[FarmBoy]

Shaw put it, just as Bill Walsh did years before:  I am not the man in charge of enthusiasm around here.

Passionate coaches have no more effect on player's motivation than quiet ones.  If anything, a player wants to see the stoic coach crack a tiny smile or give him a little pat.  It screams "I am very proud of you."

Influencing your team's motivation and enthusiasm does not have to be through rah-rah BS. Head Coaches can be much more subtle and still impact a players mental state. How a coach communicates their disappoint in a player's effort can either motivate them to try harder or to give up and both outcomes can be achieved by a subtle remark or a screaming match. Admittedly, I was not a college player, but I expect they're human like the rest of us. Some are going to be inherently driven and motivated to succeed, some will give up no matter the encouragement, but the wide swatch will give different levels of effort depending on how they are cultivated by coaches, teammates, environmental factors, etc. It may not be job number one of a coach, but to deny the impact they have is ignoring a powerful tool.

Didn't Harbaugh famously recognize that the team was potentially leaning towards hubris in 2009 (of course, he did so by denying they would experience it, iirc)? And wasn't there a well demonstrated U'SC let down in the 00's because of the emotional drain on a team in playing and beating the Toejams? A good coach recognizes the player's/team's state of mind and influences it to improve the chances of success.

[FarmBoy]

Shaw put it, just as Bill Walsh did years before:  I am not the man in charge of enthusiasm around here.

Passionate coaches have no more effect on player's motivation than quiet ones.  If anything, a player wants to see the stoic coach crack a tiny smile or give him a little pat.  It screams "I am very proud of you."

Influencing your team's motivation and enthusiasm does not have to be through rah-rah BS. Head Coaches can be much more subtle and still impact a players mental state. How a coach communicates their disappoint in a player's effort can either motivate them to try harder or to give up and both outcomes can be achieved by a subtle remark or a screaming match. Admittedly, I was not a college player, but I expect they're human like the rest of us. Some are going to be inherently driven and motivated to succeed, some will give up no matter the encouragement, but the wide swatch will give different levels of effort depending on how they are cultivated by coaches, teammates, environmental factors, etc. It may not be job number one of a coach, but to deny the impact they have is ignoring a powerful tool.

Didn't Harbaugh famously recognize that the team was potentially leaning towards hubris in 2009 (of course, he did so by denying they would experience it, iirc)? And wasn't there a well demonstrated U'SC let down in the 00's because of the emotional drain on a team in playing and beating the Toejams? A good coach recognizes the player's/team's state of mind and influences it to improve the chances of success.