In a time when college coaches get into trouble for being disciplinarians, Saluki head football coach Shawn Watson has made changes in the SIUC football program in an attempt to raise team cohesiveness and academic standards.

Watson’s system consists of having players put in extra time, usually running early in the morning for violating team rules, and skipping class. This extra time is called a Dog Day and three or more Dog Days during the year can get a player kicked off the team.

Cedric Kenner, who now has played under both Watson and Bob Smith, Watson’s predecessor, said the old regime was lax on discipline, hurting the team’s chemistry.

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With the old staff you could do about whatever you wanted, Kenner said. Some players even drank beer on the bus going to games. There was no discipline or cohesiveness.

Kenner said many players have felt Watson’s wrath in the coach’s inaugural season.

I would say over 40 players have been cut in the past year because of academics and other discipline problems, he said. A couple of players were on scholarship and some scholarships were cut too.

Watson’s program is nothing new to SIUC as Watson himself played under the same program for then coach Ray Dempsey in the early 1980’s. Watson said he has used the same system at other schools he has coached, most recently at the University of Miami(OH).

Instituted into his program is a commitment to academics, which

Watson hopes will help him fill at least one goal.

My number one goal here at SIUC is to graduate my kids, Watson said.

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Part of Watson’s commitment to academics is having players fill out a truth statement every week. In this truth statement, players write down the classes that they have, their instructors’ names, grades for the week, and grade in the class as of that week.

Watson said this system helps keep the team and the player aware of where the player is academically. This way a problem can be detected early and extra help can be sought.

Checking in every week can also

see FOOTBALL, page 15