In-Depth Interview with Randy Edsall (By Eric Prisbell)

[Danielos38]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/sports/randy-edsall-discusses-his-first-maryland-season/

This interview is quite long but all of it is well worth a read.

There's a lot to discuss here.

[OregonBird]

I like RE a little more after this interview. It sounds likes like he got a bad rap in a lot of areas and it also sounds like there were a lot of whiny kids and parents. More importantly it sounds like he recognizes that he made some mistakes and wants to correct a few things.

There's never ANY reason for a player to curse out a Coach to his face. It's called respect. Listen, then speak. Then, if needed, disagree without being disagreeable.

Failed drug tests by kids? I wouldn't want those kids in my program. Get clean or see you later. No problem with that.

Be mindful of your appearance b/c you never get a chance to make a first impression? I don't have a problem w/him communicating that either. How that got misconstrued into not being able to wear earrings or dreadlocks on campus is something we can only speculate.

I am somewhat surprised to see that he didn't implement some of these new ideas from the beginning. It just seems odd that an experienced head coach didn't have different "tools" in mind to win over the hearts and minds of guys he didn't recruit and to bring a team together.

[adamwolff11]

Well, say what you will about his coaching and what not, but I don't think you can deny the guy genuinely cares about making his players into better people.

[allstar1579]

Well, say what you will about his coaching and what not, but I don't think you can deny the guy genuinely cares about making his players into better people.

Sounds like a lot of PR spin to me. Most of these reports we heard contradict a lot of this, and reading between the lines, you can see where those stories could easily be true based on what he was saying trying to denounce them.

That's great that he cares so much, blah blah blah, but all I heard here was more it's the players fault, it's the parents fault, it's not my fault, I'm innocent. Rubs me the wrong way.

[Danielos38]

I'll start off with the positive here. This interview reminded me of what I often forgot in the midst of this terrible season: Randy Edsall is a genuinely good guy who wants the best for his players.

That said, everything else about this interview I hated. There were a few things that bugged me. At a few points in the interview, Edsall talks about he thinks that he is too honest. Well, that's total crap because the fact is that he blamed all the problems on someone else when some of them were his fault.

There were also multiple times where Edsall talked tried to defend his militaristic policies by saying that he's trying to foster a team atmosphere rather than people being "individualistic". His problem is that he won't let anyone make some mistakes on their own. He over regulates the crap out of them. They can't wear earrings because it will look bad in a job interview? Tell them that, and if they don't listen, let them not get the job. They have to all wear the exact same thing when lifting? They can't all just wear some kind of athletic Maryland gear? I was unaware that this public institution has a uniform policy. Edsall is doing whatever he can to build what he thinks is a "team" but is really a military. No one signed up to play football so that they could prepare for a career in the Army. It's absolutely ridiculous. They take away your individuality in the military so that you can fight an enemy at war. Though you can make a loose analogy between football and war, it's not even close to the same thing. No one goes to college to play football so that they can be transformed into a robot soldier.

I consider myself a good kid. My dad was in the Navy for 16 years so I was raised on a bunch of those values. Many of them are the same values Edsall is preaching. I study hard and stay out of trouble. There is absolutely no chance in hell that I would ever play for Randy Edsall. If I'm going to college to play football, I want to be in college, not fight Al Qaeda. I'd go to one of the other million schools that have coaches who care about their players but also let them be themselves a little bit. This is coming from a kid who grew up in a household where some restraint and discipline was taught. The socio-economic situation of many of these football players is very different from what I grew up in. None of the kids who grew up in bad households are suddenly going to accept this incredible level of discipline and regimentation having known only the opposite their entire lives. If I wouldn't play for Edsall by any means, I would be shocked to be able to find a team of good enough football players to win that ACC that would.

All that said, I'll give Edsall another chance. I hope he proves me wrong. I just want this team to win. But if half of this crap continues, I'll be leading the charge to hire someone else.

[Danielos38]

I also forgot to mention this. In the interview, Edsall says that a player told him that the Gossett State Penitentiary thing started when Fridgen was at MD. That player was just trying to save face. It's a boldfaced lie. I know for a fact that it's about Edsall.

[glenn__davis]

There were also multiple times where Edsall talked tried to defend his militaristic policies by saying that he's trying to foster a team atmosphere rather than people being "individualistic".

Just wanted to say - I completely get the point that Edsall's way is not for everyone. However, just because you would not be willing to conform to it does not mean others will not and does not mean that it cannot be effective. Especially at the college level, where some kids are ready to handle more individual freedoms and some, quite frankly, aren't.

To say no one wants to be turned into a "robot soldier" is, IMO, a reach. Kids who truly have aspirations to excel at football want to go wherever it is that they feel those skills will be best honed. For some, that means an envirnonment like Edsall's. For others, it does not. You had a group of people who had decided to come to Maryland based partly on the looser environment that was there under Ralph Friedgen. When a different environment was installed, it is not at all surprising that some of those kids were not happy with it. At this point, people will know what they are getting into, so most of these issues will not be issues anymore.

If I were part of a team and a coach wanted me to dress a certain way or appear a certain way, I would do it without hesitation and not feel at all like my "individualism" was affected. But that is me. You and others feel differently, and there is nothing wrong with that either. I think it is just a style that some are not going to be comfortable with.

[NewOwnerNeeded]

I'm glad he did the interview. Some of these things, I wish he had said when he got here. But I don't know if they would have been received well then. He should do more things like this, but winning will be the ultimate mind changer.

The bottom line is he wants to do things a certain way. The players that were here when he got here were used to doing things a different way. Some of it may have been wrong, but mostly I think it was just different. Some will be mad and leave, others will be mad and deal with it, and others will just adjust. He will bring in guys that know the deal up front and will be able to handle what the coaches are asking. Whether that will translate into wins will be another story.

[glenn__davis]

BTW, loved the interview, but can't believe he went 3rd person in the final paragraph, hahaha.

[OregonBird]

I'll start off with the positive here. This interview reminded me of what I often forgot in the midst of this terrible season: Randy Edsall is a genuinely good guy who wants the best for his players.

That said, everything else about this interview I hated. There were a few things that bugged me. At a few points in the interview, Edsall talks about he thinks that he is too honest. Well, that's total crap because the fact is that he blamed all the problems on someone else when some of them were his fault.

There were also multiple times where Edsall talked tried to defend his militaristic policies by saying that he's trying to foster a team atmosphere rather than people being "individualistic". His problem is that he won't let anyone make some mistakes on their own. He over regulates the crap out of them. They can't wear earrings because it will look bad in a job interview? Tell them that, and if they don't listen, let them not get the job. They have to all wear the exact same thing when lifting? They can't all just wear some kind of athletic Maryland gear? I was unaware that this public institution has a uniform policy. Edsall is doing whatever he can to build what he thinks is a "team" but is really a military. No one signed up to play football so that they could prepare for a career in the Army. It's absolutely ridiculous. They take away your individuality in the military so that you can fight an enemy at war. Though you can make a loose analogy between football and war, it's not even close to the same thing. No one goes to college to play football so that they can be transformed into a robot soldier.

I consider myself a good kid. My dad was in the Navy for 16 years so I was raised on a bunch of those values. Many of them are the same values Edsall is preaching. I study hard and stay out of trouble. There is absolutely no chance in hell that I would ever play for Randy Edsall. If I'm going to college to play football, I want to be in college, not fight Al Qaeda. I'd go to one of the other million schools that have coaches who care about their players but also let them be themselves a little bit. This is coming from a kid who grew up in a household where some restraint and discipline was taught. The socio-economic situation of many of these football players is very different from what I grew up in. None of the kids who grew up in bad households are suddenly going to accept this incredible level of discipline and regimentation having known only the opposite their entire lives. If I wouldn't play for Edsall by any means, I would be shocked to be able to find a team of good enough football players to win that ACC that would.

All that said, I'll give Edsall another chance. I hope he proves me wrong. I just want this team to win. But if half of this crap continues, I'll be leading the charge to hire someone else.

What do you think these kids would be saying about Edsall's "policies" if the team were 10-2, not 2-10? I'll bet they would be lauding them as a reason for the team's success. They probably would say that it was a little tough at first but after awhile they understood "why" he had these policies and that they saw benefit from them. Winning cures all. I think that was his problem. With his "style" he needed to win and win early, even better if it was against a ranked foe. That would have gotten him instant buy-in. Instead they lost early and it snowballed from there.

Tony and I played HS baseball for the same coach and he was probably more militaristic than Edsall. Our pants and hat had to be put on a certain way, everybody had to wear the same undershirt, cleats had to be polished, on and on and on. They told us specifically, "its our way or the highway" and my favorite, "if you don't want to be a team player and want to be individual star, go play for South River." We worked our rears off every year. The difference: we were one of the best programs in the state year after year. We won a lot of games and we had lots of fun too, despite the regimented program. Other kids didn't mind it either as we'd have over 100 kids at tryouts every spring for 28-30 spots.

At the risk of sounding like an "old fart", what the heck is with these kids today? Adapt for Pete's sake. How hard is it to do what you're asked to do?

[glenn__davis]

At the risk of sounding like an "old fart", what the heck is with these kids today? Adapt for Pete's sake. How hard is it to do what you're asked to do?

I feel like an "old fart" sometimes and I'm 30. Kids are told to "be themselves" and that "who you are is great". And while there's a good message behind that, it too often gets conveyed as "do whatever you want to do and if people have a problem with it it's their fault".

But I agree whole-heartedly with you. Playing football is a privilege, and most of these kids are being given a free education to do it. I would not think it would be that hard to suck it up and put on your free under armor gear to work out in.

[Danielos38]

What do you think these kids would be saying about Edsall's "policies" if the team were 10-2, not 2-10? I'll bet they would be lauding them as a reason for the team's success. They probably would say that it was a little tough at first but after awhile they understood "why" he had these policies and that they saw benefit from them. Winning cures all. I think that was his problem. With his "style" he needed to win and win early, even better if it was against a ranked foe. That would have gotten him instant buy-in. Instead they lost early and it snowballed from there.

Tony and I played HS baseball for the same coach and he was probably more militaristic than Edsall. Our pants and hat had to be put on a certain way, everybody had to wear the same undershirt, cleats had to be polished, on and on and on. They told us specifically, "its our way or the highway" and my favorite, "if you don't want to be a team player and want to be individual star, go play for South River." We worked our rears off every year. The difference: we were one of the best programs in the state year after year. We won a lot of games and we had lots of fun too, despite the regimented program. Other kids didn't mind it either as we'd have over 100 kids at tryouts every spring for 28-30 spots.

At the risk of sounding like an "old fart", what the heck is with these kids today? Adapt for Pete's sake. How hard is it to do what you're asked to do?

When you're a kid who came from a crappy background who has been able to do what you want your whole life, why would you choose to go to a school with militaristic rules?

We're not just talking about discipline here. That would be totally acceptable. We're talking about rules that involve not wearing a hat in a building and everyone wearing the same thing to lift weights. That's crazy. No one wants that.

[OregonBird]

I feel like an "old fart" sometimes and I'm 30. Kids are told to "be themselves" and that "who you are is great". And while there's a good message behind that, it too often gets conveyed as "do whatever you want to do and if people have a problem with it it's their fault".

But I agree whole-heartedly with you. Playing football is a privilege, and most of these kids are being given a free education to do it. I would not think it would be that hard to suck it up and put on your free under armor gear to work out in.

I had to LOL at the one example of the kid who was told to eat at Gossett. Oh... the humanity! I'm sure the food at Gosset is good, plentiful and more nutritious than anywhere else on campus. Let's not forget the big screens everywhere in their exclusive dining room.

Yeah, playing for Edsall is terrible.

[glenn__davis]

We're not just talking about discipline here. That would be totally acceptable. We're talking about rules that involve not wearing a hat in a building and everyone wearing the same thing to lift weights. That's crazy. No one wants that.

Really? It's "crazy" to ask a kid to not wear a hat or to wear certain (free) swag when they lift weights?

I don't think that's "crazy" at all. And if my choice were to play football and get my free education or wear my hat, it's bye-bye hat.

[Danielos38]

Really? It's "crazy" to ask a kid to not wear a hat or to wear certain (free) swag when they lift weights?

I don't think that's "crazy" at all. And if my choice were to play football and get my free education or wear my hat, it's bye-bye hat.

Yeah, it's crazy considering those guys don't have to do any of that stuff anywhere else.

And the decision is never education/football or wearing your hat. It's education/football with no hat and an intense disciplinarian at Maryland or education/football anywhere else with a coach who will treat you like an adult and not a convict.