Is it ever too late to turn a program around?

If the principle is telling you he's thinking of letting you go then I say start looking for another job- that says he's lost confidence in you and you must have steadfast admin support to get this job done and I don't think you have that.

Install the double wing and turn it around this year.

my thinking is simply that the series, blocking, play selection, angles, double teams, numbers etc. in the double wing are superior to the power I or wing t. Just my opinion of course.
Coach is already obviously into running the ball and using play action so it would seem that he could easily buy into the dw. It might get his kids and staff excited to do something a little different, create a new identity and save his job - he has nothing to lose.

if the principal says he might let you. ask him why he is thinking about letting you go.

if he just says wins. then I would give him a list of materials which you feel you need to have in order to win.

It's a tough call. I would have trouble coaching in an environment where I wasn't successful or at least perceived successful by the administration, players, parents and community.

So i agree with the previous suggestion; meet with you principal and come to agreement of what is the program goals are and what would be consider a "success" . We know that is not always wins.

Then you have to ask yourself are you coaching in an environment that you can succeed in a level to satisfy your own standards. I personally am never happy finishing under .500, ever. If I can't find the environment to regularly win the majority of games and have a legitimate shot at the post season most years, I don't want to coach in that situation.

We all know there are jobs and schools where the odds are stacked against you to achieve those goals. I know the best and smartest coaches in our area migrate to the communities and schools where they have they highest opportunity to be successful. Often those coaches received that opportunity by taking over a terrible program and turning it into an average school. That turn around gave them better opportunities.

Your situation doesn't sound like a great situation. You can look for a better opportunity now or take a Coordinator or AHC position at a quality program and be more selective about your next HS opportunity.

Only you can evaluate honestly whether you should stay or not. I always believe it's better to make that choice yourself than have someone make that choice for you.

Short answer to your title question- no.

Longer answer- not if you have admin support, the respect of the players (not necessarily affection but respect), and confidence.

AJ has a point but I don't necessarily agree completely. What was the context in which the principal told you that he was thinking of firing you?

Admin support can change if you do turn things around. The other two factors are more important. Do you believe that you're capable of turning it around? Do some serious soul searching. If the answer is no then resign immediately.

The biggest obstacle to turning it around late would be the respect factor. Do the kids believe in you? After a few bad years they may not and then it's hopeless.

Coach,
Take all the things that you might wish you could have done differently and go somewhere else having learned a lot of good lessons. Here's the way I see it: If you, as the head coach, have to ask us if it can be turned around then the answer is definitely "no". Remember when you fist got the job and the dreams you had for the program? It sounds as though you have lost faith in that vision. Everyone around you can see that you are hoping for a miracle as opposed to setting the world on fire with your vision for the program. I don't mean this as a put down at all. A good friend of mine found himself in the same situation. I told him the same thing. He applied for several head coaching jobs and had to accept going from a suburban 5A school to a rural 2A school that hadn't been successful in about 20 years. He's happier then ever now. Good luck raider. You've got some hard decisions to make. Find your passion again.

thanks guys,
one more item, and a big one, is if i give it up i probably won't be able to be a head coach again. i have my family where i want to be in relation to my extended family so moving is out of the question. very few schools close enough to drive to that will have a head vacancy in next 5-10 probably. i could be an asst. at some of them but head guys usually stay a while at those that are close by.

This may sound corny , but here it goes: Go somewhere quiet this weekend(the library,fishing hole,etc.) Think about why you got into coaching,the purpose and reasons. Rent a movie called "Facing the Giants" after watching this sit at your dining room table and write out a mission statement. Call a team meeting next week with a coaches meeting afterward and have serious discussion about the direction of your program.Define the mission and direction that your program is headed in. Invite the principal to all of this. Because if he is going to show you the door, then make him think hard about it before he does it.After this read up on the Double Wing. Commit to it. It works!! I have seen it produce an offense with 4-1000 yard rushers at the same time-and they were runts. You have nothing to lose. If you do all of this and it does not work then you can look in the mirror say you gave it an honest try and move on. I hope things work out for you.