DURHAM, N.C. - In recent weeks, three college football coaches were fired from their jobs over allegations of mistreating an athlete. "Clearly, the traditional drill sergeant mentality of breaking people down physically, emotionally and mentally to build them back up again is on its way out," says a Duke University sports psychologist.

"I think the recent events that have occurred in college football are just the beginning," says Greg Dale, director of sports psychology and leadership programs for Duke Athletics. "Coaches will be held more accountable than ever to how they balance challenging athletes without crossing a line that is much more defined than ever before."

In recent weeks, football coaches Mark Mangino at Kansas, Mike Leach at Texas Tech and Jim Leavitt at the University of South Florida have been fired over their alleged mistreatment of players.

"There have always been some coaches at the college and professional levels who choose to use more coercive approaches to motivation," says Dale, who speaks each year to hundreds of coaches about the art and psychology of coaching. "In the past, these methods were blindly accepted and the code of silence that ‘whatever happens within the program, stays within the program' is becoming less powerful.

"Kids today are used to sharing their entire lives on social networks and have been conditioned by their parents to stand up for themselves and speak out against anyone who might treat them unfairly."