Coach Bails out at Halftime

[Chiefwapum]

Wanted some opinions on what you guys think of a coach calling his squad some choice words at halftime then leaving the
team alone for the entire half (long one at that Homecoming for other team) The sad thing is they were in a nail biter and maybe
could have used some adjustments to pull off a win. They were called amoungst many worse things uncoachable but,I ask if none of the coaches are in the room at halftime how can you make that statement. When the chips are down and your coach throws in the towel in a close game what are you teaching for the future of the program? I understand any derogatory statements concerning coaches on this site always leads back to the players and in some years I agree you just dont have enough quality players to get the job done so you deal with it and take your lumps. But, when is quiting on your team a plausable motivation factor. BTW the article in the Tribune by Cory I (Good stuff) was intriguing and I wonder if the tribune caught wind of this as it was extremely good timing for what was witnessed this weekend.

[WildCatz]

Did the guy go home? That's not cool. How long has he been around for?

[WilsonJet]

Coach Zambanini is a quality coach and a quality human being. He is dedicated and loyal to his school and always represents them in a professional fashion. He is knowledgeable and a competitor. The problem I see, and this coming from a man who has never stepped foot in his halftime locker room, a few players who do not step up and are called on the carpet, run home and whine to the parents and community of what a bad coach they have. I am not a CT Indian, no where close to one, but I definately know Coach Zambanini. I am sure he used other motivational tactics throughout the season and maybe felt they were not working. ChiefWapum, not sure what you are reaching for here but you have a fine Coach and if these players "cannot handle the truth" in a halftime speech then maybe they should not play. The locker room is a sanctuary where many things are said in the heat of battle, I am sure Coach Zambanini would do anything to help these kids not only on the football field but in life in general. You appear to question his adjustments or lack of adjustments, it is easy to coach from the stands.

[Prince Sidewinder]

WildCatz - I do not think he went home or left the stadium but left the locker room. He coached the second half, or well the way Chief makes it sounds he just stands on the sidelines and does not do too much coaching. I never knew a coach who did not try and win. Adjustments can be made but do not always work. In Single A football, personnel switches are very difficult to make because you really do not have a lot of players. The ones on the field are usually the best you have.

[Chiefwapum]

Whatever motivational factors he uses is up to him. In fact some of the things said are probably spot on. I dont question his character or his professionalism. I question walking out on a team at halftime. Do your yelling and whatever else is necessary then get down to business and make your changes. This is grade A typical, people always one sided. People like you and I take and interpret our own version of what was said and that's OK as this is a opinion based site. As a matter of fact, I was under the impression that is why it is named bleacher coaches for that reason. I also do not remember naming any coach or team for that matter on this particular post and did not for a reason, you however, seem to be quite familar with the situation. Being that you are not anywhere close to a CT person where in fact did you get any information on this subject (outside of my post) and if you are not around how can you defend something you were not a witness to. Again I stick with what I wrote and question the tactics used in this particular instance. Dont read into more than that just read the original post again.

[ctfan]

First off I am a CT fan, and wilson jet if the chief didn't mention any team or coach why did
you assume it was about CT and coach Z unless you are close to the program. What happened Friday night
is a shame to the student athletes who did look up to him as a coach, and talking to the players they felt he
quit on them. They were in a close game losing 13-7 at halftime and if it wasn't for a silly playcall with a minute
left in the half it would of been tied. My personal feeling is that you teach and make adjustments at halftime, hanging outside the
locker room all of halftime isn't dedication or committment to this team. Let me also say I never had a real problem with coach z
and thinks he is a quality person, but what happened Friday was wrong.

[RamblinMan]

I like Sam alot. He was actually my coach back in the late 80's and if he were my sons coach now It wouldn't bother me one bit. As for bailing, maybe he felt it might help to motivate his players. Maybe he felt he already tried everything to get them to respond and that's all that was left. There is no doubt in my mind that he cares for the kids but sometimes a coach has to go to extreme measures to get a point accross. Tell me as a Parent, none of you have tried to give your kids the cold shoulder after they've disappointed you. I know when I was a kid, I felt even worse if I disappointed my parents and them giving me the silent treatment. Maybe that's what he was trying to do.

It's tough to coach these days and it's easy for us to say what's the right or wrong way of going about things. I was a coach myself down in North Carolina and let me tell you, there is nothing easy about it.

[WilsonJet]

What other team would I think it would be. He has prior post about watching Township Films. He questioned the officiating in the BV/CT game and said he watched the films. Wouldn't you assume!!! He made mention of lack of adjustments in the past by Zambanini. I do not have a pumpkin resting on my shoulders.
I only read some prior post in regards to your disapproval of Coach Zambanini's inability to make second half adjustments. As for the locker room I have been in more than my share and things are said which we seem to agree on. Leaving the locker room, well maybe he got to the point where he really wanted to air it out and left before things got to bad. As for getting down to business, we are six weeks into the season, players should know what the plan is. I am sure, no I know they broke film down all week and reviewed HCs tendencies. Someone is telling you this stuff and that speaks volumes, unless you are a coach or player, and if a player you shouldn't be on bleachercoaches during school hours!, you shouldn't know what was said or why he walked out. He has a thought process and maybe he explained this in so much detail during the week that he figures if they don't get it by now then sit and think about it a little. He is not the first or last coach that stormed from a locker room. If CT was 7-0 right now and he walked out the tune would be a little different. Heck he might have walked out several times in the past and nobody cared. He coaches no different than he coached in 2010 (8-3) and 2011 (7-3) and 2009 (10-2). The only thing that changed is the players.

[WilsonJet]

CTfan maybe he thinks his players are not playing up to expectations, coaches have many tactics to motivate. If my son came home and told me the coach walked out on them, my truthful response would be, "Listen to what he is saying in practice, play harder and do something to make your team better everyday in practice". I have been in locker rooms where coaches through water bottles, screamed yelled and walked out!! You know what I look back and think they were right!! The way I performed, I do not know how he could stand to look at me is how I look back on those days. My coach worked with me all week, explained to me what my opponent was going to do and how they were going to do it. He gave me his time in films and then I go out on the field and play as if I was never coached!! I know why my coach left the locker room. My response was to play harder.

[RamblinMan]

What other team would I think it would be. He has prior post about watching Township Films. He questioned the officiating in the BV/CT game and said he watched the films. Wouldn't you assume!!! He made mention of lack of adjustments in the past by Zambanini. I do not have a pumpkin resting on my shoulders.
I only read some prior post in regards to your disapproval of Coach Zambanini's inability to make second half adjustments. As for the locker room I have been in more than my share and things are said which we seem to agree on. Leaving the locker room, well maybe he got to the point where he really wanted to air it out and left before things got to bad. As for getting down to business, we are six weeks into the season, players should know what the plan is. I am sure, no I know they broke film down all week and reviewed HCs tendencies. Someone is telling you this stuff and that speaks volumes, unless you are a coach or player, and if a player you shouldn't be on bleachercoaches during school hours!, you shouldn't know what was said or why he walked out. He has a thought process and maybe he explained this in so much detail during the week that he figures if they don't get it by now then sit and think about it a little. He is not the first or last coach that stormed from a locker room. If CT was 7-0 right now and he walked out the tune would be a little different. Heck he might have walked out several times in the past and nobody cared. He coaches no different than he coached in 2010 (8-3) and 2011 (7-3) and 2009 (10-2). The only thing that changed is the players.

I agree with everything you said and you did nothing wrong with any of your posts in this thread. Ya know, you are right...back in '89, coach Z did that exact thing to my team as coach. We still lost but we did play better. As a player, by him doing that it gave me and some of the others players the sense that maybe we need to take some responsibility upon ourselves to get the job done. That maybe WE are the ones letting the fans, parents and student body down.