"First, he borrowed an exercise from former Trojans coach Pete Carroll, and obtained a rope from the fire department. He assembled everyone involved in the program -- players, coaches, support staff, even administrators -- and paired up groups for tug-of-war: running backs against linebackers, offensive line against defensive line, and so on. "I got the coaching staff to pull against the administration, and I let the damn administration win," Orgeron told ESPN."
"His main point was that neither side really gained an edge when pulling in opposite directions. "I said, 'I want everybody in this room -- and there's a lot of people -- get on the same side of the rope, and let's pull,'" Orgeron said. "That sent a message: One team, one heartbeat. When a firing happens, something is segmented, and you've got to try to piece it together as much as you can.""
Ed Orgeron used a rope and tug-of-war to unify football programs after disruptive leadership changes. He borrowed an exercise from Pete Carroll and obtained a rope from the fire department. He assembled players, coaches, support staff and administrators and paired groups for tug-of-war, such as running backs vs. linebackers and offensive vs. defensive lines. He deliberately had the coaching staff pull against the administration and allowed the administration to win to send a message of unity. The exercise emphasized 'one team, one heartbeat.' Orgeron repeated the exercise at LSU, turning a 5-2 interim finish into a permanent role and later a national championship.
Read at ESPN.com
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