Anthony Lynn is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Heading into his third season as the Bolts' head coach and his 20th in the profession, he's still having the time of his life.
But Lynn, like many other coaches, almost didn't get into coaching. A former All-Southwest Conference running back at Texas Tech, Lynn was a role player for the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers, helping the Broncos win back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1997-98 seasons. After neck injuries forced him out of the game, Lynn had an offer to join Mike Shanahan's staff in Denver, but wanted to talk it over with his college coach Spike Dykes first.
Dykes was retired at this point, but Lynn wanted his advice as to whether he should follow his mentor into the business. As you know, coaching can be a grueling, punishing profession that drives out all who don't truly love it. Dykes certainly knew that, so when Lynn asked his advice, Dykes laid out all the negative parts of the job. When it was clear Lynn was still interested, it was then that Dykes laid out what he thought coaching was truly about.
"I'm going to tell you this right here," Dykes told Lynn, "football is a relationship business. It's not a bottom-line business. Football is about relating to people, communicating with people and serving. Relating, communicating and serving. That's what he said, those three things. And then he got up and he walked out."
Lynn said those words at Dykes' funeral -- last Wednesday was the 2-year anniversary of his passing -- but they're no less true today as they were in 2017, or in 2000 when Dykes said them, and nor will they be any less true in the year 2078.