There was a time when sportswriters and coaches were not adversaries. Sometimes they were even — if not friends — at least friendly. But then the Woodward and Bernstein school of journalism leaked over into the sports world, everything changed.
Coaches became guarded as young reporters tried to make a name for themselves by constantly being on the lookout for a big scoop regardless of at whose expense it may come.
Reporters responded by crying about the public’s right to know while completely ignoring the fact that they were at the bottom of the change in attitudes.
Before this shift in relationships took hold, coaches were more often free to speak their mind. Before the SEC’s Skywriter’s Tour outgrew itself and became SEC Media Days, many a SEC head coach would spend a few hours in the hospitality room swapping stories with media members with the understanding that everything was “off the record.”
Getting a coach to speak “off the record” is pretty much a thing of the past. That is, unless you can assure him that his name will be kept out of print, off the air or will not be mentioned in any form of social media.
That’s why the current issue of Lindy’s Southeastern Football magazine is such interesting reading. On each team story, you will find a box at the end of the Notebook column entitled “Opposing Coaches View.” In that section you will find some anonymous unabridged quotes from other SEC coaches concerning that particular team. It is about the closest thing you will find anywhere to having a coach sit around a hospitality room letting his hair down.
Here is a sampling of what some anonymous SEC coaches had to say about the teams they will be facing this fall:
About Auburn one coach said, “Auburn will be better than they were last year. I thought they were way underachieving, not that they were real talented but they were more talented than their record. They didn’t have a quarterback who could do close to what they wanted to do last year. It will be interesting to see if their quarterback can do what Gus Malzahn wants him to do.”
The success that Nick Saban and Alabama have enjoyed recently has spawned a variety of feelings among fans from jealousy, envy and outrage. But SEC coaches understand what it has taken to get to that point.
“I thought they were lucky to win it last year,” an opposing coach said. “I thought the SEC was down a little bit as a whole. I didn’t think they were a great team compared to other teams in the past. I think they benefited from the fact that there were no great quarterbacks in the league last year, except at Texas A&M, and A&M beat them. I’d be surprised if they won it all again.”
Arkansas had a tumultuous season in 2012 and posted a disappointing 4-8 season after the firing of Bobby Petrino and the interim term of John L. Smith. It led one coach to say, “Nobody ever thoughtArkansashad the best talent year in and year out in the SEC. Now, is there enough talent to recapture where it was when everything was going right? Probably not.”
Florida enjoyed revitalization under Will Muschamp last season. But the Gators were hammered in the Sugar Bowl by Louisville and one coach believed the problem came from the lack of a passing game. But he didn’t pin the blame on quarterback Jeff Driskel.
“I thought their receivers were horrible last year and I couldn’t figure out what they were trying to do. (Driskel’s) got a good arm and the ball comes out with authority. I don’t know if he’s not a good passer or the lack of receivers hurt him.”
Georgia came yards within winning the SEC championship and playing for the national championship last season. One opposing SEC coach believes the Bulldogs are in for more good times.
“Georgia is the best team in the East,” he said. “I know they lost a lot of players on defense, but they have got a lot of defensive players back. They’ve got the best passing quarterback in the SEC and a lot of talented receivers.”
LSU was hit hard by early defections to the NFL Draft and one conference coach believes that will hurt the Tigers this season.
“LSU is going to always be LSU because of the fertile recruiting ground they have,” he said, “but when 11 juniors come out early for the draft that will affect your depth and maturity, not necessarily your talent.
“Year in and year out, They’ve got really good talent. They’re the best-looking team if you line ‘em up and look at them physically.”
You can order Lindy’s 2013 SEC preview by entering our shop from this page.