CPR for Stanford Football

By Mike Eubanks, TheBootleg.com

When Stanford hired Jim Harbaugh as its football head coach in December, the new Cardinal skipper wasted no time unveiling the exuberance and energy he brings to the job. At his hiring press conference he proclaimed, "I vow to attack this endeavor with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind." On the eve of Stanford's spring practices, he promised "the toughest spring ball in the history of spring ball."

The man is a good quote, but what lies beneath the Harbaugh hyperbole? More importantly, how can it contribute to the resurrection of Stanford's football program?

"Football is coached and played by emotional and passionate people," Harbaugh explains. "That's the way I am. I'm pretty hands-on. If you come to a practice, you'll see me running around, doing push-ups, calling plays and coaching. I love that."

The strengths of Walt Harris came in his technical coaching of a potent passing offense, which resonated with the success Stanford has historically enjoyed on the gridiron. However, the Cardinal hit hard times with injuries and losses under Harris' watch and he was the antithesis of inspiration for the players. His old-school approach of 'tough love' lit a fire under a few individuals during the off-season, but it cost him 80 or 90 more during the struggles of the fall campaign.

Stanford is hoping to rebuild with Harbaugh after a 1-11 season that was worse than the record reflects. No current Cardinal has experienced a winning season of college football—or was even recruited during a winning Stanford season.

The program is rebuilding, no question. But the players, too, need to be built up again. They need to be inspired to believe that they are good football players, part of a good and winning football team. The difference between good and bad coaches is how they either maximize or marginalize the athleticism and ability at their disposal. Stanford football on paper has less at its disposal than nearly every opponent on the 2007 schedule but Harbaugh coached non-scholarship players to 11-1 records at the University of San Diego the last two years. He is a maximizer.

"There is just more excitement and more positivity, which isn't to say they won't jump all over us if we do something wrong. We can tell that they're trying to get us better," says fifth-year senior quarterback T.C. Ostrander. "It's a way different feel, and I think a lot of guys on the team are responding to it in a really positive way."

But can upbeat, up-tempo practices, team meetings and locker room speeches turn this program around? 'Rah-rah' only goes so far in the ultra-competitive world of college football. Harbaugh knows full well the substance that must accompany his style.

"We're getting the energy. The enthusiasm is all there. But I'm not naive enough to believe that we can win on enthusiasm," he explains. "That's part of the battle. The attitude is good, but surely that's not 100 percent of the pie. We're looking for guys to fit roles, who are true football players and love football but who also have the athletic ability. It's not always a test of courage. It's a test of athletic ability and putting guys in the right spots."

"I don't want people to think—I don't even want the team to think—that we're going to win on enthusiasm," Harbaugh says. "But I'm confident that we're going to have a good football team."