JaMarcus Shephard followed Kalen DeBoer from Washington to join the Alabama staff as the Crimson Tide’s new associate head coach, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. He is considered one of the top young minds in college football.
However, his new strategy to hold players accountable is met with mixed reactions.
Shephard is punishing his position group with up-downs for mistakes they didn’t make. Although his approach to accountability is not ground-breaking, it would be curious to know how the players feel. Especially in the modern era, where student-athletes are professional athletes.
To punish players for the actions of others is undoubtedly frustrating for the guys who aren’t playing.
If a wide receiver on the field drops a ball, his teammates on the sideline are also forced to do up-downs. They are penalized just the same as the player who committed the error. It’s an accountability thing.
“If someone on the field doesn’t catch the ball, guys are on the sideline doing up-downs and they weren’t even in the game…that’s just the way I coach.” @AlabamaFTBL WR Coach JaMarcus Shephard pic.twitter.com/C19tiHVgAu
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) August 28, 2024
This isn’t to say that Shephard doesn’t know what he is doing. The Huskies had one of the best wide receiver rooms in the country last season. Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk and Rome Odunze were drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. He is a proven coach with a track record of success.
With that being said, communal punishment is something that could go in one of two ways. Players will either band together as a team and hold each other responsible or they will start to resent the individuals who make repeated mistakes.
Shephard’s strategy typically goes well when the team is winning, like Washington last fall. Not so much when it’s losing. This Alabama team, specifically the wide receiver room, is going to serve as an interesting social experiment. Should the Crimson Tide fail to meet the standard set by Nick Saban, it will be interesting to see if the wheels fall off and how quickly.