|
|
Post by coach1234567 on Dec 11, 2005 1:31:36 GMT -6
How long does it take to become a HC? Do you have to be a coordinator first?
|
|
|
|
Post by coachcalande on Dec 11, 2005 5:42:33 GMT -6
depends on who ya know, luck is opportunity meets preparation. I have seen guys get head coaching gigs when they were 25 years old and unprepared...but the kids liked em and they had friends on the boosters who had wives on teh school board.
i have seen other guys coach for 20 years and cant seem to get a break.
|
|
|
|
Post by jackedup on Dec 11, 2005 10:37:07 GMT -6
Hey now... I'm one of those young guys vying for a head coaches job... Now, do you feel if you have been apart of two winning programs in 2 years. (Asst DC for 1 team and DC for another) you have more clout to get a head coaches job. I've been told by others that I should apply b/c of the success I've had in the past couple of years. My record for the past 3 years is 28-8 with this being my best (Lost in states last night 20-14 2ot). Do you think that gives me more of a chance to get a head coaches job? Just curious to see what others think...
thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by coachjd on Dec 11, 2005 17:10:31 GMT -6
I was an asst. coach on 3 college teams for 9 years. Won 3 conf. championships, national playoff 2x. When I took my first head job at a high school I was not prepaired. Its on the job training. You try to be as organized as you can and it doesn't matter. There are little fires to put out daily. It all depends on how you can handle all the little fires and not being able to just work on the x's and o's.
|
|
|
|
Post by jackedup on Dec 11, 2005 19:11:02 GMT -6
I guess it also depends on what type of progam you are involved in. Both of the programs I have been apart of have allowed me a great amount of control in what goes on with certain aspects of the program. This past year I was in charge of all off season activities like 7-7 and nflhspd camps. Also, as being the dc, I was giving more control of things than most dc's. I think though, the greatest thing that I have benefitted from is being 1 of 3 coaches in the building. I was in constant contact with teachers, dealt with parents, and handled player discipline weekly. If the situation was too severe, I gave it to the HC to deal with. But, I definitely benefitted from it all.
I'm not saying I'm prepared for a HC job. Though, I'm also not saying I'm not prepared. I feel that I have the respect of my players, coaches, and the administration of the program. I also feel that I do a good job in handling different situations. Would I do just as good of a job if I were the HC and those situations multiplied... I don't know. But how do you ever know if you have never been a HC? What is giving more experience is that I am the Indoor/Outdoor Track HC and those little fires are being taking care of in a decent manner... thus far.
|
|
|
|
Post by saintrad on Dec 12, 2005 0:02:19 GMT -6
jackedup-
You should become a HC when you and your HC think the timing is right. Until you become the HC the team's record doesn't apply to you, which when dealing with teams that are in the "rebuilding stage" can help you since there isnt any baggage so to speak. I only wish my HC this year would have givne me the amount of freedom that you enjoyed, it woould have made our season much brighter.
|
|
|
|
Post by ogie4 on Dec 12, 2005 8:01:34 GMT -6
Head Coaching experience on some level in some sport before you take over a program would be a good idea. JD hit the head nail on the head, its not the x's and O's, it is the procedure details, organization, and fires that pop up everyday that define a head coach. I think size and prestige of program also are factors, a small SD school with 40 kids in the entire program is different then taking over a powerhouse TX 5A program. I think a person with no coaching experience can be successful in the right circumstance, but other jobs might require you to be an assistant for 15 years before you could possibly imagine how to handle the program. Each coach has to determine for themselves when and where they are ready to take over a program.
|
|
|
|
Post by gamedog on Dec 12, 2005 14:44:33 GMT -6
I agree with coachcalende. I know some people who "knew" the right people and were a HC by the time they were 25, fired by the time they were 27 and have never recovered to even high level cordinator jobs. I also know people that have been cordinators for state championship teams, coached in college and can't get into the finals for lower lever HC jobs. It's a funny business we are in and most of the time it is the right connection at the right time that matters the most.
|
|
|
|
Post by coachjd on Dec 12, 2005 15:23:46 GMT -6
Can't agree more! I'm in the running for a position right now and the only reason I got my foot in the door is a good friend of mine is very close friends with the AD at the school.
|
|
coachs
Probationary Member
Posts: 8
|
Post by coachs on Dec 15, 2005 13:02:06 GMT -6
i was fortunate enough to get a head job by the age of 26. was i ready, not really, but had some long time assistant coaches that were with the program for a long time (12 years, 20+ years) and assembled a great staff. i was picked by the previous hc who left because of health issues. we had early success and have run into some lean years, and are trying to rebound through them.
being in a small school definitely helped, but if I had to do it all over again? yes even though the last two years have been tough from a win-loss standpoint. I think that timing has a lot to do with it. Knowledge is definitely a key and previous coaching experience also plays a role. Maybe that it also me being a little sheltered here in rural wi also.
|
|
|
|
Post by tog on Dec 15, 2005 13:37:10 GMT -6
not sheltered now
there are people from all over the world on here
and they know some ball
|
|
coachbronk
Sophomore Member
[F4:@coachbronk]
Posts: 249
|
Post by coachbronk on Dec 16, 2005 15:33:10 GMT -6
To be honest with you, I think its where you are and being persistent. I was an asst for 2 years before I became an OC, was an OC 2 years before I became a HC. Through a lot of studying and knowing the right people, I was fortunate to move up fast.
|
|
|
|
Post by senatorblutarsky on Dec 16, 2005 16:44:35 GMT -6
a small SD school with 40 kids in the entire program is different then taking over a powerhouse TX 5A program.
I agree with you Ogie… but the differences are more in getting great people around you. I’ve been a head coach at many levels- 5A down to 8 man. In little schools, I pretty much coach all of them all of the time. I have position coaches, but I’m on the field with all of the guys, so I know our freshman RBs very well though I work with the O-Line. In 5A (I went from a small powerhouse to a 5A disaster) we had 5 teams (var, JV, soph., 9th A and 9th B). Over 200 kids in the program… I didn’t know the freshmen well at all. I had trouble getting good coaches at that level and I think it really hurt our program (105 freshmen would go out, 20 would be left…and there were always 3 or 4 who could have really helped us had they been directed right), though we always did well record wise.
I was a head coach at 23… right out of college (small school). I made a ton of mistakes… and it wasn’t until I spent one year as an assistant that I became somewhat competent.
When I got the 5A job, I was ready in every respect (schemes, training, program, motivation, etc.) except for one area- I really had no perception of how valuable lower level coaches were. I learned a lot that first year and though we were successful (semi-finalists)… it was one of my toughest years in coaching- I almost left after one year. (I did leave after 6).
To be a HC in a big school you’ve got to coach coaches as well as players- and then you have to trust them and let them do their jobs… I improved in that area, but always had some trouble with that.
I would say this to anyone trying to get in to head coaching: Classification level has very little to do with “good” or “bad” program potential. There are great jobs in schools with 90 students, there are career-enders at schools with 3000. Go to a place you would want to live- even if you think of a job as a stepping stone- you may be there until you retire. Make sure the current administration values football. Talk to coaches in that conference… every principal and booster will tell you how loaded with potential a place is- coaches generally get to the core of the truth pretty quickly (if they were 0-10, find out why from the guys who beat them). Big schools aren’t better- small schools aren’t better … they are different. Find out your teaching load (talk to teachers- some administrators will tell you anything to get you there… I had my teaching load changed to a different department in October in my first year at the 5A job). A big question to ask yourself- know what type of person/coach you are. I am not a good CEO type manager... I drove my coaches nuts- I was the OC, put in the special teams, put in the defense… I had coordinators for Spec. and D, but didn’t give them enough freedom . I belong in a small school where there are 4 coaches and I am the HC, OC, O-Line coach, LB coach, Deep Snapper coach, JV coach and JH coach… I like that. Some people do not. I am in a good situation for me- I am a Principal/AD, half-time teacher (1 English, 3 weights) and coach only football. My situation is unusual for a small school, I have a lot of time during the day for football, my teaching is basically football off season and this town loves football. I know this is not like all small schools, but there are many that are similarly great situations and there are some where you may have a teaching load of 8 classes. That wouldn’t happen in 5A (at least, not in Texas… it would in some states though- in Colorado 5A, I still taught 5 English classes a year for 4 years before I got in to any PE at all). The bottom line is go where you have the resources and support to have an opportunity for success.
Early in my career I took a job just because it was a head coaching position- I didn’t look at the (disastrous) situation at all… and I was almost one of those guys Gamedog talked about- out of coaching at 25. I was lucky enough to get hired as an assistant for one year before I was to take over as head coach- and once I realized how little I knew- that is when I began to have success as a coach.
|
|
