EUGENE, Ore. – San Diego State coach Ryan Donovan has been known to take a tough-love approach with his players.
Doesn’t matter what you’ve won, where you’ve been or what you’re ranked – if you play poorly, you’re going to ride the bench.
“That’s kind of my M.O.,” Donovan said Friday. “I don’t like to give my guys handouts.”
Junior Nahum Mendoza III found that out the hard way.
A local kid who was lightly recruited, Mendoza decided to stay close to home for college and walked on to the team without a scholarship. He slacked off his first semester and drew the ire of his coach, who suggested that he either dedicate more time to his game or find another program.