Christian values sustain coach

Pete Hurt believes in the student athlete. As head coach of the Samford University Bulldogs, Hurt sets high standards for his players on and off the field.
   
“We set the standards of our program to reflect the mission of the university,” Hurt said.
   
“This goes back to recruiting. We’re open and honest about what we are. This is a Christian school with Christian values.”
   
Born and raised in Cleveland, Miss., Hurt was the third of four sons born to a Baptist preacher.
   
“My dad is 79 years old,” Hurt said. “But if he says, ‘Jump,’ I’ll still say, ‘How high?’ ”
   
Hurt said he was fortunate to grow up in a Christian home with examples set by his mother and father. “There was lots of love and caring in our home. It was a way of life.”
   
Translating that way of life onto the football field is one of Hurt’s main goals as a coach. “Some coaches will tell you fear is the greatest motivator,” he explained. “But Jesus showed us the greatest love of all — and that’s a true motivator.
   
“We try hard to relate to the players that we care about them. We do that by being honest. There’s a difference between pushing somebody and demanding their best.”
   
Hurt has experienced football from both sides of the sidelines, from playing at Mississippi College (where he and all three of his brothers went to college) to coaching at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and even professional teams. But Hurt said that he fits right in as a Samford Bulldog.
   
“I told them when I came here,” Hurt said, “there are two things I know about: Baptists and football.” Samford holds a 3-2 record this season.
   
Hurt got to utilize his knowledge of both subjects when he signed on as head coach. “I’ve coached in Division I, bowl games and professional games,” he said. “Samford is unique. There are true student athletes here.
   
“We emphasize excellence on the field, in the classroom and in life. Those are our three focus points. We take kids with character and win football games, and we don’t have to sacrifice that character just so we can get one more tackle or one more touchdown.”
   
Hurt said his standards for excellence extend to practice and even the locker room, where post-game frustration can sometimes make coaches lose their tempers. “I want my players to learn by example. I never have to apologize for my language in the locker room or on the field, and that goes for the players too.”
   
“The best rewards I get as a coach are letters from former players, saying our program at Samford helped them to develop as persons,” Hurt said.
   
“Hardly a week goes by when we don’t get one of those letters. That’s a true reward,” he added. Over the past four years, many of Hurt’s games were covered by campus newspaper sports editor Ashley Michael.
   
“Coach Hurt is such a great guy,” Michael said. “I’ve interviewed coaches in all sports from all areas of the country. Coach Hurt just has a love for the game and for his players that you just don’t see very often.”
   
Hurt’s office looks the way a college football head coach’s office should look. There are newspaper clippings, spare pads and helmets and pictures of other coaches plus a television to review the game.
   
On a shelf next to one of his many trophies for achievement on the gridiron is a plastic Japanese robot toy missing part of an arm. It was given to him by his son Clint for being the “World’s Greatest Dad.”
   
It isn’t hard to figure out which trophy is his favorite.