Belleville coach Jermain Crowell mad at UM again

Submitted by Bluey on

This time it appears to be over Zordich's comments in the press regarding LaVert Hill.

I'll say this I've never seen a State coach publicly question a kids toughness from Detroit. Especially a kid who played a entire season hurt the year before.

— CoachJermain Crowell (@JermainCrowell) April 19, 2018

As a matter of fact I've not seen a coach from anywhere else in the country ever do that. Not just State but anywhere. I find that very interesting.

— CoachJermain Crowell (@JermainCrowell) April 19, 2018

Never in the public eye!!! There needs to be a trust amongst coach and player. I see no way that a player can trust a coach who publicly questions your toughness. Interesting situation. I'm just watching.

— CoachJermain Crowell (@JermainCrowell) April 19, 2018

APBlue

April 19th, 2018 at 7:43 AM ^

Often times, yes. I think this level of sports is sometimes different, in that regard.

If Hill is hurt by public comments about his toughness, though, he may want to skip playing at the next level because they won’t hesitate to call out a player’s toughness in the media, if that player appears to be unwilling to play through a couple dings.

Kevin13

April 20th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^

you try all types of ways to motivate and even call out a kid for toughness. Usually when it reaches a point where he is doing it publicly, it's because all other options have not worked.

I don't have a problem with what Zordich has said. He is frustrated and wants his position group to be a strength in the defense not a weakness. To be there you need your players practicing and getting better. A kid has to learn the difference between an injury and being hurt.

rc15

April 19th, 2018 at 9:05 AM ^

Or maybe he knows how to motivate a kid he spends time with every day. Seems to have worked last year. First thing I thought of when I read his comments from the interview was he’s trying to do the exact same thing.

GBGene

April 19th, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^

that you need to help achieve your goals.  I found in my years in business a manager that publicly criticises someone tends to be a poor manager and does not have the respect of their people.  Public embarrassment is a de-motivator.

Pepto Bismol

April 19th, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^

Give me 10 minutes and I'll give you a list a mile long of professional athletes who claim their success is born out of being cut, or passed over in the draft, or under-recruited, etc.  That's not out of the mouth of a position coach, but that's public embarrassment and it is absolutely a motivator.

Some guys need a pat on the ass and some guys are motivated by a verbal ass-chewing. Coaches do it all-day every day in the media and nobody bats an eye. I guess it's not a big deal until they draw criticism from a high school coach on Twitter. That's when we must mount our very tall horses.

growler4

April 19th, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^

There is a difference between criticizing the performance of a group of athletes, in that case the secondary, and criticizing an individual's willingness to practice or play with, perhaps, minor injuries.

Frankly, I was surprised to read Zordich's comments. He could have shared that view internally within Schembechler Hall. 

 

Steeveebr

April 19th, 2018 at 6:07 PM ^

Context:

Mike Zordich missed 1 game his entire NFL career.  

 

When I listened to Zordich speaking to the press I didn't take it so much as him insulting Hill.  I more thought he was speaking from the heart and talking about what it takes to succeed and saying it like it is.  If I were Hill I'd take this as a compliment and also learn from someone who has lived it.  Coaches don't go to this length when talking about the injuries of practice squad players.

ToledoWolverine

April 19th, 2018 at 12:15 AM ^

But he undermines it with his own public calling out and comparison to state. I wasn’t crazy about Zordich’s comments but he is the coach and professional. Perhaps a phone call and conversation would have better served the purpose.

XiX

April 19th, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^

You don't need much runway to jump off the highest cliff, eh? lol

This isn't the first time Zordich called his guys out so Lavert knows exactly what he meant and is still able to do what he feels is best for him. I mean, he's not practicing so...

You are entitled to take whatever you will from what Zordich said but that has nothing to do with this situation. If Lavert misses out on reps and can't perform up to the level of the guys who are practicing then guys will take his spot. But all that will be decided in the fall.

kevin holt

April 19th, 2018 at 1:20 AM ^

Except it somehow made Hill play amazingly this season? And clearly he coached him to play better which is way more important? I mean were his comments even that bad? Why is this coming up now? State in his ear or something? Crowell is the definition of butthurt. Hey Crowell, nowhere in the country has there been as extreme an environment of sexual assault as State. And that's not hyperbole unlike your tweets!

Blue in Paradise

April 18th, 2018 at 11:54 PM ^

But Zordich seems to know what buttons to press for his players. His rant in August had the whole fan base crapping in our pants, and then our starting corners went out and performed at an All-American Level.

It is an interesting one for sure.

In any case, they better have a sit down with Crowell and get it straightened out.

TrueBlue2003

April 19th, 2018 at 12:16 AM ^

was a result of his comments though.  They're really talented CBs. Maybe that's all there is to it.

There really is no need to say those things in public IMO, and putting too much pressure on guys to play hurt seems like a bad Kevin Wilson kind of thing.

Obviously, there's a balance and you want guys to play through some things, but let the training staff decide what they should and shouldn't be playing through.  Coaches aren't doctors.

TrueBlue2003

April 19th, 2018 at 1:40 AM ^

and I'm not saying the coaching wasn't/isn't good overall.  I'm saying the specific tactic of calling these guys out in public for not playing while hurt probably wasn't a button that needed pushing in response to the previous poster saying he knows how to push the right buttons.

Obviously a pretty good coach.  Just like Kevin Wilson and Larry Eustachy.  You can be a good coach (a GREAT coach) and also kind of a jerk, and you can probably cut out that stuff and still be a great coach.

Hail Harbo

April 19th, 2018 at 2:31 AM ^

Do you have evidence that the players in question haven’t been medically cleared? That is in fact a big deal and should a coach be demanding a player participate without being cleared, said coach should be sanctioned. So I ask again, do you have evidence to support your implication that coach zordik is having players participate that aren’t medically cleared?

JonnyHintz

April 19th, 2018 at 5:48 AM ^

But Zordich didn’t demand (publicly at least) for those players to play through injury. He expressed frustration that they weren’t on the field competing and stated the desire for them to get out there and play. Which I’m sure every coach wants his players to be able to go out there and compete every day. Being frustrated a kid is out with injury isn’t even close to what you’re describing. You’re arguing something that hasn’t happened.

Jasper

April 19th, 2018 at 6:20 AM ^

Zordich's tactics (which have already been covered very well in this thread) aside, the Belleville coach seems like a touchy, insecure, high-maintenance guy who's a big STATE fan. (That's easily the most interesting part of his remarks, which would have had much more impact without that tidbit.)

If he'll need to be stroked every time one of his players gets recruited, forget him. Ask any Chicagoan about basketball recruiting in that area. Somewhat similar .....

JFW

April 19th, 2018 at 6:48 AM ^

All i could think of was “express frustration publicly at am injury, vs telling athletes that accusing s pedophile would be too difficult snd hey lets make a card for him” i’ll take Zordich every day of the week.



Say you think Zordich went to far? I’m your man, at least to debate it. Make generalized coaching comparisons with that school? Bugger off.

yossarians tree

April 19th, 2018 at 1:35 PM ^

Two things to consider here, and both could be true. Hill will definitely have to expect to get called out by his coach when he's getting paid. But right now he isn't. 

Hill might be thinking he's not going to go out there for spring practice if he's A) pretty sure he's going to start and B) not 100%. He might even have sights on the NFL after this season. I don't blame the kid for hedging, and I don't blame the coach for calling him out.

Tedbossman

April 18th, 2018 at 11:57 PM ^

Ok guy. Also hard to believe this guy's never seen hard nosed coaching before. Almost like he’s biased or something and going out of his way to try to create a problem. Let the man coach his players. Seemed to work just fine last year.

Wolfman

April 18th, 2018 at 11:58 PM ^

and apparently true according to contributor. Have to wonder why he would do that. Certain ways of motivating players; calling them out for public consumption is a definite no-no. Wonder how he might feel if one of his ex-players were to question his coaching ability for all to read.