by Taylor Williams
 |
| Grace King Head Coach Steve Ruckman |
May 5th, 2010 - Like any serious profession, coaching football on any level requires some personal flavor to obtain respect and recognition. In Louisiana, it’s not an occupation to be taken lightly, nor one without judgment and scrutiny. To adhere to the principles of adequate coaching, some of these men develop their own “brand” of football to be identified exclusively with their programs, just as any business brands a tangible product or an intangible service. Branding, as pertains to football, includes any associations postulated by colleagues, administrations, and the heart and soul of the team-players and fans. The process of branding a football team materializes upon consistent recognition of a set of attributes specific to one program, and successful branding provides a framework for future evaluation according to the brand-specific standard of football.
Football fans throughout Louisiana can count on their teams having strong brand-like images and recognitions, and none more so than the Fighting Irish of Grace King. Named for one of Louisiana’s premiere literary and historical scholars, “King,” as it’s more commonly known, is a 5A school in suburban Metairie, LA that shares the familiar mascot of Notre Dame and its storied athletic greatness. Unlike Notre Dame, however, the boxing leprechaun symbolizing Grace King has been on the losing side of the fight quite a bit recently. King failed to win a single game last year due to a variety of internal and external factors, precipitating the need for a completely new style of football. Enter Steve Ruckman, a Metairie native who earned his playing and coaching stripes in Florida, one of the few states comparable to Louisiana in terms of sheer love of the game. A man with a high degree of professionalism and charisma in coaching, Ruckman saw last season’s disappointment as a catalyst for introducing a new brand of King football that promises to be every bit as tough, physical, and intense as the competition demands. But Ruckman’s ambition to build a new brand of football is hardly limited to on-the-field activities. Backed by an extremely supportive administrative cast, Ruckman is shaking things up from a marketing perspective to increase game attendance and overall support throughout the Grace King network. Innovative ideas, such as a powder-puff/ cheerleader preseason football game, distribution of sporty schedule cards, and an open-arms attitude to the media, all promise to stir up the buzz around King football. Ruckman also single handedly built a webpage exclusively for Grace King football, a gesture that showcases not only his impressive computer skills but also his dedication to disseminating the buzz. With a commitment to adhere to the highest standard of gentlemanly conduct- sharp appearances, appropriate language, and good all-around representation- the new brand of King football has already begun to manifest itself in practice and in the locker room. And thanks to enthusiastic reception from a passionate administration on his ideas, Ruckman’s ground-breaking philosophy has also garnered the support of faculty, parents, and fans. But like any good branding campaign, the influence is limited and must be supported by visibly positive results- in this case wins on the field. The Irish will implement the ever-popular spread formation on offense in a system that pays homage to former Tulane coach Rich Rodriguez and the explosive operation he epitomized at West Virginia. An exhilarating style of play that parallels the objectives of boosting attendance and sparking excitement around campus, the spread is also conducive to King’s “small but quick” player dynamics. Running the spread puts the spotlight on the skill positions, especially running back Darius Spears and wide receiver Le’Jeune Moye. These guys embody the dynamic athleticism that any team must possess to effectively execute the spread. Getting the ball into space and minimizing the pressure on quarterback Curtis Sibley and his offensive line will be critical to the Irish scoring strategy this season. There will be less variability on defense, where a “crawl before you walk” philosophy dictates slow progression. King fans can expect to see the same basic 4-3 formation with a cover 3 shell on virtually every down, mastery of which will precede change. Incremental defensive improvement and incendiary offensive quickness are the cornerstones of King’s on the field brand of football, which correlates to the overall aim of re-identifying the program. And while the success of one goal is undoubtedly contingent upon the other, it remains clear that Grace King has entered a new chapter in their gridiron saga. Like a great business battling an economic recession, the Grace King Fighting Irish are re-establishing and re-vamping all their standards and notions on how they present and play the game of football, with the long term goal of securing permanent, sustainable success a competitive market.
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