Anyone have advice for moving up from high school coaching to college? I had a mediocre running career at a low end (but academically strong) mid-major, but have had some solid success 3 years into coaching high school kids. In particular, I am in the southeast but ultimately want to be out west, so any tips on networking and finding opportunities other than essentially cold-calling coaches?
Pucker up kid. You sound very much like I was...mediocre runner at crappy running school. Which means I wasn't a name...and had zero connections to names. So I puckered up real good and sucked A LOT of wieners (and vaginas). I still had to volunteer for almost 5 years. But it sure worked a lot better than going the high school coaching route if I wanted to end up at a HIGH LEVEL school. No one making hiring decisions will give two sh!ts what you did coaching high school...even winning multiple "national championships." Just ask Doug Soles when he was at Great Oak. Hell, even ask Sean Brosnan. The only reason he started out at UCLA is because no established coach wanted that job just to get let go when the head coach's contract isn't renewed a year later...and by that point at least he was an LA "name" connected to plenty of other " LA names." No one else was going to hire the guy though...not because he's a bad coach - clearly he is a good coach. But he had zero real NCAA coaching experience. And that's all they're going to look for if you aren't a real name/aren't well connected. And then they'll ask whoever they know who knows you to vet you...it'll be over before the interview.
So if you want to be coaching NCAA DI "out west," go figure out and make a list of who the most influential, well-connected coaches are in that region & then go find ways to get their attention so they let you volunteer...for years. Whether that's cold calling them, tracking them down at the USTFCCCCCCCCA convention, finding a common connection to put in a good word for you...whatever it is, just hope you like the taste of wieners or vaginas in your mouth. Because even when you land your first paying job, it's probably going to suck, and you're probably going to want to leave again ASAP...after about 10-15 years of doing that through multiple moves and countless roommates, you might find yourself in a situation that you ultimately wanted...20 years prior.
Cheers and g'luck mate!
This is false information. I personally knew a number of well established and experienced coaches that tried getting the UCLA job.
Pucker up kid. You sound very much like I was...mediocre runner at crappy running school. Which means I wasn't a name...and had zero connections to names. So I puckered up real good and sucked A LOT of wieners (and vaginas). I still had to volunteer for almost 5 years. But it sure worked a lot better than going the high school coaching route if I wanted to end up at a HIGH LEVEL school. No one making hiring decisions will give two sh!ts what you did coaching high school...even winning multiple "national championships." Just ask Doug Soles when he was at Great Oak. Hell, even ask Sean Brosnan. The only reason he started out at UCLA is because no established coach wanted that job just to get let go when the head coach's contract isn't renewed a year later...and by that point at least he was an LA "name" connected to plenty of other " LA names." No one else was going to hire the guy though...not because he's a bad coach - clearly he is a good coach. But he had zero real NCAA coaching experience. And that's all they're going to look for if you aren't a real name/aren't well connected. And then they'll ask whoever they know who knows you to vet you...it'll be over before the interview.
So if you want to be coaching NCAA DI "out west," go figure out and make a list of who the most influential, well-connected coaches are in that region & then go find ways to get their attention so they let you volunteer...for years. Whether that's cold calling them, tracking them down at the USTFCCCCCCCCA convention, finding a common connection to put in a good word for you...whatever it is, just hope you like the taste of wieners or vaginas in your mouth. Because even when you land your first paying job, it's probably going to suck, and you're probably going to want to leave again ASAP...after about 10-15 years of doing that through multiple moves and countless roommates, you might find yourself in a situation that you ultimately wanted...20 years prior.
Cheers and g'luck mate!
This is false information. I personally knew a number of well established and experienced coaches that tried getting the UCLA job.
Then promptly turned it down once they looked under the hood...
Anyone have advice for moving up from high school coaching to college? I had a mediocre running career at a low end (but academically strong) mid-major, but have had some solid success 3 years into coaching high school kids. In particular, I am in the southeast but ultimately want to be out west, so any tips on networking and finding opportunities other than essentially cold-calling coaches?
Pucker up kid. You sound very much like I was...mediocre runner at crappy running school. Which means I wasn't a name...and had zero connections to names. So I puckered up real good and sucked A LOT of wieners (and vaginas). I still had to volunteer for almost 5 years. But it sure worked a lot better than going the high school coaching route if I wanted to end up at a HIGH LEVEL school. No one making hiring decisions will give two sh!ts what you did coaching high school...even winning multiple "national championships." Just ask Doug Soles when he was at Great Oak. Hell, even ask Sean Brosnan. The only reason he started out at UCLA is because no established coach wanted that job just to get let go when the head coach's contract isn't renewed a year later...and by that point at least he was an LA "name" connected to plenty of other " LA names." No one else was going to hire the guy though...not because he's a bad coach - clearly he is a good coach. But he had zero real NCAA coaching experience. And that's all they're going to look for if you aren't a real name/aren't well connected. And then they'll ask whoever they know who knows you to vet you...it'll be over before the interview.
So if you want to be coaching NCAA DI "out west," go figure out and make a list of who the most influential, well-connected coaches are in that region & then go find ways to get their attention so they let you volunteer...for years. Whether that's cold calling them, tracking them down at the USTFCCCCCCCCA convention, finding a common connection to put in a good word for you...whatever it is, just hope you like the taste of wieners or vaginas in your mouth. Because even when you land your first paying job, it's probably going to suck, and you're probably going to want to leave again ASAP...after about 10-15 years of doing that through multiple moves and countless roommates, you might find yourself in a situation that you ultimately wanted...20 years prior.
Cheers and g'luck mate!
This isn’t necessarily true. Getting your foot in the door is hard if wanting to be D1 right away. Best to volunteer at a bigger D1 to get the name behind you. You don’t have to kiss butt just kick butt at what you do, go above and beyond and outwork everyone there. Learn what the head coach is asking of his paid staff to do in terms of recruiting, helping set up and execute official visits there’s a lot of little things that assistant coaches don’t want to do it gets tedious so knock all that out for everyone. Learn all you can In these experiences so you can stand on your own as a coach. Then you will have the knowledge to speak in these interviews, land yourself a job somewhere and then keep the same work ethic. Don’t say crazy ish to get fired don’t go off on a kid and just recruit. Build the team then keep moving up that way. Unless you’re a female who ran for a P5 school and wants to go back to where she ran or has that connection with her former coach to land a P5 job on his Buddy’s staff, then this is the route you’ll need to take. Back to the jobs!
Pucker up kid. You sound very much like I was...mediocre runner at crappy running school. Which means I wasn't a name...and had zero connections to names. So I puckered up real good and sucked A LOT of wieners (and vaginas). I still had to volunteer for almost 5 years. But it sure worked a lot better than going the high school coaching route if I wanted to end up at a HIGH LEVEL school. No one making hiring decisions will give two sh!ts what you did coaching high school...even winning multiple "national championships." Just ask Doug Soles when he was at Great Oak. Hell, even ask Sean Brosnan. The only reason he started out at UCLA is because no established coach wanted that job just to get let go when the head coach's contract isn't renewed a year later...and by that point at least he was an LA "name" connected to plenty of other " LA names." No one else was going to hire the guy though...not because he's a bad coach - clearly he is a good coach. But he had zero real NCAA coaching experience. And that's all they're going to look for if you aren't a real name/aren't well connected. And then they'll ask whoever they know who knows you to vet you...it'll be over before the interview.
So if you want to be coaching NCAA DI "out west," go figure out and make a list of who the most influential, well-connected coaches are in that region & then go find ways to get their attention so they let you volunteer...for years. Whether that's cold calling them, tracking them down at the USTFCCCCCCCCA convention, finding a common connection to put in a good word for you...whatever it is, just hope you like the taste of wieners or vaginas in your mouth. Because even when you land your first paying job, it's probably going to suck, and you're probably going to want to leave again ASAP...after about 10-15 years of doing that through multiple moves and countless roommates, you might find yourself in a situation that you ultimately wanted...20 years prior.
Cheers and g'luck mate!
This isn’t necessarily true. Getting your foot in the door is hard if wanting to be D1 right away. Best to volunteer at a bigger D1 to get the name behind you. You don’t have to kiss butt just kick butt at what you do, go above and beyond and outwork everyone there. Learn what the head coach is asking of his paid staff to do in terms of recruiting, helping set up and execute official visits there’s a lot of little things that assistant coaches don’t want to do it gets tedious so knock all that out for everyone. Learn all you can In these experiences so you can stand on your own as a coach. Then you will have the knowledge to speak in these interviews, land yourself a job somewhere and then keep the same work ethic. Don’t say crazy ish to get fired don’t go off on a kid and just recruit. Build the team then keep moving up that way. Unless you’re a female who ran for a P5 school and wants to go back to where she ran or has that connection with her former coach to land a P5 job on his Buddy’s staff, then this is the route you’ll need to take. Back to the jobs!
You wrote all this on a job board and signed off by stating back to the jobs. This is 🇺🇸
The best way to get a D1 asst job is to know people, especially the head coach or people the head coach trusts. Because head coaches who are event coaches don’t always know how to spot and train coaches in event areas other than theirs.
A head coach who is a sprints coach may have noooo idea how to hire a cross country coach. A head coach who is a distance coach is at a disadvantage when they need to hire a throws or pole vault coach without knowing anything about those highly technical events. They are entrusting training plans, scholarships, and talent scouting 100% to their assistants. Results on paper certainly help. Beyond that, trust is extensively used among college coaches.
The best way to get a head coaching job is to know people who the AD knows and trusts. Trust and word of mouth are relied upon because most ADs have no earthly clue how to hire a track and field or cross country coach. Most have a background in ball sports, they understand offensive and defensive coaching strategies.
The best way to get a D1 asst job is to know people, especially the head coach or people the head coach trusts. Because head coaches who are event coaches don’t always know how to spot and train coaches in event areas other than theirs.
A head coach who is a sprints coach may have noooo idea how to hire a cross country coach. A head coach who is a distance coach is at a disadvantage when they need to hire a throws or pole vault coach without knowing anything about those highly technical events. They are entrusting training plans, scholarships, and talent scouting 100% to their assistants. Results on paper certainly help. Beyond that, trust is extensively used among college coaches.
The best way to get a head coaching job is to know people who the AD knows and trusts. Trust and word of mouth are relied upon because most ADs have no earthly clue how to hire a track and field or cross country coach. Most have a background in ball sports, they understand offensive and defensive coaching strategies.
Position Summary: Under the general supervision of the Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach, the Associate Coach will serve as a member of the Department of Athletics and be responsible for administration of all aspects...
Anyone have advice for moving up from high school coaching to college? I had a mediocre running career at a low end (but academically strong) mid-major, but have had some solid success 3 years into coaching high school kids. In particular, I am in the southeast but ultimately want to be out west, so any tips on networking and finding opportunities other than essentially cold-calling coaches?
Pucker up kid. You sound very much like I was...mediocre runner at crappy running school. Which means I wasn't a name...and had zero connections to names. So I puckered up real good and sucked A LOT of wieners (and vaginas). I still had to volunteer for almost 5 years. But it sure worked a lot better than going the high school coaching route if I wanted to end up at a HIGH LEVEL school. No one making hiring decisions will give two sh!ts what you did coaching high school...even winning multiple "national championships." Just ask Doug Soles when he was at Great Oak. Hell, even ask Sean Brosnan. The only reason he started out at UCLA is because no established coach wanted that job just to get let go when the head coach's contract isn't renewed a year later...and by that point at least he was an LA "name" connected to plenty of other " LA names." No one else was going to hire the guy though...not because he's a bad coach - clearly he is a good coach. But he had zero real NCAA coaching experience. And that's all they're going to look for if you aren't a real name/aren't well connected. And then they'll ask whoever they know who knows you to vet you...it'll be over before the interview.
So if you want to be coaching NCAA DI "out west," go figure out and make a list of who the most influential, well-connected coaches are in that region & then go find ways to get their attention so they let you volunteer...for years. Whether that's cold calling them, tracking them down at the USTFCCCCCCCCA convention, finding a common connection to put in a good word for you...whatever it is, just hope you like the taste of wieners or vaginas in your mouth. Because even when you land your first paying job, it's probably going to suck, and you're probably going to want to leave again ASAP...after about 10-15 years of doing that through multiple moves and countless roommates, you might find yourself in a situation that you ultimately wanted...20 years prior.
Cheers and g'luck mate!
Hmmm...Sounds like a personal problem. Doesn't sound like you bring much to the table as a coach or an athlete. The below pretty much sums up WHY no one would ever hire you.
"You sound very much like I was...mediocre runner at crappy running school. Which means I wasn't a name...and had zero connections to names. So I puckered up real good and sucked A LOT of wieners (and vaginas). I still had to volunteer for almost 5 years. But it sure worked a lot better than going the high school coaching route if I wanted to end up at a HIGH LEVEL school".
Why are you even giving advice on this thread?
Zero coaching experience
Zero running experience (or very little)
Zero credentials
Don't want to coach high school for ANY experience, rather just jump into a collegiate coaching gig and get paid. I wouldn't hire you to walk my dog across the street.
