How Did You Get Into Coaching?

How much free time do you have, and what level do you want to coach?

The best way to do it is to contact a HC, and say "I will help you for free".

Usually, the HC is going to say yes to free help.

Then, like poweriguy said, work your butt off.

I have alot of free time, but I'm trying to keep my 3.8 GPA for now. I believe I can handle both challenges though. Here in Connecticut, theres no such thing as winter football; and right now theres 6 inches of snow where I'm at.

Coach,

That’s a great question. When I was playing HS ball, we were a successful team with a very good and respected coaching staff. I used to idolize those guys. Part of what I would do was take home all the game film I could get my hands on. I was always fascinated with the conversations that would take place in the press box between our coaches (the camera was right next to them, so you could hear everything). Every game film was like a tutorial because you could hear the thought process behind what was going on. You could also hear quite a few interesting words and phrases at times.

I really got into drawing up plays when I was a junior and senior. Other kids would doodle cartoons or whatever during class, and I was drawing up a weakside Lead. I was also VERY involved in our summer programs (passing leagues, etc., etc) and I found that I really enjoyed teaching the newer and younger guys our offense and defense. At our banquet my senior year, where the coaches say a little something about everyone, the coach said “he is a student of the game and I’m sure he would make an excellent coach someday.” I was like WOAH....THAT is a GREAT idea!! (Lightbulb goes off in head!)

So, right out of HS in 1994, I hooked on with the town Pop Warner team and coached while I was attending college. I worked, went to school, and coached. I did that for 3 years. My fourth year, a nearby HS in the smallest classification in the state (my alma marter was in the largest classification) was advertising for assistant coaches. I went and interviewed with the new coach that summer, and he brought me aboard to coach WR’s and DB’s as well as head the JV program. I was only 21 in 1997, but I thought I knew it all. We had a horrible year. It was not what I expected. We did not have a very good coaching staff (myself included, although at the time I thought I was the man), we were disorganized, and we only won 1 game. I had never been through anything like that before. As a player, we were always a winning team and a top 2 or 3 seed in the standings, going deep into the playoffs. Our Pop Warner team was also successful in the same way. It was a shock.

At the end of that season, I got a call early one morning from an assistant coach (who used to coach me) at my Alma Marter HS. They were wondering if we had any film on an opponent that they had drawn for the annual Thanksgiving Game, which is an exhibition game in our state. We had played the team they were going to play earlier in the season. Anyway, I was able to get the film, and our former HC asked if I would help out by running the scout team and helping coach the backs and DB’s. My season at the smaller school had ended 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, so I was free to do so. Anyway, I ended up helping prepare for the next couple of weeks. It was absolutely thrilling to work with those guys and coach my old school.

Anyway, that spring of 1998, I had several choices presented to me. I could go back to the smaller school I had coached at previously...as I had originally planned. I had also received a call from the Pop Warner program, who wanted me to be the HC of the Midget team. Finally, my former HC had asked after helping out for the Turkey Bowl if I wanted to come aboard to help the freshman program there. After a lot of debate, I chose to go with my former HC to my home High School and coach Frosh ball. I resigned my post at the other school.

Well, through a lot of hard work, involvement and dedication through the off-season, I earned myself a varsity assistant position working with the Offensive Coordinator as my mentor. I helped him with everything, from design of the playbook through installation and execution of the offensive game plans. I coached RB’s and DB’s, and ran all of the summer programs pretty much by myself.

That’s essentially how I got into coaching football. I was fortunate enough during those years after college where my job (I am a full-time Human Resources Manager) was always willing to support my coaching schedule during those months. This past season (2007) was the first year I was not able to do it, and I am working on getting back involved. I DID coach a semi-pro team in 2007, but it is not nearly the same.

Sorry about the novel, but that was therapeutic...

Was set to go play college ball...girlfriend comes up pregnant. Had to put college on hold and got a job.

My brother is 7 years younger than I am and was playing pee-wee at the time. They were in need of another coach, so I went just to help out until they found someone else. That one day changed my world.

After that I couldn't get coaching out of my blood. Went from Peewee that year, to 7th grade, the next year, then 8th grade, then freshmen...so I naturally assumed I would be moving up to JV the following year. The HC, my former HS HC told me that they had a group of 7th graders who had never won a football game at any level and asked if I would go back and coach the 8th grade team and teach them. So I did. We went 5-2-1, won the league...awesome.

Went back to the HC, said I wanted to move up to his varsity staff and coach JV. He told me that he didn't have a position, but if I was serious about coaching I needed to get a teaching degree.

By this time, I'm married, 2 kids (same mother), working in a Japanese automotive plant...so college was not something I could just go do. Then one day after our season was over my supervisor at work came to me and said "you are not going to be able to coach football anymore, I know you are technically staying within the attendance policy but you are circumventing the intent and abusing the policy. You need to realize which side of the bread your butter is on."

So that day after work I went to the nearest university and enrolled. (F8ck her...which side of my bread the butter is on...who the f8ck is she.)

To be able to go to school full time and work full time I needed to be at work on certain shifts at certain times. I requested transfers, but all were denied. So I had to become a major pain in the @ss on first shift so they would move me to 2nd, then had to repeat the process to get moved to 3rd.

So from 1993 - 1996, I worked from 10:00 pm - 7:00 am, went to class from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm. I started in January of 93', graduated in June of 96' with a teaching degree, overloaded one semester.

The look on her face was absolutely priceless as no one I worked with knew I was going to school. When I walked in that Monday morning and quit, she said "so where are you going to go?" I said "I'm going to be a teacher." She said "What!? That's 4 years of college, how are you going to do that?" I said "I already did it. I didn't like which side of the bread my butter was on."

So anyway...throughout college I always scouted for our HS coaches, but by the time I got out of school my former HC had moved on and his OC was the HC. He gave me a job coaching OLBs. It was a lot of learning my first year. (middle sized HS)

After my first year, that HC moved on and they hired a new guy. The new guy kept me on. I was still a position coach under him my first year, but during the year the HC asked me a question (I was on the sideline)...the DC who was in the box said "you tell him to worry about the offense, I'll worry about the defense." The HC overheard him through his head sets and naturally that got to be a situation and the following year I was promoted to DC and that DC was promoted to 8th grade.

Coached at that school...my alma mater until my son graduated in 2006. We were very successful there reaching the playoffs a few times, winning the league 6-7 times, 8-2, 9-1 records, our defense was always highly ranked in the area, etc. Impressive since we started with a 1-9/2-8 team.

While I coached at that school, I've always taught somewhere else. My first school was cool with me leaving early during the fall to make football practice...for a while. After about 3 years they decided they weren't going to let me do that anymore...and for me, being late to practice is not an option, so I decided that I wouldn't teach math for them anymore.

Got another teaching job, one of my points in my interview is that I would be allowed to leave early to make practice. If that was not an option, they were not an option. (I teach math...they aren't really interviewing me, I am interviewing them.) Anyway, found a job in the district where I currently teach.

-after all I went through to be able to coach, no way am I going to let a school walk all over my priorities. Had a last period plan...why couldn't I leave? Because the old english didn't like it? F8ck her too.

The year my son graduated, our staff who had been together for 10 years or so disbanded, we are all still great friends and hang out at clinics and go to the state finals together, but I decided to join the staff in the district where I teach (large school division). Came here as the Dline coach. First year kind of sucked because the DC and I weren't on the same page, we tried to be on the same page, but I'm a even front guy (and so is he) but for some reason (his decision) we were running the 33 and I had no suggestions for adjusting it and neither did he. Should have stuck in the 4, something we both knew. Not sure why he decided to run the 33, every coach on staff is 40 guy, not a single odd front guy among us.

Anyway, following my first year, my former HC and a good friend of mine were the 2 finalists for a HC position right down the road. I told my HC one of them were going to get it and I should know by the end of the week which one, and when I would be out. (Both told me they would hire me as their DC). Then after weights one day he and I went to Frickers, said he was making a change with the DC whether I stayed or not, so if I wanted it, take it.

I took it and that's where I am now.

That's my story.

Some advice hustleandheart:
The two things that separates coaches the fastest are following through on your responsibilities and your word, and being there.

If you get in anywhere and the HC or higher up coach gives you a responsibility...no matter what it is...entering game film, drawing cards, whatever it is...do it and do it in a timely fashion. Don't "just get it done" by the deadline, don't be a last minute guy. And as I said "BE THERE". There isn't always some where you "HAVE" to be, you don't always have to go. If you are constantly the last to arrive and the first to leave and if anyone is missing it's you...that is highly noticeable and always leads to a "lack of dedication" opinion.

Even if you have no clue what you're doing, if you're there and responsible, you can learn. Can't learn if you're not there.