When I lived and worked in Philadelphia, I worked for an inner city agency that needed funding to expand programs.
I have a close friend( college roommate) who works with the NFL. He arranged for Dick Vermeil to come out to the club.( to facilitate help)
Vermeil was very involved in the community and of course connected to power brokers.
He was incredibly personable, approachable, and interested in what we were doing-
he took time to talk to the kids(as human beings that mattered) in in the program who were benefitting from the agencies efforts and sought to help us...in a geniune. humble way.
Class act through and through.
As coach, Vermeil like so many others(Marrone) ,preached that the team was family while they were playing for him-
the difference between Vermeil and others is- he really meant it, lived it and his belief in this "family" credo extended to these players long after the cheering stopped.
It reminds me of the role Jack Kemp played for the old AFL Bills teams. he facilitated the help of so many Bills players, times the public heard about and so many more times when no one knew.
It's something to think about as we go through the hiring process, this credo that a guy like Vermeil inprints on an organization.
There are many hired guns, quick fix guys you can hire.....who are in it for themselves( Marrone,etc.).
.How great would it be to hire men who will reinstitute this sense of "family" of "brotherhood" while also striving for excellence on the field.
I think it matters....