Pick a word, any word. That’s what I asked the 65 coaches from the Power Five conferences and Notre Dame to do. Describe their team in one word. Some coaches were one-word wonders, but a few insisted they needed two words. That’s fine because the descriptions shed some insight into how coaches view their team and/or what they want the public perception of their team to be. Of the 65 coaches, “hungry” was the most common description. Nine coaches went with it, making a “hungry” team the modern-day equivalent of the “taking it one game at a time” cliché. Four coaches used “unproven,” another four “experienced” and three said “young.” Two coaches each used “redemption,” “committed,” “improved” or “youthful." In all, the 65 coaches used 44 different descriptions. Well, here’s to taking it one “word” at a time. My word: Enjoy. ACC (including Notre Dame) Boston College’s Steve Addazio: Young
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney: Experienced
Duke’s David Cutcliffe: Veteran
Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher: Habits
Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson: Young
Louisville’s Bobby Petrino: Unknown
Miami’s Al Golden: Renewed
NC State’s Dave Doeren: Redemption
North Carolina’s Larry Fedora: Ravenous
Pitt’s Paul Chryst: Young
Syracuse’s Scott Shafer: Hard-nosed
Virginia’s Mike London: Experienced
Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer: Developing
Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson: New
Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly: Athletic
|