Inside the Leadership Council

As spring practice neared an end in April, head coach Dennis Franchione handed a select group of players an assignment: bring a consensus of ideas to him about what trappings the team would like in the new players' lounge under construction.

This group, elected by teammates to the Leadership Council, consulted with teammates and turned in lengthy lists of suggestions for the lounge that is part of the South End Zone football project.

The end result featured some, but not all of their ideas. That's because the Leadership Council - a concept that Franchione first developed when he was head coach at New Mexico about 10 years ago - is, in his words, "an input group, not a policy-making group...and input from the players is important in determining the way we operate."

The entire team selects the Council by position. A player is chosen from each position group - QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, CB, S - plus one from special teams and one from walk-ons. When a vote is extremely close, more than one player is named for any given position. The Council members then operate similarly to a Congressman - providing input based on feedback from the other players at his position.

The Leadership Council (in alphabetical order): Jaxson Appel, Derek Farmer, Oschlor Flemming, Geoff Hangartner, Byron Jones, Ronald Jones, Dustin Long, Archie McDaniel, Reggie McNeal, Jared Morris, Terrence Murphy, Alan Reuber, Cody Scates, Linnis Smith, Tim Van Zant and Sean Weston.

"I tell them they should not act on their desires only, but on the constituency they represent," Franchione explains.

Game captains are then appointed by the coaching staff from the Leadership Council, and the whole squad elects permanent captains for the season from the Council the week before the last game.

"I believe that the highest honor you can achieve in football is to be voted by your own teammates as permanent captain," Franchione says.

Invariably, the Council comprises players from every class - even an occasional redshirt freshman. Franchione believes this helps develop and perpetuate leadership as squad turnover occurs.

Examples of how the Leadership Council participates in decisions that affect the team:

Early in fall practice, Franchione plays host to the group at his home and they will hold a goal-setting session for the upcoming season. They arrive with goals discussed among the various position groups.

On occasion a player facing discipline must appear before the Leadership Council.

"We've had players in different straits off the field, for example maybe one who stole something from a teammate, come in front of the Council," Franchione points out. "The offender explains his situation, they question him, and our discipline then is guided by what the Council thinks. Sometimes, the toughest thing you have to do is face your peers, and often they are tougher on themselves than we as coaches are."

Most years, members of the Council stage a draft session to divide the teams for the spring game, complete with an hour for trades after the draft deadline. Last spring one of the draft captains strategically sought out the medical staff for input before selection day.

The Council has say-so into the types of awards the team receives in special circumstances - rings, watches, etc. - and often will vote on changes in the uniform.

Before a bowl game the Council offers ideas about the travel itinerary, which is especially important when it affects holidays.

As for the array of wants that the team came up with through the Council for their players' lounge, well, some were quite whimsical - such as an ATM that required no card. But seriously, on the selection of music, television, DVDs and Game Boy electronics available in the lounge, you can bet that the Council's influence will outweigh any coaching consideration based on tastes.

"The most important thing about the Council," Franchione says, "is that it gives us a chance to explain fully what we're doing and why we're doing it. We do that with the full team present, too, of course, but the Council serves as a sounding board in which players talk to players.

"An important element of my leadership style is to give ownership to everybody involved, and there are more players involved than anybody else. I believe in not only holding them accountable, but in them holding themselves accountable for their behavior and decisions.

"The Leadership Council is the most definitive way we do all that in an inclusive style."