Welcome to the Hardcore Husky Forums. Folks who are well-known in Cyberland and not that dumb.
One thing I love about DeBoer…
…is how stoic he is on the sideline. Downright Wooden-esque. It’s really something.
People wonder how his players are able to deliver in the clutch, over and over. The answer is multifactorial, of course. But one reason has to be the example he sets on the sideline. He will work over a ref once in a while. But when the game is on the line, DeBoer is utterly poised and stone-faced. It sets a tone.
Tonight, I re-watched the Sugar Bowl. Specifically, ESPN’s “Command Center” telecast, which is a split-screen with continuous cameras on both head coaches. Sark has matured some from his UW days, but he still paces around a lot, makes faces, chatters on his mic, and manifests nervous tics. Big stress energy. By contrast, DeBoer is an absolute rock on the Husky sideline, no matter how insane the shit gets. In fact, the higher the stakes, the more zen he exudes.
Does a head coach’s demeanor influence his players in those moments? I mean, DeBoer’s Huskies are 25-2, with so many games going down to the wire…
32 ·
Comments
If you can't tell, I just got out of a 10-year relationship. Not with a cat; an American woman. And she took my dogs with her. I wish my dogs would come back.
A fun exercise is to do a Google Image search of “(Coach’s Name) sidelines”. (Pictures being worth a thousand words and all.)
Don James you see expressions of a military general or a hitman that will fucking murder your whole family.
Sark you see looks of stress (usually squatting), pissed off, or his patented “dude-brah”/let’s just have a good time!
DeBoer’s collection is a Whitman’s sampler of emotions - his smoldering “Ed Harris” intense expression (rawrrrr), professional/giving direction face (like a cop directing traffic), the “I’m not angry, just disappointed” (also rawwrrrrrr)…but you know what else?
There’s also smiling. Genuinely being happy. Hugging players.
I think that’s very telling.
DeBoner's teams are always prepared, and it's absolutely striking to see that confidence manifested. I used the word "inexorable" before. I don't know how to pronounce it, but I know what it means.
GO BLUE!
“DeBoer exudes charisma without any exaggerated intensity. When he raises his voice, it’s out of necessity, not for effect. For all his clever strategies and exceptional feel for game management, his superpower is the ability to foster genuine human connection. He is present and patient, calm and caring. Do not mistake his way as a sign of competitive ambivalence, though. The man burns to win, and he succeeds at an extraordinary rate.”
fiery border collie husky, proving her worth at every turn. And she could fit into small spaces and stay there. 33 lbs of perfect, I say. She was a fucking terror of energy just coming into her own after years of work and she will be missed. Not by Ernie the shorthair though. What a nightmare.
Godspeed, young Phoebe. Montana would have suited you well.
It's 3am, there's enough Michigan chatter, fuck it.