ExScoop
10-18-2011, 02:41 PM
College coaches commenting Monday on the postgame handshake a day after Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz and San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh exchanged words following a 49ers victory:
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"I'm not a guy that's going to hide on the field after the game. I've had a few coaches give me a short, quick shake, and it's the same way with me. When I get my rear end kicked I don't feel very good about it either. Even before the game you can't talk to the other coach because the camera's right in your face. Are you going to say, 'How's your family?' ... You don't want to tell them good luck, you don't want to tell them you hope they win. You just tell them, 'I hope it's a good game and everyone stays healthy.' I don't think it should be a requirement for two that don't have respect for each other or like each other. ... Players usually handle it much better than the coaches." -- Texas coach Mack Brown.
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"It can be awkward, but at the end of the day it's about being professional and being able to do so, and I always remind myself -- I've been on both sides of it -- it's just, always consider the other guy and be a good sport about it and whatever you're doing, try to do it the right way. It just gets down to being a pro about it, you know? One way or another, showing good sportsmanship at the college level at least is the right thing to do. You either humble yourself and do it properly or suck it up when you're at the other end and do it humbly, too." -- Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.
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"We try to gather our emotions before shaking hands. I've always tried to do that. I think he was just caught up in the moment. I'm glad it didn't go any further. I think that's the respectful thing to do as competitors. I think we just saw some emotion. People are going to have a lot of fun playing with it this week. I think it's sportsmanship. I think it's the right thing to do, go across and shake the hand of the coach over there. I'm not a big talker. I don't like to sit there and have discussions, especially after we lose a game. I'd just rather shake their hand, be respectful, and move on." -- Missouri coach Gary Pinkel.
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"There may be a time that they have to have the AFCA limit coaches shaking hands after the game. You shake hands before the game and talk about each other's families and pets and, 'How you doin'?' and, 'You guys are doing great' and 'Good luck and stay healthy.' And then you come out after the game and do it again. I guess it's kind of just the way it's always been." -- Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy.
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"I don't know protocol, that's a big word for me. You know, it's just what you do. I've done it when we have won and done it when we've gotten beat. Believe me, they're all very emotional." -- Michigan coach Brady Hoke.
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"There have been some times when I have been very, I would say, uncomfortable with a handshake at the end of the game. But usually those are built up a year in advance, through recruiting, through coaching, through things that you read in the media. And it's usually because of rivalry games. So you just build all those emotions up and then you win or lose, 'do you want to shake hands or not?' But the most important thing that we should portray as coaches, and we should shake hands, is we show people on television, your fans, young kids watching at home that it is a game. And then after it whether you win or lose you can shake hands and go on with it.
"I think what we saw yesterday was not good for our sport, even though it was pro football which is a lot different than high school and college. But it's still about sportsmanship. There's a lot of kids that'll watch this on television or YouTube and they'll see that and it's not a good example." -- Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville.
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"Obviously you've got two guys at opposite ends of the spectrum. One who is pretty excited, and one who feels like his heart got ripped out. Like I said, most of the time that's handled pretty well. I don't remember, at least since I've been a head coach, it ever being an issue. Every situation is different, every game is different, the emotions are different in different circumstances. For the most part I don't think it's a bad thing." -- Nebraska coach Bo Pelini.
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"I'm not a guy that's going to hide on the field after the game. I've had a few coaches give me a short, quick shake, and it's the same way with me. When I get my rear end kicked I don't feel very good about it either. Even before the game you can't talk to the other coach because the camera's right in your face. Are you going to say, 'How's your family?' ... You don't want to tell them good luck, you don't want to tell them you hope they win. You just tell them, 'I hope it's a good game and everyone stays healthy.' I don't think it should be a requirement for two that don't have respect for each other or like each other. ... Players usually handle it much better than the coaches." -- Texas coach Mack Brown.
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"It can be awkward, but at the end of the day it's about being professional and being able to do so, and I always remind myself -- I've been on both sides of it -- it's just, always consider the other guy and be a good sport about it and whatever you're doing, try to do it the right way. It just gets down to being a pro about it, you know? One way or another, showing good sportsmanship at the college level at least is the right thing to do. You either humble yourself and do it properly or suck it up when you're at the other end and do it humbly, too." -- Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.
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"We try to gather our emotions before shaking hands. I've always tried to do that. I think he was just caught up in the moment. I'm glad it didn't go any further. I think that's the respectful thing to do as competitors. I think we just saw some emotion. People are going to have a lot of fun playing with it this week. I think it's sportsmanship. I think it's the right thing to do, go across and shake the hand of the coach over there. I'm not a big talker. I don't like to sit there and have discussions, especially after we lose a game. I'd just rather shake their hand, be respectful, and move on." -- Missouri coach Gary Pinkel.
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"There may be a time that they have to have the AFCA limit coaches shaking hands after the game. You shake hands before the game and talk about each other's families and pets and, 'How you doin'?' and, 'You guys are doing great' and 'Good luck and stay healthy.' And then you come out after the game and do it again. I guess it's kind of just the way it's always been." -- Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy.
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"I don't know protocol, that's a big word for me. You know, it's just what you do. I've done it when we have won and done it when we've gotten beat. Believe me, they're all very emotional." -- Michigan coach Brady Hoke.
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"There have been some times when I have been very, I would say, uncomfortable with a handshake at the end of the game. But usually those are built up a year in advance, through recruiting, through coaching, through things that you read in the media. And it's usually because of rivalry games. So you just build all those emotions up and then you win or lose, 'do you want to shake hands or not?' But the most important thing that we should portray as coaches, and we should shake hands, is we show people on television, your fans, young kids watching at home that it is a game. And then after it whether you win or lose you can shake hands and go on with it.
"I think what we saw yesterday was not good for our sport, even though it was pro football which is a lot different than high school and college. But it's still about sportsmanship. There's a lot of kids that'll watch this on television or YouTube and they'll see that and it's not a good example." -- Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville.
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"Obviously you've got two guys at opposite ends of the spectrum. One who is pretty excited, and one who feels like his heart got ripped out. Like I said, most of the time that's handled pretty well. I don't remember, at least since I've been a head coach, it ever being an issue. Every situation is different, every game is different, the emotions are different in different circumstances. For the most part I don't think it's a bad thing." -- Nebraska coach Bo Pelini.