How a Football Coach Sends Signals That Have Nothing to Do With Football

(Photo: Cynthia Closkey)

On Yahoo! Sports, the football writer Jason Cole profiles Todd Haley, the Pittsburgh native who has returned to his hometown Steelers (yeah, they’re my team too) to take over as offensive coordinator. Cole writes about Haley’s notorious “screaming jags” and wonders if Haley and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can coexist:

Haley believes the outside world doesn’t understand the method to his madness. In previous stops, Haley was walking into rebuilding situations that required more attitude.

“The general public doesn’t know if that’s contrived or not contrived and over the years you have seen a lot of coaches who have shown emotion,” Haley said. “I take a great deal of pride in my passion for the game, but it was also what the situation dictated at the time.”

Okay, nothing so noteworthy about that. But then Haley reveals himself as a master of signaling theory:

On top of that, Haley joked, there is a personal factor that occasionally drives him over the edge. Of his five children, four are girls with the oldest at age 15.

“I want my girls’ potential boyfriends to think I’m a crazy lunatic,” Haley said.

I hear that Robin Hanson, a wise man in the realm of signaling, is writing a book, which I am eagerly awaiting. Sounds like Todd Haley won’t even need to read it.