Vanderbilt has released a number of videos highlighting their assistant coaches as part of the "Committed and Trained" series, but the most recent one with offensive coordinator Karl Dorrell got a little philosophical.
If you've every wondered if great leaders or coaches are born or made, Dorrell has a good rationale for the born faction. While watching a young Derek Mason as a player while the two were at Northern Arizona (Mason as a corner and Dorrell as the receivers coach) he identified something special in a young Mason lining young players up and helping on the field, years before he ever picked up a whistle.
"The one thing that I think people get a misnomer about with coaching is that they think that all great players can be great coaches. That's not necessarily the case."
"That does happen, and it is true to some extent, but sometimes, I believe, coaches are born. They have this innate quality that, maybe they don't even realize themselves until they're put in that situation to do it, and Derek, as a young coach, watching him as a player and develop and how he approached the game, I had no doubt in my mind that that if he chose to be a coach, and join this profession, he would be a good one."
Interesting rationale, but I can't say I'm 100% convinced. Are good coaches really born and not necessarily made? Very interested in hearing your take on this one. It's a Tuesday in early June, let's get philosophical.