Grobe Keeps the Fire Inside
If you’re a Wake fan convinced that Jim Grobe doesn’t feel your pain during this most excruciating of seasons, you may be right. But Grobe insisted at today’s gathering to eat chicken and talk football that he is feeling his own. And so is his wife Holly.
The answer began when I asked him how was he holding up under a six-game losing streak that accelerated with Saturday’s 62-14 shellacking at Maryland.
“Holly is not having much fun with me right now at home,’’ Grobe said. “I think it’s easier to take a season like this when you’re younger. I don’t know why.
“But if we didn’t have really good kids that we’re trying their best I’d be a lot tougher on our guys right now. But that’s not the issue. Our kids are trying as hard as they possibly can. And you always have a couple of knotheads. I have a couple of guys who I have to keep dusting them off. But most of my kids right now are trying as hard as they can to get this thing going. And I don’t think there’s an attitude of `Wait until next year.’ I think our kids really want to play good now. Our kids want to win.’‘
The easiest way for a coach to convince his fan base of his competitive drive is to raise a ruckus when things go wrong. If a coach is screaming to the high heavens when he doesn’t get a call, or a receiver runs the wrong route, he may look like he’s taken leave of his senses but at least he’s showing how badly he wants to win. And some coaches—Gary Williams of the Maryland basketball program comes to mind—are just wired that way.
Grobe is not. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a calmer presence on the sidelines. Grobe said there are times he would like to take Buddy Holly’s advice and Rave On.
“I’d like to, to be honest with you,’’ Grobe said. “You don’t get any frustration out when you’re staying calm on the sidelines.
“But I’ve always found that when I get too stirred up I go brain dead. Most of our fans think I’m brain dead right now anyway. So I guess I’m just kind of fitting the mold. But the kids play the game and we’re going to prepare them. We’re going to teach them during the week as best we can. But when Saturday rolls around, it’s their turn to get cranked up and get excited and go play. The best teams we’ve had have been motivated by the players, not the coach. Our guys want to play well and win. Me yelling and screaming at them is not going to get them any more motivated.
“It might give me a heart attack. But it’s not going to get them more motivated.’‘
Personally I’ve always felt the best coaches are the ones who are authentic, who act like who they are instead of who they’re not. And it bears noting that Grobe’s sideline comportmen is the same as it was four seasons ago, the season the Deacons won the ACC and Grobe was named National Coach of the Year.
Wake’s football team has problems. That much is painfully obvious. I just don’t see the fact that Grobe is not a spit-and-vinegar kind of guy as being one of them.
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By Dan Collins on 11/02/2010 (2:22 pm)
Comments
Reminds me of the Tom Landry days at Dallas. He never blew up and was respected by both players and coaches NFL wide. There is a spark missing and it’s causing poor concentration leading to dumb mistakes. This team has a ton of talent, just missing a little fire.
Cowboy Fan on 11/03/2010 (9:53 pm)
Perhaps it is possible for a coach, as with anyone, to become “casual” and “not like the coach who came to Wake ten years ago.” Coach Grobe is now and was then one of the best coaches in the nation, as well as one of the best men. Grobe is getting from his team what they have to give. I thank God WFU has the kind of man and mentor we have. What possible good is going to come from the few who only want to talk about how they don’t plan to give any more money to the university? The complainers have the right to be disappointed and frustrated, but not to be stupid.
Lee Anglin on 11/03/2010 (7:03 pm)
One more thing…someone told me, and I haven’t checked this for accuracy, but I was told this Wake Forest team has given up more points in the first eight games of the season than any other Wake team in history. How do you follow up a 2006 ACC Championship and three consecutive bowl appearances with a team boasting the worst ‘points given up’ total in the history of Wake football four years later? My guess is when you abandon the tendencies and effort that got you to that point, things start heading south…and quick, in Wake’s case.
Casey on 11/03/2010 (3:15 pm)
Wonderful insight from the second-highest paid coach in the ACC: “I think our kids really want to play good now. Our kids want to win.” Mmm…interesting. Last year Wake was ‘complacent.’ This year, we’re ‘young.’ I wonder what the excuse will be next year. This is what happens when you throw mucho deniro at a coach or player. They seem to care…um…less. Grobe almost makes more than Spaziani and O’Brien combined. I guess Wake had to entice Grobe to stay at Wake and reject the temptation of coaching in the SEC, but I’m assuming that Wake continuing to be competitive was still part of the deal. But, maybe not.
Casey on 11/03/2010 (2:59 pm)
From now on out for this season, I for one hope we do try hard to win. There is really no downside at this point to using all four downs whenever there is a chance of making the first down. In so doing if we lose by fifty points, I assure you we would have lost by 40 anyway. I appreciate the coache’s mild demeanor. There is nothing worse than watching some of the antics of these firey coaches. But now is no time to be conservative with strategy.
DannyB on 11/03/2010 (1:28 pm)
Here’s what Coach Grobe is saying Dan. He’s saying that the “blowouts” this year would be more palatable if only they were more “conservative” in running the ball more to keep the scores from being 50 point blowouts. Wake’s “Trying too hard to win”. Are you kidding me, I can’t believe he actually said that? This is what he said: “Our goal is always to win and maybe we try too hard to do that when we get behind, and the score ends up being a big score instead of a conservative score
steven on 11/03/2010 (12:25 pm)
Dan,
I think our skill position players have improved remarkably over the years since Grobe came re. speed, athletic ability, etc. My big concern is our OL and DL. What has happened in regard to these positions that has led us to have a 235 lb. NG anchoring our DL when we’ll be facing 300lb.+ OL this weekend? Our OL has been a problem for several years and the DL has had problems over the last couple of years. Teams are “blowing up” both of our lines in games. What good does it do to have a rifle-armed qb and a 4.3/4.4 receiver if they never get in position to make the play because the qb is running for his life? Same for our rb’s who take a handoff and confront a LB who is already in our backfield taking him down for a loss.
Jim on 11/03/2010 (8:20 am)
Dan I agree, authenticity is vital to any successful head coach. The best coaches are those who are true to themselves and genuine to those they lead. Coach Grobe doesn’t have to be a “spit & vinegar” coach he just has to become a more engaged coach. When you see something flagrantly wrong call the player over and engage him. He doesn’t have to wait for his position to do it. That’s a coaching moment that once it slips away seldom presents itself again. He also has to exude more passion because when you have a more young team that is spiraling downward they’re looking at their head coach for leadership and direction. If they see a coach standing off on his own glaring at no one in particular what are they to think. Coach Grobe is a good coach and a better man. He simply needs to share his fire with those he’s coaching, not to scorch them but to warm them up.
Deac Fan on 11/03/2010 (7:22 am)
Dan,
I could not agree with you more here. The football team’s problem are not because of any one coach’s personality or style. The question is certainly one of substance.
And I am completely willing to accept that for some reason or another, some teams just don’t click the way they need to in order to have a successful season.
But between now and the kickoff of the 2011 season, what is the plan to make sure that we don’t wind up witnessing a recurrence of such a terrible year? And as you mentioned, no one believes that superficial changes to things like the coach’s sideline demeanor are going to make the necessary impact.
DC on 11/02/2010 (3:34 pm)
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