Penn State offensive line coach Herb Hand is well-known for many reasons; he's one of the most highly regarded coaches at his position, he's a master home chef and has appeared on Food Network's Chopped, he's an extremely entertaining follow on Twitter, and he's also a fountain of knowledge for his players.
Ben Jones of StateCollege.com got the opportunity to pick Hand's brain for a bit on a piece he released late last night, and was able to get some insight on how Hand dealt with a difficult year for the Nittany Lions up front last season. The Penn State offensive line struggled with injuries and consistency last year, and times that they took a step or two forward were followed by a step back with an injury or something the next week.
Last season's ups and downs provided Hand with some great coaching points that he was able to impart on his guys, as well as his own children. The types of lessons that last long after their playing days are done.
"I told them, and I tell my kids the same thing, that just because you work hard doesn't mean you're going to have the type of success that you want. There are a lot of people who work extremely hard that would like a bigger retirement fund or a bigger house."
"Hard work doesn't guarantee results. But without hard work you've got no shot at the results."
"There is one guarantee in life, if you don't work hard, you've got no shot," Hand went on to say in the piece. "But hard work doesn't just entitle you to success. You've still got to get the job done and produce when the lights are on and the stands are full, and I understand that."
Interestingly enough, in the piece Hand also attempted to provide a percent breakdown on what his job really is as an FBS assistant coach.
"By Hand's best estimate some 45-percent of his job falls into the category of development. Another 40 for recruiting and the remaining 15 for public relations."
It would be interesting to see how assistant coaches at other levels view how they split their time between development, recruiting, public relations and various other duties. Is yours similar to Hand's, or does it break down much, much different?
I can imagine high school assistant coaches would put more on development, while head coaches might put a higher percentage on public relations, and small college guys may split their percentages strictly between development and recruiting.
Let me know by hitting me up @CoachSamz on Twitter.
Read the full piece on Hand here.