NATCHEZ — When Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach was fired Tuesday, it continued a disturbing trend of college coaches being disciplined for alleged mistreatment of their players.

Leach followed in the footsteps of former Kansas coach Mark Mangino, who resigned under pressure on Dec. 3 after allegedly verbally and physically abusing players, and South Florida coach Jim Leavitt, who is being investigated for allegedly striking a player in the locker room at halftime of a game this season.

Perhaps these coaches could learn a thing or two from the Miss-Lou’s high school coaches, who live by the creed of treating the players like they would treat their own sons.

“There is a fine line between having discipline and punishing kids,” Cathedral head football coach Craig Beesley said. “We try to do our best to make sure the kids understand when they mess up to take responsibility. We don’t ever want to harm a kid or take a chance of humiliating somebody.”

And that is exactly what Leach is accused of doing.

The former Red Raiders coach allegedly ordered wide receiver Adam James to stand in a dark equipment shed for three hours after James complained of concussion-like symptoms.

James said the incident humiliated him in front of the team, which is something Beesley said he would never do to a player.

“I think the problem that a lot of people get into sometimes is that I feel like coaches will try to embarrass kids,” Beesley said. “I don’t think that is a good way of disciplining someone. If you’re going to do that, you keep it between you and the player, you don’t do it in front of others. I will pull a player into the coaches office and talk to him one on one, rather than do something in front of the others to embarrass him.”

Natchez High football coach Lance Reed said discipline is done on a player-by-player basis.

“I think it’s very important you’re consistent with the team as far as the punishments you lie down,” Reed said. “I also think it’s important to handle each player based on their individual needs. Sometimes you may get on one kid a little tougher than you would another one, based on their makeup.”

Reed said he has tried to create a family-like atmosphere in the NHS football program, and treats his players as if they were his sons.

“We want the players to trust what we ask them to do,” Reed said. “You wouldn’t want to do anything to them that you wouldn’t do to your own son. That’s a good philosophy to live by. However bad the situation is, you have to remember that they’re still a young player, and are still learning, and you have to teach them.”

But however coaches choose to discipline and motivate their players, one thing is for sure.

The days of Paul “Bear” Bryant running his team through all-day practices with no water in the sweltering heat are over.

“Society is different than it was when Bear Bryant coached,” Beesley said. “If there was a Bear Bryant out there today, he’d be in trouble. It’s a different society now and that’s something coaches have to be aware of.”