The Coach Speaks Out About Working with Vince McMahon
Former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman was interviewed last week by the As The World Turns Left blog and an spoke at length about what it was like working for WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
"There were times, especially when I started doing the bigger shows, where I — you know, he’s a perfectionist, he built it from the ground up, I respected him and still do to this day — and because of the way he was, so hard, so difficult, I got to the point where I could almost repeat in within a quarter or half a second what he was telling me," Coachman said.
"We got that much in synch. It’s difficult. There were times when I’d leave a show, and literally, I don’t know what a migraine headache is, but I think that’s what I had. Your head is really pounding, and it feels like it’s just going to explode after asking your brain to shape everything perfectly for two hours. So, did I enjoy it all the time? No. Did it make me mentally, incredibly strong? Absolutely.
"And I always said this the last two or three years I was there: No matter who I work for when I leave here, it’ll be like working for Mister Rogers compared to working for him. And I mean that in a good way. We left on the best of terms, and I still go and see everybody when they’re around, in Hartford or Springfield or Bridgeport.
"And we get along great. So, it was a great time for me. Anybody that complains isn’t mentally tough, and I don’t want to hear it. I hate people that leave and then bash him, bash the company and say what a horrible guy he is, because he’s not. He just asks a lot. And you’ve got a bring a lot, that’s it."
"There were times, especially when I started doing the bigger shows, where I — you know, he’s a perfectionist, he built it from the ground up, I respected him and still do to this day — and because of the way he was, so hard, so difficult, I got to the point where I could almost repeat in within a quarter or half a second what he was telling me," Coachman said.
"We got that much in synch. It’s difficult. There were times when I’d leave a show, and literally, I don’t know what a migraine headache is, but I think that’s what I had. Your head is really pounding, and it feels like it’s just going to explode after asking your brain to shape everything perfectly for two hours. So, did I enjoy it all the time? No. Did it make me mentally, incredibly strong? Absolutely.
"And I always said this the last two or three years I was there: No matter who I work for when I leave here, it’ll be like working for Mister Rogers compared to working for him. And I mean that in a good way. We left on the best of terms, and I still go and see everybody when they’re around, in Hartford or Springfield or Bridgeport.
"And we get along great. So, it was a great time for me. Anybody that complains isn’t mentally tough, and I don’t want to hear it. I hate people that leave and then bash him, bash the company and say what a horrible guy he is, because he’s not. He just asks a lot. And you’ve got a bring a lot, that’s it."
Labels: Jonathan Coachman, vince mcmahon
