Coach Frank Gansz story

by **ALEX LIFESON** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:51 am

Someone sent this 2004 story to me via email.

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Sidelines

Kalani Simpson

Sunday, April 25, 2004

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Warriors guest coach
Gansz makes poetry
of motion

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"Strip the ball! Get ready, get ready! Hustle to the bag! Hustle to the play side! Ready? Go! Get off the block! Get off the block! Get on the run! Get on the run! Hit through it! Take it to 'em! Get on the next bag! Go! Go! Go! Tempo! No tempo ... no focus! No focus, no speed! Ready? Go! Go, come on! Get on the ball! Hands to the holster! Throw the uppercut! Same arm! Same leg! THE SWIFT AND PROPER EXECUTION OF FUNDAMENTALS! Quick! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Get on the run! Get on the run! Hit first! Get the ball! Get the ball! Better! Better! Better! Better! Better! Better! Ready? Go!"

-- Frank Gansz

IF you arrive at Hawaii's football spring-practice sessions any time after 7:20 a.m., you've already missed it. The highlight. The genius. The show. You've lost out on that block of time labeled on the UH practice schedule, simply (no other description for it): FRANK GANSZ.
Gansz is a rarity. In fact, he's an only-ty. He's the one guy who became a legend as an NFL assistant coach.

He's a madman and a poet. He adapts 13th-century sea battles to kick-return schemes. He cites Aristotle and he screams through a bright red megaphone.

He already seems to know everyone's name.

"Yesterday," he says, "I gave them a quote from Thomas Wolfe."

Gansz is a "guest coach" at UH this spring (temporarily taking an unfilled position these few weeks), and it seems that all the players want to please him and all the coaches quote him.

Now everyone is equating interception returns with improvisational jazz sessions.

Another audience is captivated. Another team is spellbound, motivated, educated. Inspired. Frank Gansz has done it again.

HE WAS A head coach once, in the NFL. In the '80s, for a couple of years. That's how much Frank Gansz makes people believe. But getting that job is not why he's revered in this game. That's not why he's remembered. That wasn't his gift.

And it isn't so much that he knows his stuff, really (which he does), or that he gets results (he is, without argument, the greatest special-teams coach in the history of pro football).

It is, as Bill Murray said in "Stripes," because of the stories that he tells.

"I think that everybody likes a story," he says. "My grandchildren like stories, I know that. My children like stories. And the players always seem to enjoy them."

Gansz is a historian. A "buff". He always has something that connects with people. Something that lifts them. Something beyond X's and O's. "You know," he says, "football can be a little bit of a drag sometimes."

And so there are gripping tales of the exploits of Lord Nelson, and Charlemagne, and Crazy Horse. And of history's greatest battles.

And ... French Impressionist masters?

"Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse were great friends," Gansz says. "And Renoir of course was the great painter. He had crippling arthritis and it was so bad he couldn't leave the house. But he continued to paint into his later years. And Matisse came up to him one day and he said to him, 'Auguste, my friend, why do you continue to paint when it's so painful for you? You can't even go outside, I have to do your shopping!' And he said to him, 'The pain will pass, but the beauty will remain.' "

Ah, Renoir. He would have been a wedge-buster.

ON FRIDAY, FRANK Gansz opened his session with this:

"Remember what I told you yesterday: If we're going to fight in the North Atlantic, we're going to train in the North Atlantic!"

It seemed to make perfect sense at the time.

ARISTOTLE ONCE SAID this:

"Aristotle said this," Gansz says, "I didn't say it, but he said: 'We are what we repeatedly do.' Excellence then, is not an act, it's a habit."

Legend has it Gansz once said this:

"Men, mothers turn their kids' eyes away when we go in to block a punt."

THOSE FIRST 20 minutes are magic. Everyone seems to hit harder, play harder, coach harder. Everyone is writing down Ganszisms, things like "Anticipatory Management" and "Luck favors speed. Luck favors movement. Luck favors the prepared."

By the end of the week half the Hawaii team will probably be quoting Patton and Sitting Bull.

Next season UH will tackle better. You can already see it.

These days Gansz's son, Frank Jr., has his dad's old job as special-teams coach of the NFL's Chiefs. Gansz is officially retired now, to spend more time with the grandkids.

After practice, he seems remarkably calm for a special-teams coach, even one with the soul of a storyteller.

"I calm down," he says.

This is what he does now, favors for old friends like June Jones. He teaches teams for a few weeks at a time, delivering fire and inspiration and motivation and history through that bright red microphone.

They are better for it.

That's his gift.

In his players, those old stories roar back to life.

by **BIGHORSE** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:08 am

Thanks Big Al, great story.

by **jtstang** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:24 am

No news is not good news, from the DMN college blog

April 24, 2009
June Jones: We need a miracle
4:24 PM Fri, Apr 24, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Kate Hairopoulos E-mail News tips

Very sadly, there is no change to report in the condition of Frank Gansz, 70, according to a text message from SMU coach June Jones.

Gansz, the SMU special teams coach, is still in grave condition after suffering severe complications after a knee replacement surgery on Wednesday.

Jones, who has a page on Twitter, has posted this message: "Headed to hospital to pray over Frank...we need a miracle."

by **that's great raplh** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:46 am

this is very sad indeed and i hope that he makes a full and speedy recovery

by **fivemon** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 2:12 pm

I was out to dinner with one of the players last night and he said that it is not looking good at all and that he hated seeing Ganz the way that he did. He said that only a few days ago Ganz was full of life.

by **PerunaPunch** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:58 pm

Anything new on Frank's condition. Saying a prayer right now.

by **MrMustang1965** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:09 pm

PerunaPunch wrote:Anything new on Frank's condition. Saying a prayer right now.

JJ's most recent Twitter about Coach Gansz just says 'We love you, Frankie.'

by **Mustangsabu** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:18 pm

I hope it is a good sign that Coach's condition has not been the subject of further deterioration (or at least it has not been reported) over the weekend. I have been keeping him in my thoughts and will continue to do so.

by **NastyStang** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:26 pm

June Jones twitter:

"Heaven became even a better place today.....God bless Frank Gansz"

Really sad...

by **ddderrius** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:29 pm

I was really touched by Coach Gansz he was truly a nice guy. Peace be with the Gansz family.
I will be praying for them.

by PK » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:35 pm

A hard thing to comprehend. The SMU extended family will sorely miss him. Condolences to his immediate family and friends.

by **CalallenStang** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:41 pm

Prayers and condolences for all he has touched.

by **BIGHORSE** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:45 pm

Coach Gansz will be greatly missed.

by **jtstang** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:57 pm

This sucks.

by **SMU 86** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:17 pm

My prayers are with the Ganz family.

Coach Frank Gansz story

Coach Frank Gansz story

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