Pierce’s Commitment to Growth
Antonio Pierce spoke to the media on Thursday and did what he does: fire people up. He talked about camp, cracked jokes about the coaches and players, and talked about the growth of the team this offseason. In his 24 minutes on the podium, he dropped many gems, but my favorite quote from him was:
“Yeah we gotta coach the players, but coaches need to be coached.”
It is perhaps AP’s best quality that he is aware of his shortcomings. Not only this, but he knows none of the people he signs or hires will be perfect either. Instead of creating a culture where perfection is required and the only thing that matters, Pierce chooses to build around people who are authentic, who are hungry to learn, and who have a chip on their shoulder.
This offseason he hired former head coaches Marvin Lewis and Joe Philbin to teach him what he does not know, and he built a staff that is diverse in age, experience and thought. Nobody in this franchise will be complacent as long as Pierce is at the helm because he practices what he preaches, and he knows that this whole experience is a marathon, not a sprint.