“I definitely hear that. Just hearing his feedback is something I have to take. I love it. If I couldn’t take it, I wouldn’t be here,” LeCounte said. “For everybody at this level, it’s a job, and me doing my job is something the team needs for the end result, to make the big picture. I’m just a small piece of this big puzzle, and Coach Smart taking time out for me, that’s a sign he really cares.”
The head coach is usually straightforward when it comes to answering questions about LeCounte. Smart doesn’t shy away from commenting on the sophomore safety. After Saturday’s scrimmage, Smart mentioned to the media that LeCounte had plenty to learn. Smart says its all about the process with the young safety.
“Did you look at the right thing and did you do it right? If you do that, you’ll be successful. Not when he (Richard) thinks about, ‘Did I get an interception? Did I get a tackle?’” Smart said. “That’s not the important thing at safety. The important thing is, did you look at the right thing, and did you do the right thing? Because if you don’t, it can cost you dearly. I’ve repeated to him over and over that it’s not his job to make those plays, it’s his job to do his job.”
LeCounte agreed with Smart and said it’s been a learning experience for him. He enjoys hearing feedback from the head coach and says he’s looked forward to getting some hard coaching.
“I’ve definitely looked forward to getting hard coaching; coming here to develop my mind and my body,” LeCounte said. “Hearing feedback from Coach Smart—positive or negative—is always something I can learn from.”
When asked what he thought about Smart giving him tough love, the sophomore grinned and agreed, “It’s tough love, definitely.”
LeCounte goes onto say that despite the tough love it’s coaching and all the players get the same treatment.
“But tough love or not, it’s coaching. It’s something I have to be open to. All my teammates get that same type of love from Coach Smart,” LeCounte states. “That’s something that’s going to happen.”