FRISCO, Texas – Hard. Intense. Demanding. Those are the words that were used by some of his former players and colleagues to describe Mike Zimmer’s coaching style.
But on Wednesday, the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator went one step further in jest, mentioning words like “mean” and “heavy” that he’s obviously heard over the years, and even a few recently since it was announced that he’s now leads the Cowboys defense.
“There’s this reputation that I’m a bore… I guess that’s what it is,” Zimmer said with a smile, admitting there could be some truth to all the statements, but he’s more than grateful for the support he’s received from former players.
“Since it was announced that I will be here, I have heard from many players who played for me,” he said. “Players here, not just the defensive backs, the linebackers and the defensive linemen — they sent me text messages and told me how happy they are for me. I think if I was a bore, I wouldn’t be getting messages from those players.”
One of those players is former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson, who has said Zimmer isn’t interested in being friends with players, but will add some toughness to the defense.
When asked about coaching the new generation of players, Zimmer said his experience has taught him that great players are willing to undergo rigorous training to reach the next level.
“Those who want to be great… want to be coached,” Zimmer said. “There’s a lot more social media, a lot more external things happening. But the ones I’ve met, the young people, they want to be coached, they want to study and they want to understand how they can improve. They want to know how you can improve them.”
Zimmer didn’t use many names, although he did reference three players he coached in Cincinnati and Minnesota who later played for the Cowboys (Anthony Barr, Xavier Rhodes and Pacman Jones) who didn’t always like the way he coached them. but now they appreciate him and remain in contact with Zimmer to this day.
“I’m demanding. I try to get the best out of players,” said Zimmer, who said he has adapted to different personalities over the years. “I had a player who was fantastic, but you couldn’t shout at him. You had to hug him. You had to talk to him softly. He didn’t like being told off in front of people. So that’s what I did with him and he became a fantastic player. “You know with other players it would be more vocal. Everyone is different. You try to push the button to make them better. You’re not there to be bad. You’re just there to help them.”
And “help” is what the Cowboys need on defense, especially after losing defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who is now the head coach of the Washington Commanders.
Zimmer said he’s not trying to “reinvent the wheel” and admitted the Cowboys have done great things on defense.
But he’s here to add something more, using the only style he knows.
2024-02-15 16:59:12
#Players #great #coached
