Teachers coaching

[Wing-T Coach]

Another "plus" about having teachers as coaches, from an administrative standpoint, similar to the point that "rockcoach" made, is that the bosses have leverage over teachers. A teacher will consider the repercussions of his "on the field" actions a little more since those actions can have an effect on his career. If a construction worker drops the F bomb on his eighth graders, he won't lose his construction job, but a teacher who does the same may jeopardize his job at school. (Doesn't seem likely for a one-time incident, but still more serious based on his job.)

[Orange and Brown]

I have been watching this thread closely. It's interesting. It seems there are people out there who think teachers take coaching jobs with NO expertise for the team they are coaching. Most coaches I know went to school to be teachers so they could be coaches. They are former athletes who now possess the skill to direct a team because they have been trained in instruction. It's not like the English teacher who never earned a varsity letter wakes up one day and decides he wants to be the head coach at his school. The only time that sort of thing happens is when a school has no applicants and they have to beg someone to coach. Parents and fans need to wake up to the reality that coaching is pretty tough and it is getting very difficult to even find applicants in the first place. I have been around athletics for nearly 30 years. Most good coaches are teachers. As for civilian coaches, I can count on one hand the number of those I have seen that actually did a good job. However, I have seen MANY that were epic failures. It's not as easy as the guy in the bleachers thinks it is after six beers at the tailgate party.

Good post!



After 12 beers I could take the Browns to the Superbowl.

[Paladin]

I've been around for a long time. Been a teacher and a coach, both as an assistant and a Head coach for a number of years. Seen many good H.S. coaches who were all teachers. Otherwise , I can count on one hand the number of really good H.S. coaches I've seen who were not teachers. One is currently still coaching in the Cleveland area who has been a winner at a number of schools. He is an attorney.

Another was a janitor at a school he worked for. And finally, there was a businessman. Most other non-teachers couldn't TEACH the sport well, had really bad language , could not discipline well, lacked respect from the kids and work time interfered with practice/ game times. In addition they did not keep up on current trends at clinics, etc as game changed on O or D. Most non-teachers simply don't work out but its often a short term fix until they can get a teacher to take the job.

I had a friendship with a long time coach who didn't teach at Logan, but was great in developing kids in the early grades --- Jim Myers. Some here may have known him.

[noreply66]

I remember Jim Boo Boo Myers.Think he started or help start the Comets. Great program.

[Abe Froman]

There is an occasional exception of non-teachers having success in coaching situations, but the vast majority of solid programs are ones that utilize teachers in my opinion. Typically, but not always, those teachers played the sport(s) that they end up coaching, but not always. Sometimes and often usually that person was not the best athlete when they played, but have an understanding of how to communicate (teach) the game to others.

Occasionally you find someone that never played the sport they end up coaching. One of the best baseball/softball coaches that I knew never played the game at the HS or collegiate level.

After all we are talking about High School kids and clearly those teachers that have rapport with students, an understanding of them and an ability to communicate and be organized will enjoy success. Success sometimes isn't even the win/loss record.

Teach first coach second.

[fortdawg]

There have been a lot of good posts on this subject. One thing that gets lost though is all the things a Head coach has to deal with that is non-football related.
If your starting middle lb/center/long snapper acts up in English class----I don't think there is any substitute for having a teacher as the coach.

If the English teacher values the coach's opinion or what he's trying to with the young man---it makes a big difference.

If he's not there.... the kid could be lost for the week (or longer) by the time the outside coach gets to practice.

This is just one little example of what the HC deals with that doesn't touch the X's and O's.

This would be a problem even if you have a teacher/coach if he's not in the building.

[ArmChairQB]

Because coaching is supplemental pay. This isn't Texas, we don't pay a livable salary for coaches to just coach a sport.
Teachers are around the kids all day and have more contact with the kids because they are teachers.

Their are some coaches who are not teachers and more power to them.

Except at Nelsonville-York where the last coach was being paid a lot of money to just coach. He was the AD on paper but was not actually doing the job.

[dazed&confused]

I have been watching this thread closely. It's interesting. It seems there are people out there who think teachers take coaching jobs with NO expertise for the team they are coaching. Most coaches I know went to school to be teachers so they could be coaches. They are former athletes who now possess the skill to direct a team because they have been trained in instruction. It's not like the English teacher who never earned a varsity letter wakes up one day and decides he wants to be the head coach at his school. The only time that sort of thing happens is when a school has no applicants and they have to beg someone to coach. Parents and fans need to wake up to the reality that coaching is pretty tough and it is getting very difficult to even find applicants in the first place. I have been around athletics for nearly 30 years. Most good coaches are teachers. As for civilian coaches, I can count on one hand the number of those I have seen that actually did a good job. However, I have seen MANY that were epic failures. It's not as easy as the guy in the bleachers thinks it is after six beers at the tailgate party.

Good post!



After 12 beers I could take the Browns to the Superbowl.

Yea but the cost to buy all those tickets would be astronomical! And I'm a Browns fan.

[Orange and Brown]

^^^^^^^^

[efarns]

Hiring coaches for sports teams is just a small part of a school administrator's job, and not the part their school is graded on. Great sports programs are nice to have, but not vital to the school's mission. If you hire a great math teacher who can also allow you to not wonder who the football coach will be for the next 20 years, you have a good situation. If you're over .500, that is just gravy.

[mrwonderful]

Lets sum this all up....Getting a Coaching job is like getting any job.......It's not what you know it's who you know.... PERIOD!!! Sure there's a few people who get jobs based on their resume but not a high percentage.....That's any job..... As far as a kid acting up and the Teacher/ Coach comes to his recue... Why? Let the kid pay his dues ...That's what's wrong with kids today..... People want to bail them out instead...I say that's great teaching letting them be punished....Teach them there's consequences in their actions.....

[fortdawg]

I would agree that it should be a small part of an administrators job but can anybody name a principal who was fired because the school didn't get the best grade on the report card? How many people who have commented on this thread can name their school's grade on the state report card? I'm not sure I could get them all.
I can name you some administrators that were fired because of things that happened in extra-curriculars.

I can think of coaches that were let go when expectations weren't met. I can think of people who ran for the school board just to can a coach. I've never heard of anybody running to fire a math teacher.
As a former educator Mr. Wonderful I agree with you completely----as someone who's been involved in coaching for decades Its often not that simple.

[route7]

At smaller schools honestly, it is hard to keep a coach for a long period of time. If anyone is a truly qualified coach, then they will leave within 2-3 years and then you have to start all over again on a never-ending cycle. Even though a lot of teachers getting these jobs may not be completely qualified, if they are teaching at the school where they coach, at least they will probably stick around and allow time for the program to develop under one man for a number of years. Success comes in time and most of these small schools aren't going to get a great coach because he is probably going to go elsewhere unless he is a very proud member in a small community. This is coming from the viewpoint of a small school. I would like some input from someone at a larger school... Do as many teachers coach there? Because down here pretty much every coach teaches within the district.

[rockcoach]

We are a bigger school and have a combination of both teachers coaching and lay coaches. We have 8 head coaches who are teachers and 6 who are not. Assistant coaches is where we have an abundance of lay coaches. We have 25 assistant coaches who are lay coaches and only 5 assistants who teach. We also have the problem of most sports having to replace head coaches every 2 to 4 years. Not many head coaches last more than 4 years here.

[Orange and Brown]

At smaller schools honestly, it is hard to keep a coach for a long period of time. If anyone is a truly qualified coach, then they will leave within 2-3 years and then you have to start all over again on a never-ending cycle. Even though a lot of teachers getting these jobs may not be completely qualified, if they are teaching at the school where they coach, at least they will probably stick around and allow time for the program to develop under one man for a number of years. Success comes in time and most of these small schools aren't going to get a great coach because he is probably going to go elsewhere unless he is a very proud member in a small community. This is coming from the viewpoint of a small school. I would like some input from someone at a larger school... Do as many teachers coach there? Because down here pretty much every coach teaches within the district.

I find it a combination of both. You have coaches who turn a program around and then leave for a "better" job somewhere else and then you have school boards and communities who expect a new coach to come in and win NOW. Then their are those times in between that just can't get the job done.

[Pol pot]

So a person goes to college to be an intervention specialist. Never played the sport he's applying to coach. Let's say he wants to do girls basketball,he played basketball 2 yrs in high school,never making it above Jv ball. A former college basketball player comes back home ,he wants to coach. The latter is obviously more qualified for the job but in Ohio we give the job to a teacher who wants a supplemental contract.

That is a misnomer, you do not have to hire a teacher just because they are a teacher, there are other factors that play here. However, teachers are historically much better than non-educators, and I know some will disagree with that comment, and welcome you to prove with facts of non-educators who have achieved great levels of success. Good coaching is teaching.

[rockcoach]

Some schools do have it in their union contract that teachers get first shot, and if qualified they will get hired. Right or wrong it is that way in some schools.

[Banned4ever]

Most of these posters with a dissenting opinion show classic signs of ignorance to the situation. They are probably parents who don't want to accept the fact that little Johnny sucks. It's much easier to blame/fire/run off the coach.

[king kong]

And then you have a teacher who played college sports and has been coaching for 10+ years and being AD at the same time and the new board says, nope not now you are not! lol Being a teacher does not guarantee you a supplemental over a non teacher any more! lol

[Pol pot]

I've been around for a long time. Been a teacher and a coach, both as an assistant and a Head coach for a number of years. Seen many good H.S. coaches who were all teachers. Otherwise , I can count on one hand the number of really good H.S. coaches I've seen who were not teachers. One is currently still coaching in the Cleveland area who has been a winner at a number of schools. He is an attorney.

Another was a janitor at a school he worked for. And finally, there was a businessman. Most other non-teachers couldn't TEACH the sport well, had really bad language , could not discipline well, lacked respect from the kids and work time interfered with practice/ game times. In addition they did not keep up on current trends at clinics, etc as game changed on O or D. Most non-teachers simply don't work out but its often a short term fix until they can get a teacher to take the job.

I had a friendship with a long time coach who didn't teach at Logan, but was great in developing kids in the early grades --- Jim Myers. Some here may have known him.

Excellent Post!