As Charlotte 49ers begin training camp, mental health is on coach Will Healy’s mind

Charlotte 49ers coach Will Healy has a challenge that’s not uncommon to college football coaches this summer:

The 49ers open training camp on Friday without — for the time being, at least — knowing when, where or against whom their first game will be.

“The guys are giving me a hard time,” Healy said with a laugh. “They’re saying you’d think we’d have a game plan for our first game by now. But if we had one, we’d be working on it.”

Due to the coronavirus, the first two games of Charlotte’s season have been canceled — Sept. 5 at Tennessee and Sept. 12 at home against Norfolk State. The status of a game originally scheduled for Sept. 17 at Duke is uncertain until the ACC releases its 10-game conference schedule and the Blue Devils decide whether they’ll keep Charlotte, Middle Tennessee State or Elon as their one nonconference game.

49ers athletics director Mike Hill says he’s working on finding replacements for Tennessee and Norfolk State, but so much depends on Duke’s decision that, again, the who, when and where of all this remains to be seen. Charlotte’s other nonconference game is still on for Sept. 26 at home against Georgia State, with the Conference USA schedule set to begin Oct. 3 at Florida Atlantic.

“We actually had started to game plan for Tennessee, Norfolk State and Duke this summer before things started getting called off,” Healy said. “So, anybody out there who needs some good intel on Tennessee, give us a call. We think we had a pretty good plan.”

49ers players have been back on campus since mid-June and going through limited workouts. Precautions are being taken due to the coronavirus (494 total tests have been taken since June 10 of 49ers athletes, coaches and staff members, with six positives). Tests will be given weekly to football players once training camp begins.

“You’re legitimately concerned about the health of your players,” Healy said. “Although this is not necessarily the age group that’s been hit the hardest, you’ve don’t want to risk them contracting the virus. So I want to make sure that on my part, it’s safe for them and we’re not putting them in any danger.”

Healy said he talked to North Carolina coach Mack Brown on Monday about the Tar Heels’ plans on using specially designed mesh masks and shields inside their helmet facemasks.

“The concern that hasn’t been answered is how durable they are,” Healy said. “They’ve been used in walk-throughs, but not live situations. So the concern is, does it break or snap when you have collisions. If you do, then to me, that’s a safety hazard. So we’ll keep looking into that.”

His players’ physical health is not Healy’s only concern.

“I worry about their mental health,” Healy said. “These last five months are probably the most challenging months they’ve had in their lives, with COVID and social injustice and are we playing our season or not, or is school going to be in or not. There’s been a lot on the line for them coming back, and there’s not really a protocol for them to help them get through all of it.”

Healy said no 49ers players have opted out of the season due to coronavirus concerns. Players at other programs — including Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley and Illinois’ Ra’Von Bonner — have elected not to play this season.

“Nobody has, but that conversation has happened many a time,” Healy said. “I told our team, if you don’t feel comfortable playing, you can keep your scholarship and apply to the NCAA for a waiver to get another year (of eligibility). They understand they can do anything they want to do. We’ve been up front with them about it.”

Small signs of a return to normalcy are appearing. Monday, players were allowed to shower in the locker room for the first time (they had been showering in their dorms or houses after workouts).

“We split them up into a gold group and a green group, going half capacity in the locker rooms,” Healy said. “There were no assigned showers, and it was one in, one out. You’re going through that finally, and you’re not even thinking that in a week from (Monday) they’ll be hitting one another.”

The first two days of practice (Friday and Saturday) will be without pads. After a day off Sunday, shoulder pads come on Monday and there will be contact.

“We’ve got a good plan for practice,” Healy said. “It’s going to be mask-on, 6-feet of separation. Coaches have masks on the whole time. We’ll be getting after it.”

And about that game plan for the first opponent?

“We don’t even worry about game planning with the team until we’re two-and-a-half weeks into camp,” Healy said. “Hopefully by then we’ll know something, right?”

This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 2:41 PM.