4 Questions with Appling County head coach Rick Tomberlin

2. How did the game come down, and what did your team do well that allowed you to win? “It was a close, hard-fought game that literally came down to the last play, in which we intercepted a pass and time ran out. It was back and forth in terms of score and momentum. We talk about the champions in all sports and how the star closes the show. We always want to win and play great, giving a little extra in the fourth quarter. To make a correlation with boxing, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali usually won or dominated the championship rounds, the last two rounds of a fight. We want to dominate the play and intensity in the fourth quarter. We had to reach down and really suck it up this week. We prepare for this kind of intensity in practice, in the weight room and all summer long. We have tried to install the mindset of this cliché: We will fight 'em until hades freezes over. Then we will fight 'em on ice.”

3. What has been the most important thing that you and your staff have done since you became head coach in 2018 to get the program back to the point where you’re contending for a region title and a chance to make a deep playoff run? “I have a great coaching staff. I hired extremely well. Our system gave me the ability to go get some great assistant coaches who are super knowledgeable and work exceptionally hard. My assistants do most of the work. They are loyal and super dedicated. Their expectation is play and prepare like a champion and we expect to play on the championship level. My outstanding assistant coaches deserve most of the credit. Also, our players trusted us. They have bought in to our vision of becoming a championship program. We are not there yet, but we are getting there.”

4. Your career as a head coach goes back to the 1980s, and you’ve had a wide range of coaching challenges and experiences. In what way have you changed the most as a head coach over the years, and what advice would you give a younger coach based on things that have changed your style and outlook over the years? "I read where Erk Russell said, ‘Trees that bend with the wind last a lot longer than those who are rigid and do not bend.’ I have had to bite my tongue and allow our players to be looser at pre-game meals, looser in the locker room prior to the games. In the old days I got angry if I saw players talking or joking around at school on game day. I would jump all over them if they talked too loud at pre-game meals. I have had to relax that a little. I allow music in the locker room prior to the game. The players like it. They know how I feel. They respect how I feel. If it helps them relax and play better, let’s have the music. I still have my non-negotiables. My players know that when I talk, they listen. They don’t talk or move around when I’m talking. They know this and respect this. We are going to train year around in the weight room and work every day to break personal records and get ‘certified bulletproof.’ Oher teams might and can have a smarter head coach, but nobody, nobody, will outwork us in the weight room. I still believe in being in great physical shape. If needed, we could play a doubleheader on Friday nights.

“My advice [for younger coaches] is to learn under some great head and assistant coaches. Listen more, talk less. Football can be like a smorgasbord buffet, there are a lot of ways to do things. Find your niche, work at it, learn it, know it, be passionate about it, believe in it and stay the course. Too many coaches jump around doing something different every year. My coaching icons, Tom Osborne, Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden, Wright Bazemore, were innovative but consistent. Remember, pros draft their talent, and colleges recruit their talent, but high schools must develop our talent. Work to make them bigger, faster, stronger. Systems don’t win, people do. Develop your players.”

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