Former NFL/PSU Player Steps Down From Head Coaching Job

[PSUfiji]

"Arrington, whose son is a highly-regarded eighth grade prospect, said he would not rule out returning to coaching the future. Prior to becoming the head coach at Maranatha, he was an assistant at Long Beach Poly in 2017."

Possibly clearing the way for "Arrington & son" coming to Penn State?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...om-head-coaching-job/ar-AAKiAAo?ocid=msedgntp

 

[Delco Lion]

"Arrington, whose son is a highly-regarded eighth grade prospect, said he would not rule out returning to coaching the future. Prior to becoming the head coach at Maranatha, he was an assistant at Long Beach Poly in 2017."

Possibly clearing the way for "Arrington & son" coming to Penn State?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...om-head-coaching-job/ar-AAKiAAo?ocid=msedgntp

He's already had one son pass on coming to PSU.... Just sayin..

 

[BW Lion]

His statement could equally apply to his alma mater.

“There’s poor leadership at the school and you can’t be the football program that I envision under that type of leadership, so it was time to move on.”

 

[diontechristmas]

"Arrington, whose son is a highly-regarded eighth grade prospect, said he would not rule out returning to coaching the future. Prior to becoming the head coach at Maranatha, he was an assistant at Long Beach Poly in 2017."

Possibly clearing the way for "Arrington & son" coming to Penn State?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...om-head-coaching-job/ar-AAKiAAo?ocid=msedgntp

College assistant coach is not always a great fit for a former great player. You have to spend your evenings calling and writing 16 year old boys who think they are hot crap...I know I couldn’t do it.

 

[AWS1022]

College assistant coach is not always a great fit for a former great player. You have to spend your evenings calling and writing 16 year old boys who think they are hot crap...I know I couldn’t do it.

And it’s often difficult for them to understand why players aren’t able to do the things they were able to do (sometimes easily).

 

[Lionguy32]

He's already had one son pass on coming to PSU.... Just sayin..

Was that his son? I thought it was a kid he was mentoring, and they had a falling out before the kid committed.

 

[psu1969a]

"Arrington, whose son is a highly-regarded eighth grade prospect, said he would not rule out returning to coaching the future. Prior to becoming the head coach at Maranatha, he was an assistant at Long Beach Poly in 2017."

Possibly clearing the way for "Arrington & son" coming to Penn State?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...om-head-coaching-job/ar-AAKiAAo?ocid=msedgntp

God forbid. What is the fascination some have with Arrington. Granted he was a good athlete, but as team player well he left a lot to be desired. As a Coach, hopefully, not on my team.

 

[PSULionsDub]

Was that his son? I thought it was a kid he was mentoring, and they had a falling out before the kid committed.

No, that was not his biological son. This player was from Africa who Arrington befriended and was able to successfully bring him to the United States. The player lived with the Arrington family, and trained with Arrington in Maryland and California. Unfortunately, the player was a "head case" and didn't like the discipline/guidance/friendship that Arrington and family/friends provided to him, so they had a falling out over time.

 

[bvillebaron]

God forbid. What is the fascination some have with Arrington. Granted he was a good athlete, but as team player well he left a lot to be desired. As a Coach, hopefully, not on my team.

Arrington wasn’t a team player? Really? Please enlighten us. Some of us are fascinated with Lavar because he was one of the most talented and best players to play at PSU and is one of the school’s most loyal supporters.

 

[BobPSU92]

Arrington was turrible.

 

[Tri-Power65]

Arrington was turrible.

Yep. Can we have 10 more, please?

 

[sluggo72]

Arrington wasn’t a team player? Really? Please enlighten us. Some of us are fascinated with Lavar because he was one of the most talented and best players to play at PSU and is one of the school’s most loyal supporters.

it wasnt that he wasnt a 'team' player, but rather he was undisciplined player. He didnt play his responsibilities. Thats why the assistant who's name cant be written decided to line him up like 8 yds deep in the middle and told him to just run to the ball. It is why the pro team in Washington now known as WTF, let him walk as well despite a few pro bowls.

 

[OaktonDave]

His statement could equally apply to his alma mater.

“There’s poor leadership at the school and you can’t be the football program that I envision under that type of leadership, so it was time to move on.”

I looked up the school out of curiosity, and I'm not sure what Arrington was expecting. It's a relatively small (680 students) religious school that barely has enough room for a football field much less a stadium. Their sports teams, while generally good, compete at a pretty low level against similar schools; it's nothing akin to the powerhouse private schools in PA, and they're not playing California athletic superpowers. I think it's more a matter of the school and Arrington not agreeing on the type of program that they want to have than the school having "poor leadership."

 

[PSUSignore]

God forbid. What is the fascination some have with Arrington. Granted he was a good athlete, but as team player well he left a lot to be desired. As a Coach, hopefully, not on my team.

I think that's a bit harsh, but in general I agree with your premise that based what we saw from him as a player at PSU doesn't necessarily mean he'd be a good coach. Arrington wasn't the most disciplined guy on the field but made up for it with tremendous athleticism. Because of that he probably drove coaches crazy at times and on the surface means he might not be the best coach. But 10+ years have passed since then too. I'd imagine he's learned a lot since then and even if he hasn't, it's not a prerequisite to a be a great player or to be a player that strictly follows coaching instructions at all times in order to become an effective coach of others.

 

[bison13]

Lavar is great on the radio and he likes it. Hes not coaching in college

 

[canuckhal]

I choked on my coffee when I read this.

it's just wrong on so many levels.

It's okay. He is sitting out the next four football seasons to focus on academics and off-field training.

 

[The Spin Meister]

it wasnt that he wasnt a 'team' player, but rather he was undisciplined player. He didnt play his responsibilities. Thats why the assistant who's name cant be written decided to line him up like 8 yds deep in the middle and told him to just run to the ball. It is why the pro team in Washington now known as WTF, let him walk as well despite a few pro bowls.

Well, there was that little detail of a shattered Achillie’s heal. But don’t that get in the way.......

 

[bvillebaron]

it wasnt that he wasnt a 'team' player, but rather he was undisciplined player. He didnt play his responsibilities. Thats why the assistant who's name cant be written decided to line him up like 8 yds deep in the middle and told him to just run to the ball. It is why the pro team in Washington now known as WTF, let him walk as well despite a few pro bowls.

Some truth in that, but some of that is on the coaches. I think that they thought they were better off with him on the field even if he wasn’t disciplined than sitting him until he became more disciplined like Joe generally did back then. Reminds me of the time Lawrence Taylor, who was also considered by many to be an undisciplined
player, made a great play and was confronted by Parcells who told him that wasn’t in the defensive scheme and LT replied maybe it should be. I will always be a big Lavar fan because I can’t think of any former player who is more loyal and supportive of PSU with the possible exception of Franco Harris.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Arrington wasn’t a team player? Really? Please enlighten us. Some of us are fascinated with Lavar because he was one of the most talented and best players to play at PSU and is one of the school’s most loyal supporters.

For what it’s worth, he ended up getting benched in Washington and Marvin Lewis said he was the most undisciplined player he ever coached.

 

[OaktonDave]

Some truth in that, but some of that is on the coaches. I think that they thought they were better off with him on the field even if he wasn’t disciplined than sitting him until he became more disciplined like Joe generally did back then. Reminds me of the time Lawrence Taylor, who was also considered by many to be an undisciplined
player, made a great play and was confronted by Parcells who told him that wasn’t in the defensive scheme and LT replied maybe it should be. I will always be a big Lavar fan because I can’t think of any former player who is more loyal and supportive of PSU with the possible exception of Franco Harris.

Lavar wanted to be LT, and that desire did more harm to him than good. It's possible that if he had played during the same period it would have worked, but the league that Arrington entered in 2000 was not the league that LT terrorized in 1986. The players were bigger, and the level of athleticism of the players across the league was greater. Beyond that, teams had developed schemes to counter LT, and offenses had changed overall. In insisting on being just like a player from a previous era, I think he missed the chance to be a truly great player in his own.

 

[BobPSU92]

Lavar is great on the radio and he likes it. Hes not coaching in college

I prefer to think he won’t be coaching at Penn State because we won’t have him rather than he prefers radio.

 

[sluggo72]

Well, there was that little detail of a shattered Achillie’s heal. But don’t that get in the way.......

That didn’t happen until he played w the Giants. The WTF team benched him for being freelancing and not playing the defense the way the coaches thought it should be played. Who knows if they would have been better off just letting him play. FTR I am a fan
I think the contract in DC had much to do w everything, but he did end up on the scout team by the end of the year

 

[OaktonDave]

That didn’t happen until he played w the Giants. The WTF team benched him for being freelancing and not playing the defense the way the coaches thought it should be played. Who knows if they would have been better off just letting him play. FTR I am a fan
I think the contract in DC had much to do w everything, but he did end up on the scout team by the end of the year

He was benched in 2005 after being injured most of 2004. It was Joe Gibbs' second stint with WFT, and Gregg Williams was the DC. It's possible that the 2004 injury had lingering affects or the wear and tear of the league was taking its toll on his athleticism. In any case, the staff believed the defense played better as a unit without him. I don't think Arrington has much time for Gibbs or Williams, but I don't think there was a coach or DC after HS that he believes used him properly, including JoePa and his DC.

 

[The Spin Meister]

That didn’t happen until he played w the Giants. The WTF team benched him for being freelancing and not playing the defense the way the coaches thought it should be played. Who knows if they would have been better off just letting him play. FTR I am a fan
I think the contract in DC had much to do w everything, but he did end up on the scout team by the end of the year

Well, it’s been reported that Lavaar had a player’s option to buy out his contract, which he did for $4.5 mil so he wasn’t cut by the the WFT. He then signed a seven year contract for $49 mil with the Giants.......pretty good for a head case that coaches don’t like. Hope it had a sizable % guaranteed as he blew his heal the first year and never played again. Shame as he had an All Pro season going.

Would be interesting to know if he had better offers and just why he signed with the Giants. Was it to follow his idol LT? Was it a scheme and coaches that fit him better? Was it he wanted the limelight and potential financial windfall of playing the Big Apple?