Alumni support David Walker as next Head Coach

[rrlbees]

I can PM you who it was as long as you don't make it public.

Perhaps he was just speaking for himself but I believe he implied that it was across the board.

Oh, I completely believe you. It’s just confusing in some ways.

 

[Cusefan95]

Decades ago you just fired someone because they showed up late to work one day. My first job out of college guy walks in 10 minutes late and the manager had already put a box on his desk and told him to pack his ……. Guy was late because his kids school he had to drive through tons of traffic everyday and he was hired knowing that could be an issue some days.

I never saw that, but remember managers getting really frustrated they had to, like - document performances issues and repeated discussions with people before they could just fire someone. Now we’ve progressed to the point where employees coming in “late” due to something like custody arrangements meaning they need to drop off their kids at school some days is often accepted. Honestly this is a much better system now than the one you describe.

The result is that an employee being fired for cause should give some pause to potential other employers. Hiring a guy who get hired for cause as a RB coach to help him get his feet back on the ground (provided he promises his commitment to learn from past mistakes) is not a big deal if it doesn’t work out. But I agree head coach is a non-starter.

 

[Scooch]

The alums I have spoken with recognize that high profile former players get brought back, but there is no outreach to many of the guys that didn’t go off to the NFL or weren’t active with the program for a period of time as they tried to set their lives up. Many have reached out to offer help at camps, practice, mentorship, recruiting help in their area, etc and the current staff is not very receptive unless it’s a big name. Look at the players that have been highlighted in social media. Many of them were stars that went on to be first round picks. Dino’s staff has been a revolving door of outsiders and until recently traditional recruiting areas were ignored despite many offers of help.

A coach is going to run their program the way they see fit and the alums get that. But it stings for many I have talked to that see ways they can help, are rebuffed, and the program continues to be bad.

Got it. That’s great insight. And very disappointing. Given all the many hurdles this program faces, I believe our head coaches should do a lot to court all involvement possible.

 

[qdawgg]

I never saw that, but remember managers getting really frustrated they had to, like - document performances issues and repeated discussions with people before they could just fire someone. Now we’ve progressed to the point where employees coming in “late” due to something like custody arrangements meaning they need to drop off their kids at school some days is often accepted. Honestly this is a much better system now than the one you describe.

The result is that an employee being fired for cause should give some pause to potential other employers. Hiring a guy who get hired for cause as a RB coach to help him get his feet back on the ground (provided he promises his commitment to learn from past mistakes) is not a big deal if it doesn’t work out. But I agree head coach is a non-starter.

I’m a Bears fan. Nobody is going to say what the issue was unless it comes out but he was talked to by HR this year. It wasn’t something small or it would have never come out. He was then fired after doing whatever it was again. There’s lots of things it potentially could be but it clearly wasn’t something little.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I’m a Bears fan. Nobody is going to say what the issue was unless it comes out but he was talked to by HR this year. It wasn’t something small or it would have never come out. He was then fired after doing whatever it was again. There’s lots of things it potentially could be but it clearly wasn’t something little.

So you're saying he wasn't fired for being a bad RB coach.

 

[qdawgg]

So you're saying he wasn't fired for being a bad RB coach.

Correct. Nobody gets fired in Chicago for sucking at their job. And actually the RB’s and run game have been the only positives the last two years on one of the worst teams in the NFL. Either way, what I wrote about his departure is pretty easy news to find. Pretty well publicized in Chicago and nfl news reports

 

[NYCCuse826]

The alums I have spoken with recognize that high profile former players get brought back, but there is no outreach to many of the guys that didn’t go off to the NFL or weren’t active with the program for a period of time as they tried to set their lives up. Many have reached out to offer help at camps, practice, mentorship, recruiting help in their area, etc and the current staff is not very receptive unless it’s a big name. Look at the players that have been highlighted in social media. Many of them were stars that went on to be first round picks. Dino’s staff has been a revolving door of outsiders and until recently traditional recruiting areas were ignored despite many offers of help.

A coach is going to run their program the way they see fit and the alums get that. But it stings for many I have talked to that see ways they can help, are rebuffed, and the program continues to be bad.

It's like a parent trying to tell a coach how to coach or what plays to run. That's not your place to do that. It's the same here. How are you going to help especially if you're not in position to do anything? Has anyone mentioned that people reaching out might be low character and he made a decision that he can't have them around the program? If you have trashed the program, why would you be surprised that you're being kept at arms length? This practice has predated Babers.

 

[Xanadu]

It's like a parent trying to tell a coach how to coach or what plays to run. That's not your place to do that. It's the same here. How are you going to help especially if you're not in position to do anything? Has anyone mentioned that people reaching out might be low character and he made a decision that he can't have them around the program? If you have trashed the program, why would you be surprised that you're being kept at arms length? This practice has predated Babers.

I get your point but it is not exactly the same. This mostly surrounds recruiting access and mentorship of current players and access to private coaching sessions in the offseason. Football is all about networking and access outside the core of your program.

I think you’re using an isolated anecdote shared on this board to say there are “low character” people reaching out. That’s just not true in the aggregate. Many of these alums are highly respected. And I mean I haven’t seen players trash the program until recently as all these frustrations are boiling over. Dino had to get dragged into NJ by JW after a lot of external pressure. Many of our best recruits are now coming from there.

In no way am I saying outsiders should have a say on how the program should be run. But you need a strong alum base, especially when willing to help, to have any amount of success. Bottom line, Dino has done a poor job here.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Got it. That’s great insight. And very disappointing. Given all the many hurdles this program faces, I believe our head coaches should do a lot to court all involvement possible.

On the flip side, you don't need a bunch of unofficial "coaches" showing up and saying things to players that are contrary to how the coaches want them to do things.

 

[Bayside44]

I can PM you who it was as long as you don't make it public.

Perhaps he was just speaking for himself but I believe he implied that it was across the board.

I’ve heard it too. Whatever, cannot say I blame any side

 

[Scooch]

On the flip side, you don't need a bunch of unofficial "coaches" showing up and saying things to players that are contrary to how the coaches want them to do things.

I’d be pretty surprised if that’s what most of these guys want to do. More likely they want to be treated as VIPs and relive their glory days. Like most ex-jocks.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I’d be pretty surprised if that’s what most of these guys want to do. More likely they want to be treated as VIPs and relive their glory days. Like most ex-jocks.

I suppose, but when a lot of guys come back, don't they want to talk to guys currently playing their old position about technique, "this is how we used to do it"?

 

[oldpinepoint]

I’ve heard this as well from the father of a well known player. Also heard the head of the S&c is a piece of work. Bottom line is I don’t think the alumni would be sad

 

[SUbear]

On the flip side, you don't need a bunch of unofficial "coaches" showing up and saying things to players that are contrary to how the coaches want them to do things.

Seems it works at Clemson, they have like twenty volunteer coaching assistants.

 

[Giants1973]

David walker got fired from Bears. Mid season.

 

[Sudano]

So many people are hypocritical. Everyone has skeletons in the closet. Your life isn’t under the microscope like some of these coaches. The cancel culture is a modern day Salem witch trial.

This isn’t me promoting David Walker. Just saying bringing out the pitchforks when someone screws up gets old.

To overuse the term and group everything you don't like and call it cancel culture gets old too.
You don't even know what happened and yet it's some injustice of personal freedom.
I don't know if you can except this but you can get fired for your actions at work. What a concept huh?

 

[tep624]

Yeah uh, no.

 

[Moontan]

Negative, Ghostrider.

 

[FrancoPizza]

To overuse the term and group everything you don't like and call it cancel culture gets old too.
You don't even know what happened and yet it's some injustice of personal freedom.
I don't know if you can except this but you can get fired for your actions at work. What a concept huh?

often times people do make mistakes that are fireable offenses… and sometimes people get fired for BS reasons. Everyone here just assumed it was the former.

 

[shu 49]

The alums I have spoken with recognize that high profile former players get brought back, but there is no outreach to many of the guys that didn’t go off to the NFL or weren’t active with the program for a period of time as they tried to set their lives up. Many have reached out to offer help at camps, practice, mentorship, recruiting help in their area, etc and the current staff is not very receptive unless it’s a big name. Look at the players that have been highlighted in social media. Many of them were stars that went on to be first round picks. Dino’s staff has been a revolving door of outsiders and until recently traditional recruiting areas were ignored despite many offers of help.

A coach is going to run their program the way they see fit and the alums get that. But it stings for many I have talked to that see ways they can help, are rebuffed, and the program continues to be bad.

As I have said on here before, a coach should take and use all help possible unless they are killing it and don’t need it. We have the coach for North Carolina and Williams dad who have ties in great areas and yet we don’t even talk to them and it drives me in nuts. We should use all resources possible to get good kids here. Alumni, former draft picks or not, and all the ties we have to get this team winning should be used to the fullest.

 

[Sudano]

often times people do make mistakes that are fireable offenses… and sometimes people get fired for BS reasons. Everyone here just assumed it was the former.

I think the issue is that everyone feels like they have to have strong opinions on situations they know very little about. Welcome to USA 2023. Where arrogance with ignorance is a dangerous combination. I'll trust the Chicago Bears HR department because they know the details, it's their company, and it has nothing to do with me and it's none of my business. I like to use a line an old black lady used at work one day 20+ years ago. They're all up in my Kool-aid and they don't even know the flavor.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I think the issue is that everyone feels like they have to have strong opinions on situations they know very little about. Welcome to USA 2023. Where arrogance with ignorance is a dangerous combination.

perfectly said.

 

[donniesyracuse]

perfectly said.

I don’t think there is a lot of arrogance or ignorance in saying don’t hire the guy who just got fired, especially when there will be other options.

 

[Cusefan69]

The alums I have spoken with recognize that high profile former players get brought back, but there is no outreach to many of the guys that didn’t go off to the NFL or weren’t active with the program for a period of time as they tried to set their lives up. Many have reached out to offer help at camps, practice, mentorship, recruiting help in their area, etc and the current staff is not very receptive unless it’s a big name. Look at the players that have been highlighted in social media. Many of them were stars that went on to be first round picks. Dino’s staff has been a revolving door of outsiders and until recently traditional recruiting areas were ignored despite many offers of help.

A coach is going to run their program the way they see fit and the alums get that. But it stings for many I have talked to that see ways they can help, are rebuffed, and the program continues to be bad.

This may sound bad but you can't hook up every former player every time. My guess some former players are trying to find an "in" to coaching or something and I would guess there are a number of times coaches have to say no.

 

[GHLF]

Which is confusing to me. We’ve seen plenty of football alumni around the team and even giving talks to the team. Some have been covered by the media. Dino was also very close to Floyd who attracted and was loved by alums. It’s all so confusing.

Yes, where is the disconnect? Lots of opinions.