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Post by davishfc on Nov 15, 2010 20:30:45 GMT -6
I've been the OC and DC for the past four years since I took the head job of our program in 2007. I understand there's so much work done during the off-season to prepare for both of these responsibilities which actually makes it possible to perform both of them during the season. Offensive gameplans have been established, for the most part, months in advance against the various defensive looks we anticipate seeing throughout the season. Now I'll do some additional brainstorming as to how we can attack specific personnel of the defensive units we face each week. But the overall plan of attack has been prepared months in advance through diagramming and film breakdown.
Now defensive preparation is another story and the DCs out there will know what I'm talking about. There is a ton of preparation done in the off-season just like offense but the workload during the season is so much more intense. There is no shortcut around breaking down the films you have access to. Good coaches don't cut corners especially DCs during film breakdown. I break down the two or three films we have of our opponent on Saturday after I do the exchange in the morning. The breakdown process ends up taking several hours on Saturday. Some breakdowns are shorter than others depending on the complexity of the offensive attack we're up against...but a time commitment nonetheless.
We meet on Sunday as a staff from NOON to 5 and then the players come in for film from 5-8. At the start of the staff meeting, the assistants watch the opponent films letting them run through which usually takes about an hour. We go over the opponent offensive breakdown, our defensive gameplan, draw up scout cards, and adjust our practice plans for the week specific to our opponent. We finish talking about the previous week's player of the week awards and debriefing on the previous Friday night's game. These tasks usually end around 4:30 just in time for a bathroom break before the players get there at 5:00. 5 to 8 with the players for film and a short conversation with coaches afterwards then we head home...school on Monday.
Being an OC and DC is so much more than calling plays or defenses. Performing both of these roles after the past four years, I've grown to feel most comfortable doing both responsibilities during the off-season, during the season, and on Friday nights. The assistants have the opportunity to contribute their input during the off-season, during the season, and on Friday nights. They all have position group coaching responsibilities obviously. I've been essentially told by my assistants that giving any more time over the weekend during the season is not feasible.
Delegation of DC responsibilities would require several more hours of film breakdown and defensive game planning that I don't believe I can get from anyone on staff. This isn't meant to be negative toward my staff. They're great and I have very high expectations of my 3 paid assistants and the volunteer assistant I have. The hours of weekend preparation is just a huge commitment that I have no problem taking on. I love it. It's a strain on my personal life but it's what great coaches choose to persevere through. With no anticipated change in my assistants' circumstances, I'm preparing myself to do this long term.
I will not relinquish offensive play calling responsibilities at all. There is entirely too much responsibility related to that. There is an impact on each and every play of the game. I can't give that up...I just can't. I make such a huge commitment and so many sacrifices for this program to be successful that if anybody is going to make a mistake on Friday night it's going to be me. I work so hard on the car all off-season that I don't feel selfish driving the car during the season. I know many head coaches out there that will not hand over the keys and I don't blame them one bit. I'm not surprised to see the HC and OC roles combined on so many staffs throughout the country.
I took over this program in 2007. The previous year the program cancelled the varsity season due to low numbers and injuries. I was the 4th Head Coach in as many years. To say we had an uphill climb was a complete understatement. I dubbed the job "the biggest challenge in the state" when I took over and it was pretty darn close. From 2007-2010, we've gone 0-9, 1-7, 4-5, 4-5. In 2009 when we went 4-5, but we didn't stand a chance in any of the games we lost...they were all in convincing fashion. This past year, in 2010, we went 4-5 and could have been 6-3 and playoff bound but we lost games by 2 and 6 points respectively. So this OC/DC combined format is effective and I nor the rest of the staff feels like it's holding our program back. These responsibilities being performed in this structure is a major part of what's gotten us to this point.
That's the lengthy background to this thread. I apologize. With that said, however, are there any head coaches out there that coordinate both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball? What have you found to be the advantages of doing this? What have you found to be the disadvantages of doing this? Feel free to add anything else to this discussion that you feel would be relevant and valuable. Thanks in advance Coaches.
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Post by ajreaper on Nov 15, 2010 23:24:22 GMT -6
I am an HC that coordinates nothing- I hire guys smarter then me  I honestly believe if you want a great staff dole out responsibility- having a voice and having responsibilities two very different things. I don't micro manage and I don't 2nd guess them- we discuss and debate as a staff and though I have veto power over every aspect I rarely exercise it- when people have something they feel is their baby they take alot of pride in doing it the very best they can. |
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Post by TMGPG on Nov 16, 2010 6:39:04 GMT -6
I am an HC that coordinates nothing- I hire guys smarter then me I honestly believe if you want a great staff dole out responsibility- having a voice and having responsibilities two very different things. I don't micro manage and I don't 2nd guess them- we discuss and debate as a staff and though I have veto power over every aspect I rarely exercise it- when people have something they feel is their baby they take alot of pride in doing it the very best they can. Amen to that |
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Post by Coach Huey on Nov 16, 2010 7:22:23 GMT -6
just for discussion ...
if there are 20 hours on the weekend to watch film, breakdown, & game plan then an OC can put all 20 hours into that while the DC can do the same. someone that does both can now only put 10 hours on each.
if there are 4 hours in the day where a coordinator can devote solely to game prep (outside of school, work, practice) then someone that is doing both can only devote 2 hours to that.
if there are significant adjustments that need to be made on defense during the course of the game, the DC can do that while the team is on offense. if that person is calling the offense as well, then when are those being made?
it isn't impossible to do, but the question is why?
maybe your offseason work has much to do with the improvement. maybe the scheme/change in attitude within the program has much to do with improvement. maybe the dual role is actually hindering your ability to get over the hump? as in, with some more in-depth prep you could find that extra TD to get the win, or devise a slightly more air-tight defensive plan to prevent that 1 score that puts you behind.
think about where you've come from and if your assistants have come with you. they should be able to pull more responsibility now - at least to the point where they can handle one side of the ball. if not, i would look at the possibility of adding/replacing someone on staff.
think of this ... if you have no one on staff you can trust to coordinate one side of the ball do you really have a coach that is capable of coaching up young players to their fullest? will you ever get over the hump without a coach on staff that is "coordinator quality"?
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Post by tchestovich on Nov 16, 2010 7:23:57 GMT -6
I think that if you are going to give the responsibility of being a coordinator to one of your staff members that as the HC you need to feel comfortable with them in that capacity. Sometimes it is easier to do it yourself at least that way you know what you are getting. At the HS level a lot of the time you don't get to bring in a new staff when you take over so you have to coach up the guys that you do have and get them all on the same page. I think that is the biggest aspect of whether or not you give up some responsibility. Sometimes it just doesn't fit with the coaching staff that you have.
I do both the OC and DC jobs and it has been more draining each season that I do it. At times I think that I am neglecting one side of the ball, but I think that we are prepared when we play on Fridays. I would think that the biggest drawback is that you have to spend too much time on football and not enough time on Family and that could pose quite a problem in the long run. On the flip side I think that the biggest advantage is that you only have to look in the mirror if something didn't go right, you find out real quick if what you are doing is working.
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Post by blb on Nov 16, 2010 7:50:06 GMT -6
I prefer to have a Defensive Coordinator and a Special Teams Coordinator (I call the Offense).
I have been in a couple situations where I had to do both Offense and Defense at the outset because of inexperience until one of assistants felt comfortable-confident taking over Defense.
One other time I had to do both because none of assistants wanted responsibility of coordinating.
It's doable, but not optimal.
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Post by davishfc on Nov 16, 2010 9:14:33 GMT -6
I am an HC that coordinates nothing- I hire guys smarter then me I honestly believe if you want a great staff dole out responsibility- having a voice and having responsibilities two very different things. I don't micro manage and I don't 2nd guess them- we discuss and debate as a staff and though I have veto power over every aspect I rarely exercise it- when people have something they feel is their baby they take alot of pride in doing it the very best they can. I tremendously respect what you do with your staff. Allow me to explain why much of what you can do has not been possible where I'm at. Our town is in a very rural area in Michigan in which the potential coaching candidates are next to none. I have looked for legitimate help for the last four years. The economic situation is extremely bad here...worse than anywhere else in the nation. This state is dying. I know south of us, still in Michigan, near the urban centers with interstates nearby, it's not uncommon for coaches to travel great distances to coach. They can get there because of the interstates. Up north where we're at, nobody with a job could get off work and make it here on time during the season. Nor could they commit the time in the weight room, off-season staff meetings, and summer camps. The only people that can are those that are teachers on staff or the unemployed. The problem is that former coaches that are still teachers in the building take up teaching spots so we can never get any new coaches in the building. The program had several head coaches before me that these former assistants used to work with. I've approached each of them about coming back out to coach football several years in a row now. They understand the time commitment and have families now so they are not at all enthused about the idea. They like the direction the program is heading but they just don't have the passion or the energy to commit to the degree that's necessary for this program to reach new heights. I'm also curious what the experience levels are of your coaches on staff compared to mine. My paid assistants on staff have a combined 8 years of varsity experience (3, 3, & 2 resepectively). Of the coaches on staff, I was involved in the hiring of one of them for their teaching position. Getting a teaching position is so often, in education, what allows you to get the great coaches, especially located where we are geographically in Michigan. I told the Superintendent we needed an O-line coach after the 2007 season. The sup had a graduate level class with another sup that had a student-teacher in social studies. We hired him to teach his minor which is math and the situation has worked out. He has basically been my number one assistant the last 3 years but again no varsity level experience when he started with me. He was a part of a good program at the lower levels before arriving here. But he didn't do the intense work during the off-season and over the weekends during the season to fully understand what coaching at the varsity level is all about. He's learning and he's come a long way and I'd like to believe I've helped him develop as a coach in the three years we've been together. I think he was utilized as a coach at the previous program but I don't know that he was developed to take on varsity roles when he left. That is more on the coaches he worked with than it is on him. Somebody should've showed him, "so you want to be a varsity coordinator huh?"..."well work with me and I'll show you how". But that never happened nor did he work directly with the varsity level coordinators so he wouldn't have known what either of those responsibilities entailed. He is an outstanding OL and DL coach and he helps to call offensive plays and defenses from the booth during the JV games. I have made that a sort of a proving ground. His commitment has been good but he has a child on the way in March and I, nor him, really has an idea of what that's going to do with his commitment of time. His wife will have a significant say in that I'm sure. But the biggest challenge he and the other assistants I work with face is...I don't see us overcoming the time commitment over the weekend during the season to break down film for any of them to be a great DC...not just somebody who does the work...but a great DC. There are pre-requisites to being a great DC and they are not there. Not to say they will never get there...but they're not there yet. The other two paid assistants, 1) a teacher on staff whose football coaching experience is the 3 years he has with me and 2) a substitute whose football coaching experience is the 2 years he has with me. The teacher/coach was a first year teacher who had been hired to teach science over the summer before my first year at the helm. I heard he had playing experience in high school. He was hired to coach after my first year as Head Coach as well. The other paid assistant is a substitute in the district who had no prior football experience...coaching or playing. He is a good guy and he has learned a lot of football in a very short period of time. His commitment level is great and I can work with that. But beyond being a position group coach on both sides of the ball...there is not much more that he can do right now. Not to mention he is an unemployed teacher who constantly has interviews and could be gone at the drop of a hat. These are the specific challenges I face with the geographic location and current staff members I have. This is why my situation is different than your's. Thank you for the post though Coach. Where you are with your staff responsibilities is where I'm striving to get to with our staff. You just beat us there. |
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Post by ajreaper on Nov 16, 2010 12:43:12 GMT -6
Coach, 1st off I understand your predictiment and feel for you. My question to you is- how much longer can you "do it all" before you are just burned out on it all? I believe you must talk to your administration and make it very clear they need to step up and get you a qualified OC or DC or take the plunge with your most qualified and motivated assistant. When I was a young coach I remember working for my 1st HC and he said "never hire an assistant that has no desire to be an HC someday" never really understood that line of thought until I became an HC- lot to be said for having hard working ambitious types on your staff.
But in your case coach- all you can do, is all you can do, which is exactly what you are doing. The question is how long do you wish to be the chief cook and bottle washer and everything in between?
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Post by davishfc on Nov 16, 2010 14:19:35 GMT -6
I prefer to have a Defensive Coordinator and a Special Teams Coordinator (I call the Offense). I have been in a couple situations where I had to do both Offense and Defense at the outset because of inexperience until one of assistants felt comfortable-confident taking over Defense. One other time I had to do both because none of assistants wanted responsibility of coordinating. It's doable, but not optimal. It's been very doable Coach. I know it's not optimal. I have high expectations of this football program and I believe responsibility-wise right now we are at capacity. I want to make sure everyone is adequately prepared to perform any roles within the program. Position coaching-wise there are strides I want our staff to make for this coming season. I think we can get better in that area and getting better Monday through Thursday as position coaches will make us much better on Friday night. That's where we're at. I'd be lying if I said I'm satisfied with that...I'm not but I'm also a realist. I've never attempted to stick a square peg in a round hole and I'm not about to start now. But, bottom line, we're working hard and the program is moving forward. You've been coaching for many many more years than me so I know you know what I mean...the program moving forward is ultimately the most important part of this process regardless of who is doing the work. Thanks for the support. Your experience has helped me learn a tremendous amount since being on this forum. |
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Post by davishfc on Nov 16, 2010 14:43:53 GMT -6
I think that if you are going to give the responsibility of being a coordinator to one of your staff members that as the HC you need to feel comfortable with them in that capacity. Sometimes it is easier to do it yourself at least that way you know what you are getting. At the HS level a lot of the time you don't get to bring in a new staff when you take over so you have to coach up the guys that you do have and get them all on the same page. I think that is the biggest aspect of whether or not you give up some responsibility. Sometimes it just doesn't fit with the coaching staff that you have. I do both the OC and DC jobs and it has been more draining each season that I do it. At times I think that I am neglecting one side of the ball, but I think that we are prepared when we play on Fridays. I would think that the biggest drawback is that you have to spend too much time on football and not enough time on Family and that could pose quite a problem in the long run. On the flip side I think that the biggest advantage is that you only have to look in the mirror if something didn't go right, you find out real quick if what you are doing is working. I can tell you've been doing this for awhile Coach. I believe I fall in that category that you mentioned about staff responsibilities just not fitting the staff. That's not to say they can't ever fit this staff...but some more development needs to take place and a greater commitment will allow these delegations to take place. Greater development and commitment as coaches will allow a level of trust to manifest itself that will encourage me to delegate those responsibilities. But until that time, I will ensure they are done as best as I possibly can. I'm working as hard as I can to develop the coaching staff that I work with. But it's takes time and it's time they have to be willing to give. I tell them often when we're together that we're not the coaches now that we'll be when we're 55 (minus our volunteer assistant who just came on this year...I'm the oldest 28). But we have control over some aspects of the learning process. We can choose to speed it up if we are willing. Obviously some lessons are learned in due time but some can be accelerated. I hope you understand what I mean there. You're right though...I do know what I'm getting over the weekend from my DC because it's me. That is an advantage but like Coach Huey said as well, the time that I'm spending on tasks as the DC neglects the offense and vice versa. That was why I stated that, and I think most coaches could agree, that the in-season workload is skewed heavily in favor of defense. You truly understand the challenge that the unique HC/OC/DC role presents. It has been challenging on my personal life now that you bring that up. I don't think it's been anywhere close to as challenging as it could be though. Thankfully the woman in my life is very strong mentally and understands why things must be done this way. You are also right about the accountability aspect which is why in my first post I said: "I make such a huge commitment and so many sacrifices for this program to be successful that if anybody is going to make a mistake on Friday night it's going to be me." I said it and I know that may get met with some support and/or some opposition but it's true. Not that coaches are out to blame other coaches, but I don't have to look past the mirror to know who should be held accountable for OC or DC responsibilities. That is a positive I believe. The last thing I want to do is delegate a responsibility out to a coach that they are clearly not ready to take on and have them come up short. I refuse to let anyone, coaches or players, involved in our program be set up to fail by me. That is certainly not what I signed up to do four years ago when I took the head job. I wanted to help everyone succeed and we have. We had 17 players at the varsity level this season. We basically played 12. The other 5 were 3 first year football players and 2 were players that just weren't up to snuff. Anyway, we have several two-way players and people wonder why we don't substitute the other guys in. I tell the coaching staff "sometimes the starter at 70% is better than the next guy at 100%". Now I'm not tooting my own horn here...that's not at all my intention. But me performing those roles right now is best for the program. If a greater level of commitment is taken on by the staff and a few more years of experience couple with that...then maybe the opportunity to delegate coordinator responsibilities will come. But until then, we have a system and it's working and we're going to stick with it. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." |
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Post by davishfc on Nov 16, 2010 17:03:48 GMT -6
Coach, 1st off I understand your predictiment and feel for you. My question to you is- how much longer can you "do it all" before you are just burned out on it all? I believe you must talk to your administration and make it very clear they need to step up and get you a qualified OC or DC or take the plunge with your most qualified and motivated assistant. When I was a young coach I remember working for my 1st HC and he said "never hire an assistant that has no desire to be an HC someday" never really understood that line of thought until I became an HC- lot to be said for having hard working ambitious types on your staff. But in your case coach- all you can do, is all you can do, which is exactly what you are doing. The question is how long do you wish to be the chief cook and bottle washer and everything in between? ajreaper, Thanks for trying to understand my situation. There is a lot of merit in the "never hire an assistant that has no desire to be a HC someday" mentality. If I recall correctly, each of my assistants have stated that they visualize themselves being career assistant coaches. I have one assistant who, if a head coaching opportunity presented itself in the right situation at the school he'd been at for awhile, would have a decision to make. But other than that, I truly believe every coach on staff is satisfied with being an assistant coach. I guess I don't see that as a negative necessarily either. Great, loyal assistants are extremely valuable to a football program's success and you can never have enough. I honestly believe also that if they felt like they did not have ownership over the program that they would put in their letter of resignation especially with the time commitment I expect. Your right. All I can do is all I can do. I can assure you that I am giving everything I have. Will that eventually take it's toll? I don't honestly have the answer to that question. Only time will tell. But for now I'm enjoying it. Like Jimmy Dugan (played by Tom Hanks) said, "it's supposed to be hard. If it was easy everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great." When it stops being hard, I think that might be a sign that I'm not putting everything I have into it anymore and it's probably time for me to move on. Thanks for the support and understanding Coach. |
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Post by hamerhead on Nov 16, 2010 17:46:28 GMT -6
I have a great deal of respect for you coach. In rural areas with limited population and limited job opportunities, coaching positions are tied to teaching positions 90% of the time. (At least in my experience). Now, we could debate if this should be the case but this isn't the place for that argument and I don't want to hijack the thread.
The point is, in those situations, its just a fact that your coaches are tied to teaching positions. Now, maybe administration could/should consider coaching when hiring teachers. Then again, maybe not. Their job is to hire quality teachers first as that is of course the primary purpose of a school.
So as a head coach in this type of situation, you take what you can get. If "what you get" is three schmo's who have no bussiness coaching, tough breaks. Sounds to me like you've got some quality coaches who simply aren't inclined to put in any more work on the weekend, probably because of family commitments etc. That's ok, I can respect that.
I think in you're situation, you're doing the best you can with what you have. I would make it known to people on your staff or other potential coaches that you're willing to give them that opportunity (DC) if they're inclined to work at it. As a young coach, I jumped at a similiar opportunity two years ago.
If they're not willing or in your opinion not able, then you keep doing what you're doing as best you can. Sounds like you're doing ok with it.
I respect you for it. It's not an easy situation and one that many in the profession have a tough time identifying with. I'd be looking to give up the DC duties when possible, but until then, I'd do my best to be as efficient as possible, honor my personal/family time and hold it sacred, and take a great deal of pride in whatever the program is able to accomplish.
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Post by blb on Nov 16, 2010 18:15:33 GMT -6
You may have more luck coaxing some of those teachers-former coaches out of retirement if you cut back on your Sunday schedule and other time demands.
We meet Sundays from 3-5 PM only. I have the trade DVDs broken down (as you say you do), go over scouting report and proposed game plan.
We watch opponents' DVDs including last year's if applicable, then assistants can make any suggestions they may have. We discuss anything program-wise necessary, then JV and Freshman coaches are done.
Varsity players come in at 5 PM to watch our game film which takes an hour and a half or less including Half time break. We then have short oral scouting report on upcoming opponent, and watch 15-30 minutes of film on them. Done by 7 PM, usually earlier.
Only other meetings we have are after Sign-up meeting in May to discuss Summer schedule, and Thursday-Friday before practice starts.
I run after school Off-season Work outs November-June. Assistants are encouraged to attend when they can but it's no big deal. Frequently they are coaching other sports or working on advanced degrees.
I do ask Head JV and Freshman coaches to run summer conditioning workouts (M-W-F, one hour each morning) for their teams. Again, other coaches attend when available.
We have a three-day camp end of July (mornings only) for which I pay the coaches that work and also use other fees to buy coaches' apparel.
Our Varsity and JV practice 9-11 AM, 1-3 PM during Two-a-days; Freshmen 9 AM-Noon. That way kids and coaches still have considerable personal time each day.
Perhaps something along those lines may be more amenable to some of the ex-coaches in your building who may like to get back in the game (and get a coaching check too) but are already balancing teaching and family time.
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Post by davishfc on Nov 16, 2010 22:37:36 GMT -6
I have a great deal of respect for you coach. In rural areas with limited population and limited job opportunities, coaching positions are tied to teaching positions 90% of the time. (At least in my experience). Now, we could debate if this should be the case but this isn't the place for that argument and I don't want to hijack the thread. The point is, in those situations, its just a fact that your coaches are tied to teaching positions. Now, maybe administration could/should consider coaching when hiring teachers. Then again, maybe not. Their job is to hire quality teachers first as that is of course the primary purpose of a school. So as a head coach in this type of situation, you take what you can get. If "what you get" is three schmo's who have no bussiness coaching, tough breaks. Sounds to me like you've got some quality coaches who simply aren't inclined to put in any more work on the weekend, probably because of family commitments etc. That's ok, I can respect that. I think in you're situation, you're doing the best you can with what you have. I would make it known to people on your staff or other potential coaches that you're willing to give them that opportunity (DC) if they're inclined to work at it. As a young coach, I jumped at a similiar opportunity two years ago. If they're not willing or in your opinion not able, then you keep doing what you're doing as best you can. Sounds like you're doing ok with it. I respect you for it. It's not an easy situation and one that many in the profession have a tough time identifying with. I'd be looking to give up the DC duties when possible, but until then, I'd do my best to be as efficient as possible, honor my personal/family time and hold it sacred, and take a great deal of pride in whatever the program is able to accomplish. hamerhead, Thank you for doing your best to try to understand these circumstances. I think you're absolutely right, that this situation is one that many in the football coaching profession would have a tough time identifying with. I'm willing to have someone step up and perform the DC role. However, if nobody is willing to make the commitment to do it the right way then I'll continue to do it as long as I have to. I have actually become acclimated to the combined HC/OC/DC role and it's become my preferred method. I know exactly what I'm getting and I'm confident the film breakdown has been fully committed to with no corners cut. You said in your post......"I'd be looking to give up the DC duties when possible, but until then, I'd do my best to be as efficient as possible, honor my personal/family time and hold it sacred, and take a great deal of pride in whatever the program is able to accomplish." I couldn't have said it any better than that Coach. Thanks again for the support. |
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Post by davishfc on Nov 16, 2010 22:54:16 GMT -6
You may have more luck coaxing some of those teachers-former coaches out of retirement if you cut back on your Sunday schedule and other time demands. We meet Sundays from 3-5 PM only. I have the trade DVDs broken down (as you say you do), go over scouting report and proposed game plan. We watch opponents' DVDs including last year's if applicable, then assistants can make any suggestions they may have. We discuss anything program-wise necessary, then JV and Freshman coaches are done. Varsity players come in at 5 PM to watch our game film which takes an hour and a half or less including Half time break. We then have short oral scouting report on upcoming opponent, and watch 15-30 minutes of film on them. Done by 7 PM, usually earlier. Only other meetings we have are after Sign-up meeting in May to discuss Summer schedule, and Thursday-Friday before practice starts. I run after school Off-season Work outs November-June. Assistants are encouraged to attend when they can but it's no big deal. Frequently they are coaching other sports or working on advanced degrees. I do ask Head JV and Freshman coaches to run summer conditioning workouts (M-W-F, one hour each morning) for their teams. Again, other coaches attend when available. We have a three-day camp end of July (mornings only) for which I pay the coaches that work and also use other fees to buy coaches' apparel. Our Varsity and JV practice 9-11 AM, 1-3 PM during Two-a-days; Freshmen 9 AM-Noon. That way kids and coaches still have considerable personal time each day. Perhaps something along those lines may be more amenable to some of the ex-coaches in your building who may like to get back in the game (and get a coaching check too) but are already balancing teaching and family time. Thank you for outlining the off-season commitment within your program. I understand where you're coming from with a less intense off-season commitment to attract those former coaches back out to the program. I have spoken to several of those former coaches about doing something like that. No weight room attendance because I would do that Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 3:00-5:00. The weight room is open November 29th through the end of the school year. When the summer starts the hours move from 4:00-8:00 with the first two hours being skill development and the second two hours being weight training. I told those coaches that I would get the players ready to go and that they would not have to worry about that. Having more coaches on board is simply not enough IMO. They need to all be on the same page with the rest of the staff. We have to meet to make that happen. I'm afraid anybody on staff that I could have possibly gotten from the former coaches would have also be apprehensive about the weekend commitment during the season. I respect that you can get the job done more quickly than us. We're not there yet. Also, from a financial perspective, I've been told that the three paid assistants jobs that are already full are the most number of paid staff members that I will be able to have. So I can't even hang that out there to them as another incentive. One thing I've found is that when a family is involved, kids in particular, the financial side of things becomes a more influential factor on coaching involvement and commitment. Now not all, but a lot of coaches with kids, tend to weigh their commitments out in more of an hourly wage fashion. We all know that truly great coaches make less than a dollar an hour. At some point, when assessing whether or not some coaches still want to be involved, they look at that and say...nah. This would most certainly happen here in this circumstance where their coaching role would be on a strictly volunteer basis. I just don't have any financial incentives to offer. I'd be willing to offer up some fundraising money for small stipends if I wasn't told that any new equipment we plan to buy should be paid for by the program, at least the majority of it. No general fund moneys for anything besides game balls. The athletic boosters helps out some also. Thanks very much for the suggestions Coach. I just don't think that the two major factors you suggested are feasible for us. We could do them but I don't think we're at the point where our experience level or continuity on staff is going to offset the minimized time commitment. |
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Post by tchestovich on Nov 16, 2010 23:14:53 GMT -6
I think that our situations are pretty similar in what we have had to do to start to change the climate of our entire football programs. I can honestly say that for the program to reach its full potential I am eventually going to have to give up some of the responsibilities that I currently feel that I have to do. At times I feel like I should give my assistants more responsibility but at the same time I think that they have to want to put in the time to make sure that things are done correctly.
The program that I left to take over the HC at the school I am currently at has a HC that let me run the D any way that I thought fit what we had. He let me run it and be in charge of it and I took it upon myself to really take ownership of it. He and I have had many conversations about just doing the extra things that I thought needed to be done so that he didn't have to worry about them. I just felt like that was my job as an assistant, to make the HC's job easier. I guess that is what I am looking for and haven't found yet.
There is some validity in saying that the best assistant coaches are the ones that want to be HC's somewhere down the line. I do feel a huge responsibility to make sure that the assistant coaches reach the level that they want. I am willing to put in as much time as they want, I think it is my job to make them better by teaching them the nuances about breaking film down and doing the little things that are going to make us successful.
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Post by davishfc on Nov 17, 2010 6:59:35 GMT -6
I think that our situations are pretty similar in what we have had to do to start to change the climate of our entire football programs. I can honestly say that for the program to reach its full potential I am eventually going to have to give up some of the responsibilities that I currently feel that I have to do. At times I feel like I should give my assistants more responsibility but at the same time I think that they have to want to put in the time to make sure that things are done correctly. The program that I left to take over the HC at the school I am currently at has a HC that let me run the D any way that I thought fit what we had. He let me run it and be in charge of it and I took it upon myself to really take ownership of it. He and I have had many conversations about just doing the extra things that I thought needed to be done so that he didn't have to worry about them. I just felt like that was my job as an assistant, to make the HC's job easier. I guess that is what I am looking for and haven't found yet. There is some validity in saying that the best assistant coaches are the ones that want to be HC's somewhere down the line. I do feel a huge responsibility to make sure that the assistant coaches reach the level that they want. I am willing to put in as much time as they want, I think it is my job to make them better by teaching them the nuances about breaking film down and doing the little things that are going to make us successful. tchestovich, You stated that responsibilities must be delegated in order for the program to reach it's full potential. You made a great point and I don't think our program falls into the category. I guess I'm afraid of delegating those responsibilities too soon and having the program take a step back. We always want to be moving forward...steadily building, steadily building. We were very close to getting to the playoffs this year which would have only been the 3rd time in school history. Had we won 1 more game this year (we lost 2 games by 2 and 6 points respectively) we would have been only the 5th team with a winning record at the school since 1977. Not a storied program by any means. I don't feel this HC/OC/DC format we currently use has held us back from reaching those goals. Our full potential considering where we've come from would be a winning season and a playoff berth. This format, amongst a host of other factors as well, has actually allowed us to get even closer to achieving those goals. I think it's happening faster than anybody thought possible considering I took over in 2007 and the year before in 2006 the varsity season was cancelled after 4 games due to low numbers, injuries, and many first year football players. I was the 4th Head Coach in as many years and inherited a program that had a record of 80-193 (.293) from 1977-2006. The five years prior to me taking over from 2002-2006 the program had a record of 5-40 (.111) under 3 different head coaches. The program was in complete turmoil and needed some solidarity. I've been there ever since. I'm not selfish or a control freak. If I honestly felt like there was somebody better to perform the DC responsibilities then they would be. But we just don't have anybody on staff right now with the knowledge, experience, and most importantly the commitment to be a great DC. I'm trusting that my assessment will change with time. I don't see it being any time soon because for me to relinquish those responsibilities I need to see a drastic change and time passing by does not create drastic change. It's just like we tell our players. Commitment, discipline, effort, toughness, and pride are the traits that allow people to succeed. These are also the traits that bring about drastic change. You made several great points in your post Coach especially this one: "At times I feel like I should give my assistants more responsibility but at the same time I think that they have to want to put in the time to make sure that things are done correctly." That is what absolutely must happen in order for a level of trust to exist that would warrant delegation of the very major responsibilities of the program. JMO. Thanks for your insight. You clearly have experience with this situation. |
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Post by blb on Nov 17, 2010 7:43:23 GMT -6
Thanks very much for the suggestions Coach. I just don't think that the two major factors you suggested are feasible for us. We could do them but I don't think we're at the point where our experience level or continuity on staff is going to offset the minimized time commitment. Well you may be right for your situation but after reading all your posts - let me elaborate. Last December I took over at a small (477) Class B school in league that is considered to be one of best in state. In fact we are lowest enrollment school in our division of league. The school was 1-8 in 2009 and had won only six games last three years, has not won a championship since 1977, and only made playoffs twice. Had to hire almost all new staff. One Varsity assistant was out of football the previous year, other had only coached youth ball. Head JV coach also did not coach in '09 and is our Marching Band director. JV assistant had experience only in youth coaching. Freshman coaches, one a teacher, had been together previous season. However we had to drop Freshman team during first week because of low Sophomore numbers and midway through season a change in jobs forced the non-teaching coach to leave staff. Using the organizational model I posted earlier, Varsity went 6-4. We beat one rival for first time since 1989, another 1994. Made the playoffs. Finished tied for 2nd in our division after being predicted for 7th (out of 8) pre-season. JVs went 9-0. So my contention is merely that meeting all Sunday and requiring four hours of work three nights a week during summer may not be essential to being successful. My thing is I want to do the minimum necessary to be competitive, have a chance to win and not burn out players or coaches. Now obviously your hands are tied by number of paid coaches you have. If you have Varsity and JV teams you should have six paid positions (including head coach). If not must question administration and/or school board's commitment to having competitive program. |
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Post by davishfc on Nov 17, 2010 11:49:55 GMT -6
Thanks very much for the suggestions Coach. I just don't think that the two major factors you suggested are feasible for us. We could do them but I don't think we're at the point where our experience level or continuity on staff is going to offset the minimized time commitment. Well you may be right for your situation but after reading all your posts - let me elaborate. Last December I took over at a small (477) Class B school in league that is considered to be one of best in state. In fact we are lowest enrollment school in our division of league. The school was 1-8 in 2009 and had won only six games last three years, has not won a championship since 1977, and only made playoffs twice. Had to hire almost all new staff. One Varsity assistant was out of football the previous year, other had only coached youth ball. Head JV coach also did not coach in '09 and is our Marching Band director. JV assistant had experience only in youth coaching. Freshman coaches, one a teacher, had been together previous season. However we had to drop Freshman team during first week because of low Sophomore numbers and midway through season a change in jobs forced the non-teaching coach to leave staff. Using the organizational model I posted earlier, Varsity went 6-4. We beat one rival for first time since 1989, another 1994. Made the playoffs. Finished tied for 2nd in our division after being predicted for 7th (out of 8) pre-season. JVs went 9-0. So my contention is merely that meeting all Sunday and requiring four hours of work three nights a week during summer may not be essential to being successful. My thing is I want to do the minimum necessary to be competitive, have a chance to win and not burn out players or coaches. Now obviously your hands are tied by number of paid coaches you have. If you have Varsity and JV teams you should have six paid positions (including head coach). If not must question administration and/or school board's commitment to having competitive program. You hit the nail on the head at the end of your post. My hands are tied by the number of paid coaches I have. We only have 4 paid positions including myself. The most we've actually ever had since I've been here is 5. I can most definitely see how a 6-man staff would qualify as the minimum for a high school football program. We lost the 5th paid position when it was resigned by an assistant after my first year and we couldn't find anyone to fill it. They ended up eliminating that coaching position from the athletic budget. I'm assuming it's permanent but I'm always lobbying for that position to come back. I'll keep our fingers crossed but I'm not holding my breath. Control the controllables right Coach? I have the assistants I have and I'm going to work as hard as I possibly can and hopefully offset the loss of the position. Will we ever be able to completely overcome that setback? Probably not but I've got entirely too much pride in what I do to have something like that deter me from helping this program reach new heights. Trust me...I do question the administration and school board's commitment to building a competitive football program. I went in to speak to the superintendent the other day and she thought we only won one game this fall. We won 4 games and had we not lost by 2 and 6 points we may have made the playoffs. Great great season for our program and it's history. She didn't even know. All she cared about is that the volume of complaint phone calls was down from last year. I feel like we have accomplished so much with so few resources. That's one of the reasons I can't stand hearing coaches talk about their lack of resources being "the inability to completely two-platoon" or "only 8 paid positions instead of 10" and other so-called challenges of that nature. What a problem to have? Sign me up please. |
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I honestly believe if you want a great staff dole out responsibility- having a voice and having responsibilities two very different things. I don't micro manage and I don't 2nd guess them- we discuss and debate as a staff and though I have veto power over every aspect I rarely exercise it- when people have something they feel is their baby they take alot of pride in doing it the very best they can.
