Zander Diamont was a cult hero for Indiana football fans during his short stint as a run-first backup quarterback. He also made headlines when he quit football after his junior season, a move he announced had more to do with worries over long-term effects from head trauma than it did over issues with Kevin Wilson, who was fired around the same time amid allegations of abusive behavior towards players.
Today, in the middle of a longer (and interesting!) thread about leadership and coaching, Diamont tweeted about an unnamed former coach in the Indiana program who once praised Hitler’s leadership skills.
https://twitter.com/zanderdiamont/status/1016404279895076864
https://twitter.com/zanderdiamont/status/1016404808507355137
https://twitter.com/zanderdiamont/status/1016406362236964864
https://twitter.com/zanderdiamont/status/1016406725383950337
Not good, though Diamont’s observation is keen. (Diamont is also on the IU Jewish Sports Wall of Fame.) Diamont didn’t name the coach, but he did clarify that it’s a coach who is no longer on the staff:
https://twitter.com/zanderdiamont/status/1016411250459230208
Then former IU receiver Dominque Booth confirmed the story:
https://twitter.com/_TEKnique/status/1016440292344557569
Of course, Wilson (currently the offensive coordinator at Ohio State) isn’t named here, and hey, maybe the leader interested in leading through fear wasn’t the former head football coach fired for alleged mistreatment of players. It could have been one of his assistants. But regardless of who it was, that’s a pretty dumb comment to make.
I think he needs to separate the word “leader” from the actions of the leader. Jim Jones was a great leader. It doesn’t mean he led anyone to great things.
Hitler, in ever sense of the word and by every definition was a great leader. He possessed characteristics of a great leader and he meets every definition for a great leader. What he did with his leadership skills and traits was despicable and horrendous however, but he absolutely had them and folks followed him. Hitler turned out to be an egotistical and narcissistic destroyer of life, but his leadership traits put him in the position. Thats the issue with transformational leaders, they can leader you on a path to greatness, or over a cliff. Its the same person in each case.
Jesus. Anyone who REALLY wants to know whats going on should definitely check this out, its a pretty scary warning from a history and religion professor. Pretty damn eye opening: https://ancientprophecy.weebly.com/