Post by Aggie One on Dec 8, 2005 7:27:36 GMT -5
Head Coach Lee Fobbs, Jr.: Keys to Quiet the Masses
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
The cheers were loud and enthusiastic as Lee Fobbs, Jr. was introduced as the new head football coach of the North Carolina A&T last Saturday afternoon at his first public appearance before the Aggie nation at A&T/South Carolina State basketball game.
The major contributors and supporters of A&T athletics quickly glad handed the brand new steward of Aggie football fortunes with enthusiasm knowing that that they had a new captain at helm the ship that had wanted the job and the challenge ahead of him.
They embraced the fact he was more than willing to step into a situation of a once proud program that had fallen on recent hard times without reservation or complaint.
Coaches of perhaps younger years would have been awed by the spirited reception he received. Wondering if he was the flavor of the month, most boosters relieved that the old regime had left town, just easing the frustration of two straight years of embarrassment and humiliation, just a new face, not necessarily to support, but to rally around.
Being questioned from the outset regarding his capabilities and because he had waited in the wings for nearly three decades of 1-A collegiate coaching, most of it on the offensive side of the ball, as primarily one of the best running back coaches of some of the most potent rushing attacks in the SEC and the Big 12 for most of his career, he still is being shortchanged by some people as to whether he has enough of a golden resume or previous experience as a head coach to be up to the task of rebuilding A&T into winning program again.
If you are one of those who question his capabilities to be an effective head coach, you may want to rethink your knowledge of college football beyond just watching ESPN’s Sports Center on Saturday night between those midnight sips of Crown Royal.
Fobbs was no random pick just to fulfill a commitment made by the administration to quickly name a successor. He was athletic director Dee Todd’s top choice from the very start and the courtship was an intense one from the beginning.
Fobbs biggest positive traits are, it relates to his coaching philosophy, his rabid attention to detail, recognition that recruiting is the lifeblood of any good football program, his commitment to not sit back and become complacent, and a unquestioned work ethic.
If as an interviewer you are looking for certain character traits first rather than a long laundry list of personal achievements to help determine if a potential hire will be the organizational know how needed to give direction to a rudderless ship, then Fobbs is your man.
If by the same token, you prefer that candidate come with a track record of successful head coaching stops, albeit in somewhat limited or different circumstances than what your own personal criteria called for, then Fobbs probably doesn’t and won’t suit you.
Todd’s choice of Fobbs tells a much as you will ever need to know about what qualities are of the greatest importance in her mind and where she intends to lead the athletic department in the future.
A&T is breaking ranks with the traditional way of doing business at HBCUs and it will not be easy to accomplish that feat in an atmosphere that naturally resists changes of any major sort, and heaven forbid, the spoken but never acknowledged prejudicial fact held by many people, of having a woman making the most vital of decisions on how male revenue sports will be run.
So what can Fobbs do in his first days to reassure that faction of A&T fans who still doubt he was the right pick at this moment for A&T football? Probably not much since their minds were made up from the day he was named head coach. But they don’t represent anywhere near the majority feeling of dozens of A&T supporters that I have talked to in recent days.
What Fobbs can do to reenergize the A&T alumni and the bulk of the Aggie fan base depends on his achieving four major objectives between now and the end of March.
Objective 1 – Win over his present players. This is the least talked about aspect of any coaching change. Players who were recruited by another coaching staff often have feelings of desertion in having to learn a new staff and are usually apprehensive about how their roles may change. Fobbs has great communication skills and a hint of personal charisma, as displayed in his press conference, and should have a lot more success than his predecessor in keeping this club together in the transition period.
Objective 2 – Build a quality coaching staff from the ground up. Fobbs was hired on the basis of his experience not as a head coach but as someone who understood the inner workings of Division One football and what coaching techniques are used that often outclass smaller division programs.
There has been a collapsing of positions already with Fobbs naming himself his own offensive coordinator, not exactly a revelation in the MEAC where four of the eight schools already do. Certainly given Fobbs background, a running back coach position is off the table for next season.
Even though it is not a given, most observers expect special teams assistant Mike Stewart to remain on Fobbs’ inaugural staff doubling also as perhaps his quarterback coach.
First year receivers coach Mike Sulkowski will be most likely to be another hold over and may probably be elevated to recruiting coordinator as well because of his ties to the large east coast prep school and junior college ranks and a productive year with the receiving corps this past season.
Fobbs’ most important hires will be his defensive coordinator, on the offensive line, linebacker, and secondary. Assuming three position coaching spots are already accounted for, it puts him an improved financial position to bring in additional quality candidates with D-1 backgrounds much like himself. That may be conjecture but it would follow the logical pattern of events of the past three weeks.
Objective 3 – Don’t lose a recruiting class. The rapid naming of a head coach put A&T back on fairly even ground with its competition in a race to sign a significant first class, a major setback back in the last coaching change because of the long drawn out process of three years ago.
Stewart will play the key role in helping to identify and sign in-state products and his 31 years in the high school ranks is a major plus for a coach who is new to the state and unfamiliar as to where the “bodies are buried” in North Carolina.
No question that Fobbs will look to his old stomping grounds to bring in some out-of state players in the football rich areas of Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana while intensifying the search for capable D-1 transfers to address some immediate needs that would have an immediate impact on filling needs especially in the kicking game, linebacker, tight end, and the secondary.
What he can not do is ignore the equally rich areas of Virginia and South Carolina. Contacting as many prospective student athletes of whom have shown an interest in becoming part of A&T football is the top priority, something tragically ignored the last two years.
Objective 4 – Get out of the office and meet the Alumni and the Aggie Club chapters as soon as possible. Much of the head scratching and gossip has occurred because no one really knows Lee Fobbs east of the Mississippi.
It is imperative that he make himself available during and after the recruiting process in following up recruiting leads with phone calls to as many Aggie alums and fans that time will allow. He needs to met with all of the Aggie Club chapters and be up front and honest with them on what is going on with his retooling of A&T football.
Fans tend to rest easier and far more agreeable and helpful when they feel they are in the loop on what is occurring and feel they have a personal stake in participating beyond writing the annual checks each year.
A&T is indeed fortunate to have a booster organization such as the Aggie Club, now numbering 600 plus strong and consistently fund raising to a tune of over six figures annually while providing a ton of other support services to the athletic department.
Most HBCUs would kill to have such a passionate and effective group of athletic supporters on hand and in the numbers of which A&T can proudly boast. Todd recognized that fact from day one and I seriously doubt that factor will be lost on Fobbs as well.
Establishing a good rapport with this group will go a long way increasing the amount and frequency of those checks. Proper politicking with the alumni can make a big difference by keeping the wolves off your heels in lean years and open the flood gates to many wallets and purses during good ones.
Those are just some of things that need to be achieved right away in the next few months before the football team even hits the spring practice field. It’s a simple recipe for getting the Lee Fobbs era off the ground and up running on the right foot.
Who knows, even some of the most skeptical of A&T fans may just begin to look at things in a little bit different light, at least until he gets that first win out of the way next fall.
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
The cheers were loud and enthusiastic as Lee Fobbs, Jr. was introduced as the new head football coach of the North Carolina A&T last Saturday afternoon at his first public appearance before the Aggie nation at A&T/South Carolina State basketball game.
The major contributors and supporters of A&T athletics quickly glad handed the brand new steward of Aggie football fortunes with enthusiasm knowing that that they had a new captain at helm the ship that had wanted the job and the challenge ahead of him.
They embraced the fact he was more than willing to step into a situation of a once proud program that had fallen on recent hard times without reservation or complaint.
Coaches of perhaps younger years would have been awed by the spirited reception he received. Wondering if he was the flavor of the month, most boosters relieved that the old regime had left town, just easing the frustration of two straight years of embarrassment and humiliation, just a new face, not necessarily to support, but to rally around.
Being questioned from the outset regarding his capabilities and because he had waited in the wings for nearly three decades of 1-A collegiate coaching, most of it on the offensive side of the ball, as primarily one of the best running back coaches of some of the most potent rushing attacks in the SEC and the Big 12 for most of his career, he still is being shortchanged by some people as to whether he has enough of a golden resume or previous experience as a head coach to be up to the task of rebuilding A&T into winning program again.
If you are one of those who question his capabilities to be an effective head coach, you may want to rethink your knowledge of college football beyond just watching ESPN’s Sports Center on Saturday night between those midnight sips of Crown Royal.
Fobbs was no random pick just to fulfill a commitment made by the administration to quickly name a successor. He was athletic director Dee Todd’s top choice from the very start and the courtship was an intense one from the beginning.
Fobbs biggest positive traits are, it relates to his coaching philosophy, his rabid attention to detail, recognition that recruiting is the lifeblood of any good football program, his commitment to not sit back and become complacent, and a unquestioned work ethic.
If as an interviewer you are looking for certain character traits first rather than a long laundry list of personal achievements to help determine if a potential hire will be the organizational know how needed to give direction to a rudderless ship, then Fobbs is your man.
If by the same token, you prefer that candidate come with a track record of successful head coaching stops, albeit in somewhat limited or different circumstances than what your own personal criteria called for, then Fobbs probably doesn’t and won’t suit you.
Todd’s choice of Fobbs tells a much as you will ever need to know about what qualities are of the greatest importance in her mind and where she intends to lead the athletic department in the future.
A&T is breaking ranks with the traditional way of doing business at HBCUs and it will not be easy to accomplish that feat in an atmosphere that naturally resists changes of any major sort, and heaven forbid, the spoken but never acknowledged prejudicial fact held by many people, of having a woman making the most vital of decisions on how male revenue sports will be run.
So what can Fobbs do in his first days to reassure that faction of A&T fans who still doubt he was the right pick at this moment for A&T football? Probably not much since their minds were made up from the day he was named head coach. But they don’t represent anywhere near the majority feeling of dozens of A&T supporters that I have talked to in recent days.
What Fobbs can do to reenergize the A&T alumni and the bulk of the Aggie fan base depends on his achieving four major objectives between now and the end of March.
Objective 1 – Win over his present players. This is the least talked about aspect of any coaching change. Players who were recruited by another coaching staff often have feelings of desertion in having to learn a new staff and are usually apprehensive about how their roles may change. Fobbs has great communication skills and a hint of personal charisma, as displayed in his press conference, and should have a lot more success than his predecessor in keeping this club together in the transition period.
Objective 2 – Build a quality coaching staff from the ground up. Fobbs was hired on the basis of his experience not as a head coach but as someone who understood the inner workings of Division One football and what coaching techniques are used that often outclass smaller division programs.
There has been a collapsing of positions already with Fobbs naming himself his own offensive coordinator, not exactly a revelation in the MEAC where four of the eight schools already do. Certainly given Fobbs background, a running back coach position is off the table for next season.
Even though it is not a given, most observers expect special teams assistant Mike Stewart to remain on Fobbs’ inaugural staff doubling also as perhaps his quarterback coach.
First year receivers coach Mike Sulkowski will be most likely to be another hold over and may probably be elevated to recruiting coordinator as well because of his ties to the large east coast prep school and junior college ranks and a productive year with the receiving corps this past season.
Fobbs’ most important hires will be his defensive coordinator, on the offensive line, linebacker, and secondary. Assuming three position coaching spots are already accounted for, it puts him an improved financial position to bring in additional quality candidates with D-1 backgrounds much like himself. That may be conjecture but it would follow the logical pattern of events of the past three weeks.
Objective 3 – Don’t lose a recruiting class. The rapid naming of a head coach put A&T back on fairly even ground with its competition in a race to sign a significant first class, a major setback back in the last coaching change because of the long drawn out process of three years ago.
Stewart will play the key role in helping to identify and sign in-state products and his 31 years in the high school ranks is a major plus for a coach who is new to the state and unfamiliar as to where the “bodies are buried” in North Carolina.
No question that Fobbs will look to his old stomping grounds to bring in some out-of state players in the football rich areas of Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana while intensifying the search for capable D-1 transfers to address some immediate needs that would have an immediate impact on filling needs especially in the kicking game, linebacker, tight end, and the secondary.
What he can not do is ignore the equally rich areas of Virginia and South Carolina. Contacting as many prospective student athletes of whom have shown an interest in becoming part of A&T football is the top priority, something tragically ignored the last two years.
Objective 4 – Get out of the office and meet the Alumni and the Aggie Club chapters as soon as possible. Much of the head scratching and gossip has occurred because no one really knows Lee Fobbs east of the Mississippi.
It is imperative that he make himself available during and after the recruiting process in following up recruiting leads with phone calls to as many Aggie alums and fans that time will allow. He needs to met with all of the Aggie Club chapters and be up front and honest with them on what is going on with his retooling of A&T football.
Fans tend to rest easier and far more agreeable and helpful when they feel they are in the loop on what is occurring and feel they have a personal stake in participating beyond writing the annual checks each year.
A&T is indeed fortunate to have a booster organization such as the Aggie Club, now numbering 600 plus strong and consistently fund raising to a tune of over six figures annually while providing a ton of other support services to the athletic department.
Most HBCUs would kill to have such a passionate and effective group of athletic supporters on hand and in the numbers of which A&T can proudly boast. Todd recognized that fact from day one and I seriously doubt that factor will be lost on Fobbs as well.
Establishing a good rapport with this group will go a long way increasing the amount and frequency of those checks. Proper politicking with the alumni can make a big difference by keeping the wolves off your heels in lean years and open the flood gates to many wallets and purses during good ones.
Those are just some of things that need to be achieved right away in the next few months before the football team even hits the spring practice field. It’s a simple recipe for getting the Lee Fobbs era off the ground and up running on the right foot.
Who knows, even some of the most skeptical of A&T fans may just begin to look at things in a little bit different light, at least until he gets that first win out of the way next fall.
Yeah, I also call them "arm chair quarterbacks!" They want to second guess everything.
:)Thanks Maxwell! I will tune in tomorrow for more good news........HOPEFULLY, and insight of Asst Coaches or Coordinators 
NOT EVEN INCLUDING MY MOM & DAD YRS that would be 43 yrs 
