"I've been around young, talented, non-coachable players. I've been around veteran, talented, non-coachable players. No matter what you do, sooner or later - even if a coach comes in that's able to connect with them - if that's who they are, they're going to go back to it"
About this Quote
Brooks is doing what veteran coaches learn to do in public: naming a problem without naming a person. “Non-coachable” is the key bit of locker-room vocabulary here, a label that sounds technical but is really moral. It doesn’t mean “can’t learn.” It means “won’t submit.” The quote carries the weary authority of someone who has watched the same movie at different ages: gifted young players who think talent is leverage, and older players who think longevity is proof they were right all along.
The structure is a coach’s slow-building indictment. He repeats “talented” twice, almost as a concession, then pins the whole issue on identity: “if that’s who they are.” That shift matters. Brooks isn’t talking about a bad week of effort or a tactical disagreement; he’s arguing character permanence. Even the optimistic scenario gets preemptively disarmed: “even if a coach comes in that’s able to connect with them” - the contemporary buzzword of player empowerment and relationships - won’t save you. Connection can manage the symptoms, not rewrite the person.
The subtext is as much institutional as personal. Brooks is defending the coaching profession against the modern expectation that the right communicator can “reach” anyone. He’s also warning front offices: don’t confuse highlights with habit. In an era where stars have louder voices and shorter patience, “sooner or later” reads like a deadline. You can postpone the reckoning with talent; you can’t outlast it.
The structure is a coach’s slow-building indictment. He repeats “talented” twice, almost as a concession, then pins the whole issue on identity: “if that’s who they are.” That shift matters. Brooks isn’t talking about a bad week of effort or a tactical disagreement; he’s arguing character permanence. Even the optimistic scenario gets preemptively disarmed: “even if a coach comes in that’s able to connect with them” - the contemporary buzzword of player empowerment and relationships - won’t save you. Connection can manage the symptoms, not rewrite the person.
The subtext is as much institutional as personal. Brooks is defending the coaching profession against the modern expectation that the right communicator can “reach” anyone. He’s also warning front offices: don’t confuse highlights with habit. In an era where stars have louder voices and shorter patience, “sooner or later” reads like a deadline. You can postpone the reckoning with talent; you can’t outlast it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Coaching |
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