Leo Cavell
May 24, 2011
James Walker
May 26, 2011
Where everyone else saw an improbable task, new Ellender head football coach Timothy Betts saw an opportunity.
An opportunity to do what others have labeled impossible, to revamp and change the Patriots football team, which has just a 1-26 record in the past three seasons and has been outscored 1,245-287 during that same period.
Just a few weeks into the job, Betts admits that task won’t be easy and it may take time, but the coach remained firm that bright days are ahead for Ellender football as the Patriots’ completed spring practices this week.
“I saw this as an opportunity. I did,” Betts said. “I looked at it as if I can turn this program around, I can pretty much do anything. We’re going to get this thing fixed.”
Betts isn’t at Ellender because he has to be. The fact is he’s one of only two people who wanted to be. While similar vacancies at H.L. Bourgeois, Central Lafourche and Thibodaux drew more than a dozen applicants, the former Patriots’ assistant coach was one of only two people who applied for the job.
The reason? He’s been in a similar situation as a player and feels he has the formula to turn it around.
“When I was in school, my high school was pretty much in the same situation,” Betts said. “I was fortunate enough to be coached by David Wilson, who came from Florida State and, fortunately, my freshman year, he came to Pensacola High School. And the moment he got there, he changed the whole program.
“Basically, I’m mimicking him, pretty much. When I first started playing varsity on down through my career there, we made it to the playoffs every year. … I’m hoping to follow his example and do that here to turn this around.”
To win five games, three games or even one game in a season would be a turnaround for the Patriots.
Ellender’s last victory came on Oct. 17, 2008, when the Patriots defeated Morgan City 28-21.
Instead of focusing solely on changing X’s and O’s, Betts is following his mentor and taking a slightly different approach to get the Patriots on the right track.
First, Betts has worked to put in a stringent workout program to get his team in shape for the upcoming season.
The new coach said he believes he has the athletes to succeed, but players who are unable to compete at a high level for more than a few minutes at a time aren’t of much use.
The team has spent a large portion of practices working in the weight room. They will continue those efforts into the summer.
“In the past, we’ve had a lot of athletes, but they haven’t been strong,” Betts said. “We had to introduce them to the weights to get their bodies physically in condition.”
Senior safety Drake Granier said Betts’ attitude has really breathed a new life into the program.
“He’s an intense coach,” Granier said. “When he asks you to get it done, you get it done now. His personality is just a lot different than the old coach we had. He’s more into it. He’s going to give us his all and, in return, we’re going to give him our all.”
The coach has also shifted his attention to the classroom and into the homes of his players.
Betts has taken a chunk of practice time away from the field to host study hall sessions for his players. Keeping players eligible to play has been a challenge previous coaches have had. That’s a problem Betts vows to minimize at all costs, not for football, but for his players’ future.
“We do that, so I can know that most definitely my kids are doing what they have to be doing as far as the books are concerned,” Betts said of the study sessions. “The teachers here have seen what it is that I’m trying to do and they are on board already.”
The new coach also wants to provide players emotional and moral support.
Betts doesn’t shy away from discussing the fact that Ellender pools from several low-income neighborhoods that serve as the feeder systems for several of his players.
Instead of running from that reality, the coach said it’s his job to be a living mentor to his players.
“To be willing to turn this program around, you have to be willing to do a lot of things the average coach is not willing to do,” Betts said. “One is I’m constantly, and I mean constantly, checking on these kids. Because, the truth is, a lot of them don’t even know what responsibility is. A lot of these kids come from households where they already are the ‘head’, so they do what they want to do. There are a lot of bad habits in there that you need to pull out of them. It may seem like they don’t want it, but they do. It’s just the way they’ve been programmed. That’s what we’re doing, reprogramming.”
Defensive lineman Todd Fitch said Betts’ teachings aren’t always easy, but said several Patriots now hold the highest level of respect for their new coach.
“Our motto for this year is to ‘dare to be different,'” Fitch said. “He’s a really great coach. He cares about all of our players and we have a lot of guys who look up to him not only as a coach, but as a father figure, too. He means that much to us.”
Betts is the first person to admit everything isn’t always perfect during his team’s transitional process. When asked what trait he most needs to succeed at Ellender, he was quick to say patience.
“It’s funny because when you’re trying to break these boys, they’ll start off right, but then they’ll revert to their old ways and their old habits,” Betts said with a laugh. “But I know they are coming along. You just have to be patient and know it’s all part of a process.”
Regardless of the ups and downs, the Patriots will roll into a new era in the fall with a new coach, attitude and season to look forward to.
From everyone involved, the message is constant, these Patriots are doing things the right way and are no longer going to be the team everyone looks forward to playing.
“We’re definitely going to be better,” offensive lineman Devron Smith said. “Now we’re just ready to go out and win.”
“We’re just known for basketball right now,” Granier added. “But if we can turn this thing around … more people are going to [support] Ellender [football]. And that’s kind of the problem we have now, no one believes in Ellender. Every time we go into a game, we know people are doubting us. That stops this year.”
Because, as the new coach is quick to point out, he and his team have nowhere to go but up.
“What I’m expecting this year is for our guys to play four full quarters of football and to play with 100-percent effort,” Betts said. “If we do that and every team we play against is that much better than us, then I can take an 0-10 season. But for the most part, I’m just looking for that commitment and our players being dedicated to do what it takes to win. … My message would be don’t sleep on us. Just don’t sleep on us.”
Betts, Cowboy Ware ties at Troy
- Betts graduated from Pensacola High School in Florida and signed a collegiate scholarship to play with Troy University in Alabama.
- While there, he was an all-conference selection as a defensive end, while wearing the No. 94.
- Betts graduated in 2000 with several school records, even enjoying a short stint with the Tennessee Titans.
- As he left Troy, the Trojans welcomed a new defensive end to the fold, Dallas Cowboys’ Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
- Ware recently said in an interview with The Sporting News that he credits Betts for paving the way for him to have his success, even saying that he learned plenty of skills as a rush-end from his predecessor. Betts responded and said it’s “an absolute honor” to be recognized by what he describes as a phenomenal talent.
“That’s one of the biggest compliments I’ve ever received and I honestly didn’t know that I had that impact on him,” Betts said. “One of the things that pushed him was when he came to Troy, they always talked about me and my pass rushing skills. He said hearing that was one of the things that drove him and motivated him to want to do better. One of the things he said he would do when he got there is he said he would erase my history from Troy State. And you know, pretty much, he’s done that. He’s done pretty much everything except take my picture off the walls there. But you know, I take that as the ultimate compliment, because you never know who you impact. You know, he came in as a recruit that I had given a visit to and I never knew he had that much attention to detail of my work there on the field. I never knew he paid that much attention. So for him to come back now and say that after he’s been in the NFL all of these years and has been to all of those Pro Bowls and everything like that, it’s just an honor, you know?”
