We need this attitude in all BU admin & board members.
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Baylor Football
Column: Rhule winning already with transparency, sincerity
FRISCO, Texas — Without trying, without making it a big deal, Matt Rhule made some of the biggest critics forget Baylor's stigma of the past in a matter of minutes on Tuesday.
At first read, that probably comes off somewhat pretentious, slightly over the top, even fabricated. But let's be honest: By lunchtime Tuesday at Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Baylor's new head football coach became an instant fan favorite.
Everything the Baylor players, assistant coaches and fans advertised about the proud northerner was reintroduced to -- and then cosigned by -- the rest of the Big 12 Conference.
During a 20-minute interview session, the world met a transparent, passionate go-getter, somebody who managed to gracefully beat every heckler to the unfunny punchlines of the recently checkered past regarding the program, which has included everything from domestic violence arrests to sexual assault scandal. Rhule was open, honest and genuine with every question answered.
It all started with impressive opening remarks: "We're not running from the past, but rather, we're learning from it," he told the media in attendance at Ford Center at the Star.
Those 12 words spearheaded a question-and-answer session that made people say what the Baylor faithful has been saying for months.
He's the guy. And he's the right guy.
No longer is Rhule viewed as the mystery candidate, no longer seen as the former Temple head coach who people had a myriad of questions about. Those who did have concerns are now silent.
All of the love Rhule received via social media is proof that he did everything he was supposed to do Tuesday. It's a new day at Baylor, and every word spoken enforced the new attitude.
The in-state football fans wondered how a guy born in New York, raised in New York and Pennsylvania and who coached predominantly on the East Coast could recruit the state of Texas as a Big 12 coach. The answer: Hire three of the most well-known and respected high school coaches in Texas in Joey McGuire (tight ends), David Wetzel (associate athletic director for football relations) and Shawn Bell (offensive analyst).
The Baylor-specific fans who wondered who'd be the perfect candidate to replace the old regime are no longer worried. Let's remind ourselves that Rhule still has yet to coach a football game for the green and gold. But when you can win over large groups the way Rhule has, wins off the field matter just as much.
He's no longer the enigma. He's the chosen one. And while he has yeoman's work as Baylor's head coach, he's ready for all challenges -- on and off the field. Most of those early challenges will be to continue extinguishing the old reputation of Baylor being an unsafe campus and an untrustworthy institution of higher learning.
"When I arrived in Waco," Rhule said Tuesday, "I knew that there would be challenges, but I also saw a tremendous opportunity to coach the game that I love in a tremendous football conference at a university that shared my personal values.
"That which we don't acknowledge, we're doomed to repeat. I don't know everything that happened, but I know something happened that was wrong. I feel like I'm called to be here -- and to be here in this moment -- to kind of fix this."
Rhule has been adamant about staying transparent about everything. There's no such thing as walking on egg shells. His words: "If we don't talk about it, if we don't learn from it, then what was the point of it?"
Baylor's sexual assault and domestic violence situations have drawn national publicity and left a major scar on the program and the institution. The past is out of Rhule's hands, and he understands that. The future, however, is something he has a hand in controlling, and his plans for the future -- with the assistance of President Dr. Linda A. Livingstone and Athletic Director Mack Rhoades -- are to right the wrongs of the past by way of "building a culture, not an attitude."
"We've instituted educational initiatives related of character, decision-making, respecting others and Title IX," Rhule said, "and we have a staff fully committed to our mission.
"We try to build a culture of excellence where everything counts, where every single day, whatever you're asked to do, you have to do it to the best of your ability. We're trying to do that one man at a time."
But then, there's football. Can Baylor win the Big 12? Can it make a bowl game? Can it compete for a national championship?
Baylor is coming off a 7-6 season, including a Motel 6 Cactus Bowl win against Boise State. That win stopped the bleeding of a six-game skid after the Bears opened 2016 with a 6-0 record.
The 2017 season won't be a cake walk. A Sept. 9 home game against UTSA isn't a guaranteed win. The first road game against Duke on Sept. 16 will be tough. Starting Sept. 23, conference home games include Oklahoma, West Virginia (Oct. 21), Texas (Oct. 28) and Iowa State (Nov. 18). The Bears are on the road against Kansas State (Sept. 30), Oklahoma State (Oct. 14), Kansas (Nov. 4) and TCU (Nov. 24). Baylor and Texas Tech link up at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 11.
Can Baylor get to 10 wins? Can it get to eight wins? Can it at least make a bowl in Rhule's first year? Or, for now, are on-the-field victories slightly secondary?
"We'll practice hard, we'll play hard," Rhule said. "It's the only way I know."
The to-do list appears to be neverending, but Rhule wouldn't have it any other way. And while he continues the uphill battle, he does it wearing a smile and showcasing the Christian values he learned from the parents he's very proud of.
Short term, he's got all eyes -- inside and outside of the Big 12 -- on him. And that's a good thing, simply because of the person he represents.
"I came to Baylor because I knew this was the right place for me. I believed in it," Rhule said. "We're a Christian university. We believe in faith, service and leadership, and we don't stray away from that. We don't hide. We talk very honestly about what our university is about."
Damon Sayles is a feature columnist for SicEm365. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
At first read, that probably comes off somewhat pretentious, slightly over the top, even fabricated. But let's be honest: By lunchtime Tuesday at Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Baylor's new head football coach became an instant fan favorite.
Everything the Baylor players, assistant coaches and fans advertised about the proud northerner was reintroduced to -- and then cosigned by -- the rest of the Big 12 Conference.
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During a 20-minute interview session, the world met a transparent, passionate go-getter, somebody who managed to gracefully beat every heckler to the unfunny punchlines of the recently checkered past regarding the program, which has included everything from domestic violence arrests to sexual assault scandal. Rhule was open, honest and genuine with every question answered.
It all started with impressive opening remarks: "We're not running from the past, but rather, we're learning from it," he told the media in attendance at Ford Center at the Star.
Those 12 words spearheaded a question-and-answer session that made people say what the Baylor faithful has been saying for months.
He's the guy. And he's the right guy.
No longer is Rhule viewed as the mystery candidate, no longer seen as the former Temple head coach who people had a myriad of questions about. Those who did have concerns are now silent.
All of the love Rhule received via social media is proof that he did everything he was supposed to do Tuesday. It's a new day at Baylor, and every word spoken enforced the new attitude.
The in-state football fans wondered how a guy born in New York, raised in New York and Pennsylvania and who coached predominantly on the East Coast could recruit the state of Texas as a Big 12 coach. The answer: Hire three of the most well-known and respected high school coaches in Texas in Joey McGuire (tight ends), David Wetzel (associate athletic director for football relations) and Shawn Bell (offensive analyst).
The Baylor-specific fans who wondered who'd be the perfect candidate to replace the old regime are no longer worried. Let's remind ourselves that Rhule still has yet to coach a football game for the green and gold. But when you can win over large groups the way Rhule has, wins off the field matter just as much.
He's no longer the enigma. He's the chosen one. And while he has yeoman's work as Baylor's head coach, he's ready for all challenges -- on and off the field. Most of those early challenges will be to continue extinguishing the old reputation of Baylor being an unsafe campus and an untrustworthy institution of higher learning.
"When I arrived in Waco," Rhule said Tuesday, "I knew that there would be challenges, but I also saw a tremendous opportunity to coach the game that I love in a tremendous football conference at a university that shared my personal values.
"That which we don't acknowledge, we're doomed to repeat. I don't know everything that happened, but I know something happened that was wrong. I feel like I'm called to be here -- and to be here in this moment -- to kind of fix this."
Rhule has been adamant about staying transparent about everything. There's no such thing as walking on egg shells. His words: "If we don't talk about it, if we don't learn from it, then what was the point of it?"
Baylor's sexual assault and domestic violence situations have drawn national publicity and left a major scar on the program and the institution. The past is out of Rhule's hands, and he understands that. The future, however, is something he has a hand in controlling, and his plans for the future -- with the assistance of President Dr. Linda A. Livingstone and Athletic Director Mack Rhoades -- are to right the wrongs of the past by way of "building a culture, not an attitude."
"We've instituted educational initiatives related of character, decision-making, respecting others and Title IX," Rhule said, "and we have a staff fully committed to our mission.
"We try to build a culture of excellence where everything counts, where every single day, whatever you're asked to do, you have to do it to the best of your ability. We're trying to do that one man at a time."
But then, there's football. Can Baylor win the Big 12? Can it make a bowl game? Can it compete for a national championship?
Baylor is coming off a 7-6 season, including a Motel 6 Cactus Bowl win against Boise State. That win stopped the bleeding of a six-game skid after the Bears opened 2016 with a 6-0 record.
The 2017 season won't be a cake walk. A Sept. 9 home game against UTSA isn't a guaranteed win. The first road game against Duke on Sept. 16 will be tough. Starting Sept. 23, conference home games include Oklahoma, West Virginia (Oct. 21), Texas (Oct. 28) and Iowa State (Nov. 18). The Bears are on the road against Kansas State (Sept. 30), Oklahoma State (Oct. 14), Kansas (Nov. 4) and TCU (Nov. 24). Baylor and Texas Tech link up at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 11.
Can Baylor get to 10 wins? Can it get to eight wins? Can it at least make a bowl in Rhule's first year? Or, for now, are on-the-field victories slightly secondary?
"We'll practice hard, we'll play hard," Rhule said. "It's the only way I know."
The to-do list appears to be neverending, but Rhule wouldn't have it any other way. And while he continues the uphill battle, he does it wearing a smile and showcasing the Christian values he learned from the parents he's very proud of.
Short term, he's got all eyes -- inside and outside of the Big 12 -- on him. And that's a good thing, simply because of the person he represents.
"I came to Baylor because I knew this was the right place for me. I believed in it," Rhule said. "We're a Christian university. We believe in faith, service and leadership, and we don't stray away from that. We don't hide. We talk very honestly about what our university is about."
Damon Sayles is a feature columnist for SicEm365. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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