In the age of computers and analytics, the “old-school” way of coaching––or doing anything––is dying off.
Longtime football coach and current Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, took the time to address the elephant in the room during Thursday’s media press conference.
“I think the younger generation of coaches feel a little entitled,” Pees began his rant. “I think they’re spoiled. . . . Go work in a high school, go work in a Division III school where you’ve got to mow the grass, you’ve got to line the field. You’ve got to do all those things, then you’ll appreciate what you have when you have it. Instead of being 25 years old and wondering why I’m not a coordinator already in the NFL. I didn’t go to New England [Patriots] until I was 55 years old. . . . I felt like I paid my dues. And I feel like it made me a better coach, made me a better teacher. I was a school teacher. I learned how to teach. . . . I look at guys now, they can’t stand up in front of the room and talk to people.”
Inspirational career advice from Dean Pees.
He was talking about coaching, but this advice applies for many professions.
Pees continued, “They can’t. They gotta get on the computer. Everything is still computerized…it’s still a people’s game. Everyone gets on a computer for two years and thinks they can be a coach. It’s not Madden Football. It has to do with people.”
Pees then dove into the problem with analytics and why they lack accuracy.
“The computer told you that,” Pees said. “When did the computer know what the weather was? Whether it was raining, whether the wind was blowing. Whether you were playing good on defense. OK, they say, ‘Well, it’s a two-point game. Should you go for it on fourth down?’ Well, I don’t know. Is the score 42-40 or 6-3? It makes a difference. . . . If they’re playing great defense, don’t. If they’re playing lousy defense, yes. The computer doesn’t tell you that.
Players want to be coached. They do. They do. All of them. They want to be coached. They want to be good. They want to be told what to do and how to do it and correct them. Talk to them and be honest with them. I just don’t feel in this generation that sometimes the coaches don’t have very good personal relationships with players.”
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Pees’ Players and Others Admired His Rant
There were mixed reviews across NFL Twitter following Pees’s 2-minute rant.
For one, his players loved it.
Falcons star running back Cordarelle Patterson is ready to suit up on the other side of the ball for Pees:
Falcons’ injured free safety, Erik Harris, is also a fan:
So is Atlanta’s linebacker Daren Bates:
Veteran tight end Lee Smith said football will never be the same without “these guys” when they’re gone:
Pees even received some love from Raiders’ linebacker Will Compton:
And Miami Dolphins’ DB coach, Gerald Alexander:
Coach Deion Sanders also made his way into the comments:
@AtlantaFalcons Awesome content
Pees Also Took Some Heat
While Pees received endless positive reviews on his rant, he also received some very negative ones, including one from former NFL CEO, Joe Banner:
NFL analyst, Mina Kimes, also chimed in:
@JoeBanner13 why does everyone keep perpetuating the idea that decision making models don’t account for competition
Longtime Buccaneers reporter, Greg Auman, added that relying on the help of analytics doesn’t necessarily take away from building coach-player relationships:
Whether or not you agree with what Pees had to say is completely up to you. However, the overall message he seemed to be trying to get across is to put in the hard work, build those relationships and don’t count on technology––or any shortcuts––to get you to the top.
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Falcons’ DC Receives Mixed Reactions After Rant Labeled as ‘Pure Hypocrisy’