Teach core values, such as honesty. Don’t complain about your players. Respect greatness.

Those were some of the tips a handful of master football coaches gave to more than 1,000 of their high school counterparts Friday at the 80th annual Ohio State Football Coaches Clinic.

“When you’re dealing with players, you’re trying to teach the core values,” said Earle Bruce, OSU coach from 1979–87. “You can’t deal with a player if he’s going to lie to you. So, honesty and truthfulness is very, very important.”

John Cooper, OSU coach from 1988–00, said coaches should use their talent with their players’ and turn it into a great football team.

“Don’t b—- about your players,” Cooper said. “They’re the only ones you’ve got.”

The clinic began Thursday and brought more than 1,000 high school coaches to Columbus.

On Friday, the coaches gathered in the Schottenstein Center to hear from a panel of coaches, including  Bruce, Cooper and Dave Adolph.

Following the master coaches session, ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” analyst and former Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden praised OSU football and its coaching greats including Bruce, Cooper and coach Jim Tressel.

“Phenomenal tradition at Ohio State,” Gruden said. “Great coaches — you got Jim Tressel, national champion. Hell, you got people wearing his sweater.”

Gruden also cited legendary OSU coach Woody Hayes as the reason he got into coaching.

The coaches clinic continues Friday with coaches watching the OSU football team practice, followed by the 66th annual Ohio North-South game in Ohio Stadium.

The coaches will meet with members of the OSU football staff for presentations on conditioning, filming and equipment on Saturday, and then will attend the Jesse Owens Spring Game.