Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary is one of the NFL’s all-time great defenders. That greatness has not extended to coaching.Singletary compiled a 1-21 record as head coach at Trinity Christian Academy in the Dallas suburb of Addison, Texas. Once a consistent contender among Texas private and parochial schools, the team failed to win a single game during the 2019 season. Following the season, Singletary resigned from his position to direct his attention toward motivational speaking and consulting.
A Pro Bowler for most of his NFL career, Singletary manned the middle for one of the NFL’s most feared defenses. He was twice named NFL Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead the Bears to a Super Bowl XX rout over the New England Patriots.
More than a decade after his playing days ended, Singletary entered the coaching ranks, where he has stumbled. He held assistant positions with the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers starting in 2003. During the 2008 season, he was named interim head coach after head coach Mike Nolan was fired. Singletary went 18-22 during his tenure, failing to win more than eight games in any given season.
Education, politics, and anything else that catches my attention.
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Coaching Football
Bobby Ross started coaching football in 1965. In 1990 his Georgia Tech team won the national championship. After the 1994 NFL season his San Diego Chargers went to the Super Bowl, losing to the 49ers 49-26. I remember that game: the 49ers scored 49 points, and the score added up to 75--it was the NFL's 75th anniversary year.
After 1996, Army football took a nosedive. In 2003, Army went 0-13. Then Bobby Ross was hired. Things were going to turn around!
They were going to, but they didn't. Ross left Army in 2006 with a 9-25 record.
It takes more than a dynamic head coach:
It is very rare to find a hall of fame player who was also a great coach (in any sport). For every Joe Torre or Steve Kerr (both great players but not HOF), you have Magic Johnson or Isiah Thomas or Wayne Gretzky. Then you also have great coaches like Bill Bellicheck or Gregg Popovich who did nothing as players.
ReplyDeleteI actually live in the area near TCA. When TCA started it was the go to school for the children of social elites seeking to avoid the strict adherence to religion that Jesuit and Ursuline offered. Another football private school is Episcopal Day School and they have their share of scandals aptly documented here:https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2011/october/episcopal-school-of-dallas-sex-scandal/. Anyway, private schools in Dallas are a sign of status regardless of the affiliation. TCA had many pro athletes' kids on their roster for a number of years until schools in Flower Mound and EDS skimmed them off. As a result, while TCA has impressive resumes and amazing facilities along with star studded staffing (you have to have a Masters to even apply) their athletics have suffered largely because no matter how hard they want it, you can't buy ambition. Money doesn't make a champion. BTW, that's also why my former school, topped ranked for many years in Texas, struggled the last three years. People move into the attendance zone thinking it will magically entitle their kids to a free ride in college. They never mention it takes individual effort to achieve.
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