A Change in Leadership

My husband and I went to Miami University in Oxford Ohio for college.  We have had season football tickets for probably 30 years and are avid supports of the football team.  Over the years we have had good seasons and bad but we have stayed loyal to the program.  For the last three years we have had a coach who has struggled.  He took over a team that was struggling but was able to have winning seasons.  Even though he is a Miami grad (Cradle of Coaches) and a very nice man (we have talked to him several times) it seems that the team was not improving but heading in the opposite direction.  This season we have not won a game (0 - 5) and have been outscored 178 to 44 points in 5 games. 

Last Saturday my husband and I were at the game.  It was a miserable day weather-wise yet even more miserable was the performance of the team.  They seemed uncaring of winning and appeared to be going through the motions on the field.  They also had way too many penalties and were beaten soundly by a team that had only won one game so far.  Overall it was one of the worst performances of a Miami football team I had ever seen.  As we were leaving town my husband and I commented on whether the coach would keep his job. 

On Sunday night there was a Facebook announcement that Coach Treadwell had been relieved of his duties as coach and Mike Bath has been named interim football coach for Miami University.  My husband was shocked that a change had been made so quickly and decisively. 

It seemed that Coach Treadwell, although a nice man and a good offensive coordinator, was not able to build the culture of winning and bring the leadership needed to run a football program.  What is that quality of an excellent football coach that transcends knowing the game?  I was asking my husband that question and he was unsure what it is but says he knows when he sees it.  I guess we all do because we love teams that win.  So what is the difference?  Is it the ability to lead?  The ability to set a culture of winning yet doing it within the confines of college football?  I'm sure if someone had the answer they would be sought out and become fabulously wealthy teaching others how to develop a winning football program on the college level.