By Alda Leu - Stanford Daily
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 9, 1997

Stanford coach commands respect with his 'flexibility'

Tyrone Willingham

Discipline.

It's the word you'll hear over and over again in reference to Stanford football head coach Tyrone Willingham.

It's how he is, it's what he brings to the team. But that's an outsider's perspective.

Ask his players, and they will talk about respect - the all-encompassing respect that he has for his players, and that they have for him. Ask an assistant coach and he will discuss Willingham's "relentless pursuit of his goal" and his staunch work ethic. But ask Willingham himself and he will say, "flexibility."

Flexibility?

As he is quick to point out, in addition to being football coach of a top-25 team and Rose Bowl contender, Willingham is a father too.

"I have children that are growing and changing, and I am very much a parent for 90-some young men," he said.

Flexibility is the key to dealing with them.

"Being at Stanford," Willingham said, "we have a different kind of young man, not to say any better, but treated a little differently - we bring in the best student athletes the country."

His players agree that his influence has transcended the football field.

"He's a lot like a father figure. He has great insight on common sense in life," said wide receiver Rossi Jones. "Everything that he teaches us about football can be applied to real life experiences. He teaches us that you are successful not only as Stanford football players; he really wants to see us succeed as individuals."

Born and raised in North Carolina, Willingham's biography reads like that of many successful coaches. His journey to Stanford has taken him through assistant coaching stints at Michigan State, his alma mater; Central Michigan; North Carolina State; Rice; Stanford and the Minnesota Vikings.

Scanning his list of credentials, it is the sunny California school that stands out both in location and student attitude. It is also the one that Willingham returned to as head coach in December 1994.

Since then, his accomplishments have continued to grow. In two short years as the Card's head coach, Willingham has led the team to two consecutive bowl appearances and is steadily progressing toward a third straight bowl berth. After his first season at Stanford's helm, Willingham was voted 1995 Pacific 10 Conference Coach of the Year.

Every coach wants to win, but few want to do it like Willingham does. When he says that he wants to create a tradition of winning at Stanford, he isn't just talking about statistics. To him, winning means "on the field, in the classroom and creating a social conscience."

Willingham is the type of coach that makes an effort to talk to his players.

Willingham is the type of father that makes time for his family and goes to his daughter's gymnastics meets, the type of interviewee that takes the time to ask the reporter about her life and academic career, the type of person who buys pizza for students sleeping out for basketball tickets.

He is "probably the hardest working college football coach in the nation," said team assistant Kit Harris. "He'll be watching tape at 11 p.m. on a Sunday night. No other coach does that."

Willingham is quick to disagree, however, saying that 14-hour work days are generally the coaching norm. Also, he expects the same devotion from his players and staff.

"You can't short-cut football and be successful - football is the greatest team sport, but the physical and mental demands are tremendous," he said.

His players have learned through his example, living their lives with the same principles that he exemplifies.

But he doesn't need to set hard and fast rules. He only needs to create an environment of expectation and lead by example.

"Everybody on the team has so much respect for Coach," Jones said. "When he walks into the room everyone is silent and all eyes are on him."

And what do those 90-some young men see?

Discipline. Hard-work. Respect. Flexibility. Character.