"One of his assistant coaches retrieved the weighty directory from Poss' office, and players gathered around their head coach, confused but intrigued. "I looked at them, I go, 'I don't think you really want to play hard,'" Poss recalled. "'I don't think you want to go out in the second half and play like you did in the first half. I think you all are ready to just chill.' I said, 'We're not going to chill out.'""
"Without hesitation, Poss ripped the spine of the yellow pages in half as the locker room erupted. The Rockets won that game handily. Poss, 75, jokes that he can't remember his golf score from the day before, let alone which team A.C. Reynolds beat and by how much after his phone book stunt. But Poss' motivational tactics made an impact, including on his quarterback, Ben Johnson."
"Another of Poss' galvanizing tactics was a postgame chant the Rockets yelled after every win. Good, better, best! Never let it rest Till your good gets better And your better gets best BIG. GREEN. MACHINE. Fast forward to 2025 and Johnson is coaching one of the NFL's surprise success stories. The Chicago Bears have won 11 games this season, and after each victory, Johnson hands out game balls and then performs an homage to his high school coach."
Bobby Poss, former A.C. Reynolds High School varsity coach in Asheville, used theatrical motivational tactics, including ripping a phone book and leading a postgame chant, to fire up his players. His rituals left a lasting impression on quarterback Ben Johnson, who carried the lessons forward into his coaching career. In 2025 Johnson coaches an unexpectedly successful Chicago Bears team that has won 11 games. After each victory Johnson hands out game balls and reenacts his high school chant — "Good, better, best... BIG. GREEN. MACHINE." Poss, now 75, remembers the impact of motivation more than game scores.
Read at ESPN.com
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