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AFM Magazine


The Way It Used To Be

Football coaching legends share their experiences on the gridiron before laptops, charter jets and mega-million dollar facilities
by: Rex Lardner
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If there is one constant, it is that there are no constants. Over time, everything changes and nothing remains quite the same. Never is this more evident than in the profession of coaching football.

American Football Monthly recently sat down with a few of the game’s greatest coaches for a peek inside the ever-changing world of football. From their first job to their last, their first championship season to their first losing season, AFM has captured it all – Coaches provide AFM with an exclusive journey down memory lane. Maybe you can’t walk in their shoes, but perhaps you can at least try them on. So sit back and enjoy the game of football “the way it used to be.”


Changes in the Game

Barrett Murphy (Louisiana high school, college, and pro coach, 1960-1997)

“Kids today are bigger, stronger, and faster than they were when I first began coaching. There’s more attention, as well, to nutrition, strength, and conditioning. Just about each coach in high school now has a strength coach as well as specialized assistants. It wasn’t uncommon years ago for a head coach to have two assistants and that’s it.

“Offenses have also exploded over the year. High school teams don’t rely on the ‘three yards and a cloud of dust’ philosophy. Now, it’s specialized versions of the option, a Run ‘n Shoot offense or the West Coast Offense. Plus, television has helped expose high school football as well as the tremendous interest in recruiting.

“Coaches now tend to spend more time on the psychological aspects of the sport and let their assistants do the coaching. Kids have more choices today than they did years ago and time management is of primary importance to a head coach. He must know how to motivate each and every player.”

A Weekly Ritual

Jerry Glanville (Houston Oilers, 1985-89 and Atlanta Falcons, 1990-93)

Coach Jerry Glanville has had a colorful career as a coach on the high school, college, and professional level. He has told may stories, most recently while working for CBS Sports HBO Sports, and The Football Network. An oustanding defensive coach throughout his career, Glanville is probably known more for one time leaving two tickets at the box ofice for Elvis Presley than he is for his preparation of any defensive scheme.

Traditions, rituals, and superstitions are a part of football at every level. Glanville tells the tale when he was Head Coach of the Falcons in the early 90’s. Atlanta had a difficult time winning on the road so one year Glanville conceived this scheme: before every away game one of the players was assigned to cut small pieces of grass and turf from Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, place them in a bag, and take it with him on the flight to the next game. Then, on game day, right after the coin toss, ‘home’ grass and dirt would be sprinkled at mid-field. Glanville’s motive: while playing in hostile territory, there was a ‘feeling’ of being back home. It must have worked: the Falcons swept four west coast opponents on the road that year and made the playoffs.

High School Sports

John McKissick (Summerville High School, Summerville, SC, 1952-Present: 510 wins and 9 state championships)

South Carolina high school coach John McKissick is considered a living legend in the south – his Summerville High School team has won 510 games in his tenure. This fall, the 77 year old mentor leads the Green and Gold for the 53rd consecutive year. While reflecting on how the high school game has changed over half a century, Coach McKissick gives these observations:

“I believe years ago the kids were tougher,many of them having to work to help support their families in addition to playing football. Squads were limited and we only had 25 players on a team in the 50’s with most players going both ways. Many played hurt because there really weren’t trainers to speak of in those days.

“Over the years, the training methods, technology advances, and year-round programs have produced bigger, stronger, and faster athletes. Now, like many schools, we have complete offensive, defensive, and special team units. Television has been a big factor for our players – the exposure has helped the sport so there’s more familiarity with programs around the country. But exposure has also been a negative – there’s always a player that thinks he’s the next NFL millionaire and his play may be more individual and less of a team concept. I feel our athletes should play as many sports as they can while with us – not just football. It helps develop other skills and there’s always time for the weight room and other types of training in the off-season.”

His record reflects his philosophy. His program has produced a number of state championships as well as ten players that made it to the NFL.






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