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Post by jg78 on Apr 4, 2014 6:10:46 GMT -6
I am currently the DC at my current school. A head coaching job just came open that I am going to look into and see where it goes. It is a school with a lot of football tradition but has been down the last several years and really just doesn't have the talent in the pipeline to compete for state titles. My current school, however, is loaded with talent and has a great chance to win a state championship next year.
So let me ask you this: All else being equal, would you rather be a coordinator of a 9-1/10-0 type team or the head coach of 4-6 type team but make 50-60% more money? |
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Post by fantom on Apr 4, 2014 6:25:27 GMT -6
I am currently the DC at my current school. A head coaching job just came open that I am going to look into and see where it goes. It is a school with a lot of football tradition but has been down the last several years and really just doesn't have the talent in the pipeline to compete for state titles. My current school, however, is loaded with talent and has a great chance to win a state championship next year.
So let me ask you this: All else being equal, would you rather be a coordinator of a 9-1/10-0 type team or the head coach of 4-6 type team but make 50-60% more money? First thing I'll say is don't let anybody tell you that money isn't important. It is. Secondly, I've always believed that the situations where one school has a chronic talent deficit compared to their rivals are somewhat rare. So unless you see some tangible reasons why the new school will be down forever, why not give it a shot? That said, I've been a coordinator for a long time, have never been a HC, and like my job. All that I have to worry about is football. The extraneous things aren't my problem. Stuff like what unis to buy, not my problem. Oh, I do everything that I can to help him but at the end of the day it's his decision and I just coach. |
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 4, 2014 6:37:23 GMT -6
The only reason I'd go is because of the money. Schools that are down often stay down for a long time. You don't seem to have any delusion of being able to change that. If being a HC is your goal I'd stay out this year, possibly win a title, and go after some of the good HC jobs that you'll become a candidate for. Administrators don't understand that past successes at previous schools mean very little.
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Post by Yash on Apr 4, 2014 6:41:14 GMT -6
If you get along with your staff, and enjoy the school you are at don't leave for the head coach job. It's not worth the head aches and parent emails/ phone calls. I'd love to be an assistant again for a competent head coach on a great staff.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2014 6:51:02 GMT -6
Frankly, if you're serious about being a HC and they're going to pay you that much more, I recommend you look into taking it. At least apply and interview.
From what I've seen around my area, I wouldn't worry too much about a mediocre HC record "tainting" you from other jobs. It's pretty common here to see guys who win 2-3 or below for years still getting hired as HCs over coordinators from good programs because they have the HC experience.
That said, as Yash pointed out, there are other factors than talent and pay. If you're happy where you are and don't want to leave, then don't. If you'd rather have a shot at winning state and going right into a top notch HC job later (which seem to usually go to "proven" HCs from other schools over assistants) you should stay. I'd also look into what the working environment is like at the other school before making up my mind.
In the end, do what will make you happiest. Only you can answer that question.
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Post by coach2013 on Apr 4, 2014 6:57:41 GMT -6
Easy. HC if that is your goal.
Once you have HC on your resume, you can usually find other HC jobs.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 4, 2014 8:49:41 GMT -6
Frankly, if you're serious about being a HC and they're going to pay you that much more, I recommend you look into taking it. At least apply and interview. From what I've seen around my area, I wouldn't worry too much about a mediocre HC record "tainting" you from other jobs. It's pretty common here to see guys who win 2-3 or below for years still getting hired as HCs over coordinators from good programs because they have the HC experience. That said, as Yash pointed out, there are other factors than talent and pay. If you're happy where you are and don't want to leave, then don't. If you'd rather have a shot at winning state and going right into a top notch HC job later (which seem to usually go to "proven" HCs from other schools over assistants) you should stay. I'd also look into what the working environment is like at the other school before making up my mind. In the end, do what will make you happiest. Only you can answer that question. Same thing here coach. Unsuccessful HCs are almost always hired over guys with no HC experience. Once you're an HC it seems like that foot is in the door no matter what you do. It's getting your foot in that is hard. |
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Post by coach2013 on Apr 4, 2014 9:04:21 GMT -6
"unsuccessful" in the eyes of a wanna be HC coordinator is much different from what constitutes success in the eyes of a school district looking to hire a proven "commodity" regardless of the win %
You can thank the "turkeys" that win while being poor human beings for that.
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Post by larrymoe on Apr 4, 2014 10:42:27 GMT -6
I've never understood threads like this.
Do whatever the hell makes you happiest. There is no right or wrong answer. Some will say take the title, or the money, or the championship, or whatever. The job I made the most at was the most miserable one I've ever had. I don't make crap now, but I love my job and school. I won't leave unless they fire me.
Do whatever you want.
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Post by John Knight on Apr 4, 2014 12:19:47 GMT -6
No Brainer, if you want to be a head coach, take it.
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Post by rsmith627 on Apr 4, 2014 15:53:03 GMT -6
I've never understood threads like this. Do whatever the hell makes you happiest. There is no right or wrong answer. Some will say take the title, or the money, or the championship, or whatever. The job I made the most at was the most miserable one I've ever had. I don't make crap now, but I love my job and school. I won't leave unless they fire me. Do whatever you want. I agree. I think sometimes guys just want to think aloud and talk through the positives and negatives. I'm in the best job I've ever had and we only won one game last year. Gotta consider teaching situation first if it applies. |
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Post by irishdog on Apr 4, 2014 16:10:01 GMT -6
I am currently the DC at my current school. A head coaching job just came open that I am going to look into and see where it goes. It is a school with a lot of football tradition but has been down the last several years and really just doesn't have the talent in the pipeline to compete for state titles. My current school, however, is loaded with talent and has a great chance to win a state championship next year.
So let me ask you this: All else being equal, would you rather be a coordinator of a 9-1/10-0 type team or the head coach of 4-6 type team but make 50-60% more money? That my friend is the million dollar question. Since you asked, if it was me, and I really liked what I was currently doing, and my family and I were happy, but reluctant, I'd stay put. If my family encouraged me to fulfill my dreams regardless...I'd try to become a HC. |
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Post by blb on Apr 4, 2014 16:30:04 GMT -6
There are very rarely good HC jobs open that hire from the outside.
If it was a good job, they would hire internally.
If they don't, an outsider will have problems.
So most HC jobs that are open and hiring "outside" are not good jobs and are in need of rebuilding - sometimes more building completely.
If you interview for one of the latter you need to interview them to find out if the conditions exist for you to have a chance to compete on a level playing field.
If not - don't count on your great coaching to overcome them.
And then there's the matter of the teaching job, which will take up more of your time during school day and (in most places anyway) pay more of bills for you and family.
Being head coach is not all it's cracked up to be. In 39 (going on 40) years in coaching some of the most enjoyable years I've had were when I wasn't the HC. |
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Post by groundchuck on Apr 4, 2014 17:27:01 GMT -6
Whichever makes you happiest is a good answer.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2014 22:57:05 GMT -6
There are very rarely good HC jobs open that hire from the outside.
If it was a good job, they would hire internally.
If they don't, an outsider will have problems.
So most HC jobs that are open and hiring "outside" are not good jobs and are in need of rebuilding - sometimes more building completely.
If you interview for one of the latter you need to interview them to find out if the conditions exist for you to have a chance to compete on a level playing field.
If not - don't count on your great coaching to overcome them.
And then there's the matter of the teaching job, which will take up more of your time during school day and (in most places anyway) pay more of bills for you and family.
Being head coach is not all it's cracked up to be. In 39 (going on 40) years in coaching some of the most enjoyable years I've had were when I wasn't the HC. I'm not sure if having to rebuild means that a HC job's not "good." Sometimes a program is down because they've hired the wrong guy or had someone meddling in things who's now gone, etc. There's a school in my old neck of the woods that's huge, has one of the top pay scales in the area, just invested in building a very nice new stadium and facilities, and has always had tons of talent in the building, but they'd never won jack. They were a perennial .500ish team, despite being much larger and richer than most of the schools they played and dominating in most other sports. A few years ago they canned their old HC and hired a guy from outside. The job was his all along, but he was still an external hire--they didn't even really look at hiring from within even though they had some very good coaches on staff. They even let him bring a bunch of assistants in with him to replace the guys they already had. A couple of years later, they were one of the top programs in the area and that guy's hailed as a savior. They haven't won state yet, but they won their district last year. |
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mcrsa75
Sophomore Member
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Post by mcrsa75 on Apr 5, 2014 6:33:39 GMT -6
If I were in your shoes, I would ask myself the following:
a. longterm career goals
b. quality of life (job satisfaction, teaching position)
c. level of administrative support
d. potential talent base in school
e. level of community support
f. ability to hire coaches
There is no one absolute anwser that is correct. I do wish you the best!!
MCRSA75
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Post by blb on Apr 5, 2014 6:39:27 GMT -6
No question there are situations that just need some direction-leadership to be successful where they haven't been.
But there are many schools-communities where the conditions, attitudes, etc. will not allow for any coach to win.
There are more good football coaches than there are good football programs.
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Post by John Knight on Apr 5, 2014 14:36:20 GMT -6
I have seen the right guy win (some) at places that were thought to be no win, no way, places! If you don't feel like you can fix a place like that, don't take it!
Only a very confident coach with a great work ethic and burning desire to do so, can fix those places that most can't win at all at. You may not turn them into a superpower but just getting them to being very respectable may be a much greater coaching job than just winning where it is fairly easy!
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Post by khalfie on Apr 6, 2014 17:58:15 GMT -6
1. If the coach knew what makes him happiest, he wouldn't be asking the question.
2. Down programs are down for a reason, and if you can't see yourself turning it around, don't go.
3. Great coaching efforts vs winning seasons aren't appreciated by no one, except the coaching staff you'll be coaching with. No matter how great a job you do to make a bad team competitive, if you are losing, you will only be remembered for losing. And that record rides with you forever.
4. Grass is always greener on the other side. If you are happy, enjoy the staff you coach with, and the family is content with the present circumstances, then don't leave until the offer is too good to pass up. Seems like this offer is good enough to pass up?
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Post by coach2013 on Apr 7, 2014 7:26:49 GMT -6
Coaches don't usually resign when the talent is there. Usually its when they see a down year coming. Suddenly its time to focus on the family.
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Post by fantom on Apr 7, 2014 8:31:26 GMT -6
Easy. HC if that is your goal. Once you have HC on your resume, you can usually find other HC jobs. I agree...kind of. HC was my goal and I left a school with talent everywhere to take it. I was a HC for 2 years and now am happily a DC again and while we don't have the same level of talent at this school as the school I left, we have good kids, who are dedicated and work hard. I wouldn't take it but there are only 2 ways to become a HC. You either take over a down program or you assume the HC position at a good program you've been apart of for a long time. And, on the occasions where a good program hires from the outside, who will they hire? Usually a guy with a proven track record as a HC. In other words, somebody who's built up a down program. |
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