A quality of a great coach is being able to get the maximum effort out of his team every day.
Now, some coaches reach that goal in a variety of different ways but Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and his coaching staff are getting those results but “tricking” the players into getting better while having fun at the same time.
Prior to Thursday’s OTAs, Campbell spoke to the media and he explained how his team is having fun while working their tails off.
“I think we’re just being ourselves,” Campbell said. “I think everybody that I’ve hired here, they’re just being who they are, man. They know how to demand a lot out of the players, but they also know how to tell them when they’re doing a good job. I think that’s what they do well.”
He explained further, “The trick is always how do you get them to work where they don’t even realize they’re working? Well, you make it as competitive as you can, but yet still be smart about it. Just about every player that’s up here — if you’re at this level, you’re probably pretty competitive. And so, you put them in a competitive environment, even as small as it can be, man, they can’t help themselves. The juices start flowing and they just want to be better and they don’t want to be the guy who gets beat by somebody or — it doesn’t matter what the competition is. I think there’s small things in there — even (special teams coach) Dave Fipp’s drill, some of what he does. You’re rounding a bag. The first one to round the bag, five yards, and come back. It’s a punt return drill or it’s a punt cover drill, but it’s nothing like you’re running 50 yards downfield. It’s just small, competitive, small-area. I think that stuff makes it fun, and guess what, they’re getting work out of it. They’re getting better.”
Dan Campbell is pulling all of the right strings so far as head coach of the Lions and I believe that that winning will eventually follow.
