If Screaming Worked, the Cowboys Wouldn’t Have Gone 8–8

This is an old clip (no earlier than 2019 — the last year Kris Richard was Co-DC for the Cowboys) that keeps resurfacing in the “this is how you coach” or “back in the day you could yell at dudes” circles. In it, Richard is dog-cussing LBs Sean Lee and Leighton Vander Esch on the sideline. And according to the group-think logic, because he’s letting them have it, they’re somehow more coachable, accountable, locked in, etc.

I have so many issues with that logic. Let’s start with the leap that a simple head nod and lack of verbal pushback means the players are learning or improving from what’s being screamed at them. If that were true, why did the Cowboys go 8–8 and Richard get fired? If raising your voice and proximity yelling makes players better, why not do it Monday–Friday so Saturday or Sunday isn’t wasted on tirades?

There’s a whole other post to be written about how this models emotional illiteracy and a lack of regulation, but here’s the bottom line: just because they nod “yes sir” doesn’t mean you coached effectively.

Now push it further: if you showed this video to your guys and asked them, “Brave space: does this remind you of a moment I did to you?” — what would they say? How many examples would they recall?

Let’s be better.

Coach Prompt

When you replay tough coaching moments in your own head — are you measuring success by player compliance (head nods, silence) or by actual comprehension and growth?

Player Prompt

When your coach raises their voice at you, do you actually learn something, or are you just trying to get through the moment without making it worse?