett. 'But three years later, they didn't win a Big Ten game.'"

I feel this statement is a poor reflection on Walker's character. It shows 
jealousy and insecurity. Why even bring up Barnett's history at Northwestern? 
But if you're going to do so, why denigrate it by pointing out the failure to 
win a Big Ten game in 1998? (While failing to mention Northwestern's shared Big 
Ten title in 1996). Wouldn't it have been much more gracious for Walker to 
have said something like, "Coach Barnett laid the foundation for our success with 
a great break through season in 1995 that led to a Rose Bowl appearance. We 
feel we're building the consistency at Northwestern which will lead to another 
Rose Bowl appearance in the not too distant future."

Walker - "'I've made clear my commitment to Northwestern,' Walker said. 'I'm 
not a 1-800 guy, calling everybody. Does everybody have a price? Sure. But 
there's a value in the kind of kids I get to coach, the institution I represent, 
where I live. I don't know if there's a better job.'''   

Walker must be a liberal. He thinks we're so dumb we won't remember that he 
said something just the opposite a few years ago. Remember? When things were 
going poorly during the 2002 season, Walker was quoted in one of the Chicago 
papers boasting about how he gets calls about other jobs. I'm not so sure these 
job inquiries Walker says he received weren't fabrications; but nevertheless, 
the purpose of going public about calls about other jobs back in 2002 (an 
incredibly unprofessional move) was to threaten Northwestern with how he could 
leave anytime he wanted if he felt Northwestern didn't appreciate his services.

And now for my disclaimer made necessary by the assistant Pop Warner coach in 
Delaware who refers to himself in the third person as "Coach". This doesn't 
mean I'm a person from Texas who "hates" Coach Walker. I feel he's done some 
very good things at Northwestern. He has built some consistency. He has 
developed teams that never quit. He has produced an outstanding record of graduating 
his players. But yesterday's article in the Sun Times is worthy of discussion. 
Some people think it shows that Coach Walker is "an outstanding person" while 
others, like myself, don't.

Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah!

Bob Schooler