Thomas Nelson

Mike Tomlin says coaches who are afraid of criticism become easier to beat because they start protecting themselves instead of helping their players “Sometimes I got an agenda, and that was kind of my agenda, man. We don’t take enough responsibility as coaches. There’s so much specialization in our business. There’s so many damn coaches and analysts and all of this stuff.” “The generation that raised us, man, they coached every damn thing. They took responsibility for everything. You’re on the field, you’re off the field — they just trained you. I want to be a one-man crusade for that.” “Let’s own everything. Let’s raise these dudes. They need it, man. It’s so many places to hide, man. We got to tell the truth.” “You’re damn right. It’s hard though. People don’t want to be laid naked in front of folks. When you’re coaching the team and you’re being your authentic self, now you’re open for whatever.” “People so scared of criticism. They so scared to say, ‘No, this is my decision. This is what I believe and I’m standing on it,’ that now they hold themselves back from actually helping a player be better.” “They trying to insulate themselves in case it don’t go right. ‘I don’t want to tell you this because if it go bad, then I told you. I’m gonna let you go by yourself.’ A lot of people don’t have the security. They easier to beat.”