The Greenville Panthers have been a major threat this 2019-20 season in the UMAC conference. One of the biggest questions everyone wants to know the answer to is “What has changed?” The past seasons for the GU Panthers have been rough with multiple seasons with a record under .500. A look back on the last few seasons included the following records:
2-8 (2016)
4-6 (2017)
3-7 (2018)
Things are turning around this season as the 2019 record stands at 6-2 overall record and 5-1 in conference play!
What has changed?
The Panther offense has been on fire this season running up the scoreboards! This year may be one of the best years skill-wise that the Panthers have had in a while. Nearly every game this season, they have erupted with explosive plays, catching the opponents off guard. Offensive Coordinator Joshua Flannery, who has been apart of the organization for several year, had a few things to say about what has changed in the program.
Coach Flannery stated, “Over the last couple of years, the GU football program has really worked hard at developing a discipline-driven culture as opposed to a default driven culture. Discipline-driven means doing intentional and purposeful work, doing it even when you don’t feel like it, responding well to tough or adverse situations, accepting feedback and evaluation from your position coach, and having a ‘Get Better Mindset’ each and every day (default driven would be the opposite of those things). The belief that the football program is seeing success on the field this year because the guys are striving for this discipline driven culture. We are not perfect at it and perfection is not the goal, but we want to strive for excellence as the team continues to grow and develop in a discipline driven mindset. We call that ‘Embrace the Process.’ As a result of the guys buying into this type of culture and living it out each day, the team is seeing great results on the football field. We have not changed that much offensively in terms of the scheme, but our guys have changed the way we think and strive for becoming ‘Champions for Christ.’ All these things are why we believe we are seeing the fruits of the labor offensively.”
This 2019 Panther team is rewriting the history books by beating teams that they have not been victorious against in years. They beat a St. Scholastica team that they haven’t beat since 2010, and just this past Saturday, a very good MacMurray team they haven’t beat since 2014!
Assistant coach Brandon Grant, who plays a huge part in the Panther offense by coaching the running backs and tight ends also had plenty to say about the sudden turnaround throughout the program.
Grant stated, “As a coach, it is always a little unknown when you start a new season. You have returning players who know you and know what we are striving to be as a program, and then you have incoming guys who are now apart of the family but have to learn the ins and outs of our mission to Build Champions For Christ.”
“The big thing in our meeting room this year is the growth I have seen the guys have together. They truly enjoy each other’s company and that is something special to see as a coach. The group strives to help each other out; older guys are coaching up the younger guys and helping them to get better at assignments and techniques. The biggest thing is they all want us as a team to be successful whether they are on the field or not. They compete day in and day out against each other to push each other to be better. And on Saturday, whoever happens to be on the field has the rest of the group cheering him on to be successful.”
The Panthers take on Iowa Wesleyan next hoping to go 7-2 on the season. Let’s Go Panthers!
Media by Derreion Twitty.
