Resume`

IMHO, it boils down to who you know and use as references. Do your homework, and if you can find someone who knows someone who lives in the town type of thing, then that can help. That will be the first thing that gets your foot in the door at some places for an interview. It could get you the job before the interviews even take place. You never know 100% what a school board will do until they make the offer.

Credentials help alot, especially if you have experience not only in the game, but in fundraising activities/ideas that would put the town "on the map". One of the questions you will probably be asked is "what type of offense do you run"? Best answer to this question is, "I will have to evaluate the kids we'll have first before I can give you that answer." It is upfront and honest. You can then tell them what offenses you are familiar with.

Sell the people sitting in on the interview on the fact that you will become actively involved in the community. Be prepared to relocate to the town, because most towns don't want coaches coaching their kids if they do not live in "their town".

Have your rules and consequences in order, and have all your ducks in a row with how you would do things and handle certain situations both on and off the field.


This may be the best advice I can offer you...it is better to have a good assistant job, than a bad head coaching job. Make sure you speak with as many head coaches as possible and pick their brains for ideas and philosophies of what they do and why outside of the game itself. How do they handle parent issues, discipline issues, missed practices, classroom problems of athletes, etc... . Ask them the tough questions more than the X's and O's questions. The football will take care of itself during practice and games. It is all the off the field behind the scenes drama that will wear on you as the year goes on unless you have policies in place to CYA and at the same time, allow yourself the freedom to still manage your kids and team without tying your own hands with written rules. And...stay out of the politics game. Let the troublemakers in the school system take care of all the gossiping and mudslinging. And always support your administrators, as they win the vast majority of the battles. Also must know what battles are worth fighting, and which ones are just stress causers. Find the things you know you can change, and don't worry about the rest.

I know alot of this is just rambling, but it is things I had problems with the first year as a HC. I don't know if anyone can ever be totally prepared for a HC position. There will always be situations that come up which have to be dealt with. As long as you can go to bed at night knowing you did what was in the best interests of the team and the kids individually, then you have done all you can do. Everything else will take care of itself over time.

Thank you very much. That helps alot.