How much longer will you roam the sidelines

There's a quote about golf that goes "Golf is an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle."

This has been football as I have gotten older. The nonsense is heavier each year, but when you get a real breakthrough with a kid on or off the field, that is special. It's the fuel that keeps me rolling and I suspect the same for others.

I have found as I have gotten older that when a kid overachieves because he is well coached that is what this game is really about. Taking a young person somewhere they couldn't have taken themselves.

So this is the start of my third year out. I was head coach last two in a really tough situation. After losing my first game, knew I would be 0-20. Expected 2-3 wins in year 3 and 5-6 in year 4 as the young team from year two had a chance to be pretty good with a favorable schedule. But having to teach half the day, and so much fundraising, and getting no help from the school or district made it tough. Burned out after 21 years. Didn't want to miss my kids little league games or boy scout banquets. Able to get more involved in church and do more things with the wife.

Anyway, guy that took my place did some recruiting and won 2 in covid year. Had a scandalous exit and my OC took over and won 7 last year and made the playoffs, both rare around here. I'm still here teaching and went to the first game Friday (big win) and it was the first time I it missed much at all. Haven't gone to many games last 2 years and that has probably helped me not miss it too much.

I would say that life without it is dramatically better. Have gotten in much better shape, down over 50 lbs. Play some golf and do fun stuff with my boys. My wife and I have date nights and getaways throughout the year. Can retire in 5 and working on side business that will hopefully become my full time business in retirement. If not, will probably keep teaching.

My oldest just started 6th grade and says his is going to play middle school football next year. So if that happens, I will probably help coach his team unless this business thing gets too busy. I think I could probably be pretty happy doing a volunteer middle school position. No summer work, no film, and don't sign me up for any Friday night games. I will probably come to most of them, but I don't want it to be required. Man is having your whole summer free amazing!

Interesting...I would venture that most here would say that the HC's compensation is actually one of the worst compared to responsibilities. 

This is year 21 for me full time coaching.  25 if you count the years I helped out while playing in college.  This is my 10th year of being the head coach (5 for baseball, starting my 5th right now in football).  I've been telling friends that this is going to be my last year.  At least last year of head coaching.  I still love listening to coaches podcasts and still love reading about football and learning but the year round business is just too much.  I skip one day a week in summer to play golf or take care of stuff but the day to day, year round is just too much.  I think of the feeling you have in November when school ends and you can just go home.  That feeling is way stronger than the desire to be the head coach.  I took 5 days in between lifting and practice starting to go fishing in the Keys.  Instead of rejuvenating me it made me wonder why I am not doing this more.  My wife works remote so the entire summer could be spent traveling or being somewhere else.  I posted on this thread earlier but felt compelled to post again.  I think I will want to stay involved somehow.  Film breakdown for friends, being active on here more.  Maybe even assistant coaching where I am at now but doing what one of the previous posts says.  Coach a position and go home and not worry about anything else.  That could be the answer.  I don't hate going to practice and I have fun out there but I am 43 and there is a lot else to do and places to go.

I’ve learned over the last year and a half that being a head coach isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. I’ve never lost sleep or had any sort of anxiety til I took my head job. After this tenure - whenever that may be - I wont ever want to be a head coach again. It’s taken too much love and excitement I have away to want to continue to coach in this capacity.

It wasn't the "year-round" thing that got me out after 41 years because as HC I could manage that.

We did what was necessary to compete without burning out coaches or players.

It wasn't parent problems because I didn't have many, probably because of the "Great Expectations" meeting we held every June.

Nor was it money because every new job I took I got more, and I never coached for money. Not that I didn't care about it so long as I could take care of my family but I learned early on you can live on what you earn and earn what you need to do so.

The biggest reason was I simply did not want to spend my fall weekends breaking down-evaluating film, in meetings, doing "game prep" any more, which obviously you have to do. I'd rather watch CFB and NFL.

That and the games just were no longer fun. Winning was only a relief - I'd already accomplished everything I could short of a state championship - and losing was miserable.

I was a HC for 31 years and assistant for ten (including six at college level).

Some of the most enjoyable ones I had were when I wasn't the "big cheese."

After a 50 year run on the sidelines I finally called it a career. While my mind is still sharp and keeping up with the game my body is telling me otherwise when it comes to practices getting hit on constantly. Finally decided to hang it up, retire, and what my body has left in it will be used for playing golf. When that fails it will be relaxing in the boat on the lake with a pole, bait, and some cold ones.

Lol yup

I’m out of coaching but a very active person. If I were still in my old coaching job from last year, I would have spent today watching film on a team that would have kicked my a$$ this coming Friday night without much I could do about it. But instead of that, I was hiking in South Carolina without a care in the world and did not miss it in the slightest.

Full-time coaching (and doing it right) is for people who can’t live without it or just don’t have any other interests pulling on them.

Another thing that has at least something to do with your passion for coaching is your success - which has a lot more to do with players than coaches. If you’re coaching studs every year and you have a realistic chance in every game, that makes it more enjoyable. You feel like you’re getting something worthwhile for your effort. But spending a week preparing for a game you wouldn’t win if you coached circles around the other staff and armed your players with machetes…. I don’t see how that’s fun for anyone. The dread of those games and bus rides to and from them is another factor that drove me out of coaching. Losing is misery.

I disagree.  I don't need to be on the winning team to feel like I'm getting something worthwhile.  If we came up with something to stop a certain scheme, even if we lost by 50 because we weren't as good as the other team, then I feel like we accomplished something.  That doesn't mean I'm okay with losing and that I'm happy all weekend, but it means we can use whatever we did later when we have equal or better talent.

this was it for me

besides being absolutely disgusted with what teaching had become where I was

i couldn't enjoy wins, and losses just tore me apart

Not exactly sure. My goal is to win a state championship as a coach. It was something I never accomplished during my playing days and I think about it often. I enjoy being with the kids and love seeing them develop and experience success as we rebuild our program. I don’t see myself ever leaving the school I’m at and we are a few years away from realistically competing for state… I’m going to be here a while.

Interesting.  I am betting in other locals, the same 8-12 teams are going to be in the running year in and year out, so if you are at one of those schools it is somewhat of a let down if you don't get there every cycle (4 years) or so.  If not-- then yes, a dream. Likely a pipe dream