The Way It Used To Be

Football personalities share their experiences on the gridiron before laptops, charter jets and mega-million dollar facilities
by: Rex Lardner
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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.”

Tim Brando

Veteran sportscaster and play-by-play announcer Tim Brando has worked at just about all levels of the sports television business: local station anchor and play-by-play announcer for LSU in Baton Rouge, ESPN anchor and play-by-play announcer, football and basketball commentator for Jefferson-Pilot, studio host for CBS Sports and nationally syndicated radio announcer for Sporting News radio...A Northwestern State graduate, Tim lives in Shreveport and offers these thoughts on the changes in college football:

“My feeling is that since Georgia and Oklahoma won their law suit (on television restrictions) in 1984, college football has become more regionalized in scope. With the CFA, bowl alliance, and now conference affiliations tied in with bowls, the sport has become more fragmented. While offering more exposure and visibility to a lot of conferences, it really has become counter-productive in promoting national interest.

“College football is a regional sport and only very early in the season or at its end will you see truly intersectional games. USC may play Oklahoma early in the season but that’s becoming more and more rare. There’s really not a true national attraction week-to-week.

“For fans in various regions, though, it’s ideal. I know SEC and Big 12 fans can’t get enough of their games and with the networks, cable entities, and syndicators, a number of games are televised each week. But there really is no one looking out for the sport on a truly national level.

“My thought is that the BCS has been taking steps each year to improve the system of getting a truly national 1 vs. 2 championship. If we can get an additional game – a fifth BCS contest – I think we’re going in the right direction to declare an overall national champion. Ideally, if we can extract the top four from five BCS games, maybe we can have a final four in college football.”

John Gagliardi

A coaching legend, John Gagliardi has coached St. John’s of Minnesota since 1953 and last fall became the winningest coach in college football history. He surpassed Eddie Robinson’s total of 408 wins in November. Coach Gagliardi offered these thoughts to AFM about how the game has changed over the last fifty years:

“There have been many changes in the game over the last half century. Appearance has changed quite a bit with more facial hair, tattoos, and pierced ears...and that’s just our faculty!

“In all seriousness, I believe the three biggest changes in the game have been: the size and strength of the players, athletic facilities, and the evolution of preparing for your next game by going from film to video tape.

“Facilities at all levels are so much better. This includes athletic fields, equipment, players’ uniforms, and even blocking sleds. When you look back on it, equipment in the 50’s and 60’s would be considered primitive by today’s standards.

“Players are so much bigger – in many of my first teams we only had a few players over 200 pounds. Now, every other player is at least 200 and just another guy. Today’s players are not only bigger and faster but better conditioned and work out year round.

“I remember in my earlier coaching days when we started processing game films we would take it down town to process...we’d only have one copy and of course it had to be shared by all the assistant coaches and players. Now, with the new advances in technology and digital tape, every play can be pulled up and analyzed.

“I recall a few of my teams struggled in the 60’s. I remember Father Coleman (St. John’s President) and I talking about it. I asked him if I’m still in good standing after some rocky years. He said, ‘We love you but if you continue losing, we’ll still love you but miss you, also’.”

Joe Castiglione

Oklahoma University Athletic Director Joe Castiglione has more than 25 years experience in athletic administration, the last six as AD in Norman. A Maryland graduate, Casitglione began his college career as a walk-on football player and then worked in Maryland’s sports marketing department. From there, he went to Rice and Georgetown before beginning an 18-year career at Missouri. He offers this perspective on how the collegiate football world has changed.

“While the game has remained fundamentally the same, there have been dramatic changes in the number of scholarships which has effected everything in the business of intercollegiate sports. Now, more than ever, an athletic department must make sure the student-athlete they recruit is the right person for their specific program.

“I think the sport is healthier than its ever been in terms of television exposure, post-season opportunities, and facilities. All of these factors are now a part of the decision-making process when a recruit narrows his choices. There’s also more creative ways to deal with potential revenue opportunities and fund-raising activities.

“Dealing with coaches compensation has also changed. Rather than working with just a straight salary, colleges want to retain quality coaches and often times this means an integrated package to include additional financial opportunities whether they be radio and television, speaking engagements, and summer camps or some combination. Institutions want more control over the financial aspects of a program.”

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