You have just taken over as HC at ......

hire good coaches at all levels that understand work ethic and that care for kids more than just as athletes
get as many kids out as possible-keep the ones that can do things right
make the kids invest so much that they care
make them better athletes in the weightroom/track/ball skills
teach them the game


more to come

appears that I have to move first...nothing open around here.

drink heavily and eat lots of pizza

When I first started out, I had a romantic idea of being a "Head Coach" that looked like


the more I've been around programs, the more I realize that being the HEAD COACH of a program is more like this




The successful ones are the ones that can delegate and recruit (players and suitors). Head Coaching is about 2% X's & O's.

The following list highlights our goals for success:
Developing self-confidence and self-worth.
Teaching the values of hard work.
Developing the habits of dedication and sacrifice.
Teaching leadership skills.
Developing character traits that will stay with them the rest of their lives.
Teaching the importance of a proper mental attitude. Attitude is the KEY to success!

weight room, weight room, weight room.

perfect head coach?



Harold Hill...........right here in River City (Galva-Holstein)

Took a job just like that last year. Didn't get hired until May 27th. There was already a meeting scheduled for that night with the parents and players. I laid out my program expectations, rules, summer program, weight room schedule, O and D philosophy (asked for any parent "volunteers" and it all went pretty well. went 2-7 Lost 4 by less than 5 after they had won only a single games in the 5 previous years and were never in any of those other games. Communication with parents goes along way!!! Getting the administration on board with you always helps as well. I also implemented a "Teacher of the Week" program. I asked the kids to give me the name of the teacher that they would least expect to see at a game, that teacher the one with the most votes was "awarded" this honor. It was announced on Monday of that weeks game. The teacher got a T-shirt and was asked to stand on the sideline with the kids that week. Really went a long way towards getting faculty support. And finally I think you need to LIFT,LIFT,and LIFT some more.
Good luck!!!!

Never been a head man...can't seem to get the nod....so this may not be very "qualified" advice. Having said that in my opinion once you settle in your office ( this includes meeting with/interviewing any coaches the school wishes to "retain"...no more than a week or two on the job max)the very first thing I would do is to have a closed door private meeting (or short serries of meetings) with your returning players. I think this time should be focused on expressing your philosophies and ambitions for the program (no X's and O's), getting to know the players and more importantly letting them get to know you. Expressing in clear terms what you will expect from them and laying out a plan which brings them into the process of building the program (i.e. recruiting other athletic kids to play ball, planning times to visit the feeder programs...the players will have an in road with their former coaches...little brothers..etc. that an incoming coach might not have) If your like me and your philosophy on coaching is based from a historical perspective of the game's evolution this might be a good time to give a brief introduction to the games history. (most kids can't remember past the 90's...they have no idea of the vast impact this game has had on our nations history)

My reasoning on this is is based on the following:

1) If the program is in a "run down" state and has changed coaches several times these kids (and any other athletes in the system) have most likely already gotten the rah rah speeches and promises of greatness...and the rah rah obviously didn't work out or you would still be unemployed. They need a grounded...confident...tactical approach.

2) If your going to build your program it's initialy going to come from an increace in numbers (even if it's only 4 or 5 players) at the varsity level and the retention of all returning players. (a good goal might be a 30% increace per year for 3 years) Long term (serrious scale) improvement is going to come from creating inroads with your feeder system (junior high or pee wee) and affecting an increace in their numbers or retention levels. This won't happen without help from your returning players.

3) Another area of study for me lately has been in reading a book titled "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order" written by Samuel P. Huntington who is currently the chairman of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies. The book is in no way intended to relate to football...it's actually a study of the various wars and conflicts past and future since the end of the cold war. The theory Huntington lays out is that the conflicts are a clash of civiliztions aligned based on a common cultural identity and that the new trend of "multiculturalisim" and any country which adopts it is doomed to failure. (sorry this is getting long winded...so I'll try to get to the point) I think that Huntington's theory is directly applicable to re building a Football program (far fetched I know) in that if you view the team as a civiliztion and the kids as individual culture groups (different economics..backgounds...etc.) you will see that they tend to align with kids of common culture..creating "clicks" within your team and inviting a clash of mini civilizations. I think your initial goal as a coach has to be to wipe the cultural slate clean and to create your own team culture. ( I dont' have anywhere near enough room on here to explain this theory..or how I'd plan go about it..so I may sound way out in left field on this one) I think the private meetings are a great oppourtunity to lay the groundwork.

Help them understand that the only place in the world that success comes before work is in the dictionary (not mine, but can't rememeber who said it!!)

There is no magic pixie dust, they will have to work hard and buy into you and your system to become successful. Communication with the parents at all levels of the program is paramount.

Took over a very similar situation 5 years ago, it has been a long hard road but this year had our first winning season since 1972 and only missed the playoffs by 20 points..

The only other advice I have for you personally is to not lose sight of what you are trying to accomplish and who you're trying to accomplish it for. There will be a lot of naysayers along the way, but stay the course and stick to your plan. Remember, everyone is brilliant from the bleachers. Best of luck Coach!