Tips on Being a great assistant coach

Hi Head Coach. Are you hoping the assistant thats giving you a hard time reads this?

Good head coaches appreciate assistants because they make their jobs easier. Maybe be humble and listen to their insight.

Good luck

#10) Don’t drop the stopwatch.

#11) Don’t screw up the coffee and donuts order.

Film Rep wrote:

#10) Don’t drop the stopwatch.

#11) Don’t screw up the coffee and donuts order

Good one.😄

10. STFU

11. Do not speak unless spoken too

12. Of course so and so needs more(or less) mileage/speed work/weight training

13. Be a yes man(or woman)

14. Head coach always coaches the Varsity/super star

15. Assistant coaches JV

16. Take 100% of the blame

17. “I got those same splits”

My head coach was amazing. Let me have complete autonomy over my training. All he asked was that I recruit, communicate and teach them to be better people. Year 1 I did media relations. Year 2 I earned his trust and got added to compliance. Year 3 travel. Year 7 I was truly sad when I left for another job but learned so much.

18. When getting 4x400 splits- I had your 2 400m guys at 48.5, 49.1. My 2 800 guys went 50.1, 50.3.

All the assistants who got passed up on head coaching positions are on here ragging on head coaches. Pathetic

News flash. You’re not head coach material. Especially if you can’t take direction without wining

Last I checked assistant coaches are on ONE YEAR contracts. Why do you think that is?

Job security is important. If you’re not retained there’s no guarantee you’ll land on your feet.

Doing what you’re asked is a small price to pay

Don't piss off the Support Staff. You're not the Head Coach.

put the a** in assistant wrote:

10. STFU

11. Do not speak unless spoken too

12. Of course so and so needs more(or less) mileage/speed work/weight training

13. Be a yes man(or woman)

14. Head coach always coaches the Varsity/super star

15. Assistant coaches JV

16. Take 100% of the blame

17. “I got those same splits”

If you hire an assistant (in coaching or any other field), ideally you are hiring them because they know things you don't know or they can do things you can't do. It is healthy for the head coach to be in charge and command respect. It isn't really in anyone's best interest to hire a complete lackey, though.

If I'm a head coach and I hire you to coach the pole vault, I'm hiring you because you know how to coach an event that I don't know how to coach. I don't want you to be an a$$ kisser. I want you to be the best pole vault coach in the state/conference. It wouldn't benefit me or the team or anyone for me to hire someone who is content to be my doormat.

Is it fair to broadly say we are there to serve our athletes and the school? I haven’t been at it very long, and I’m not very bright, so I suppose I haven’t yet had any reason to develop an ego… but does that make sense? Is that an ok perspective? Like I mentioned, I’m just new and simple minded and looking to help.

If you are volunteer assistant coach don’t take criticism too personally. You are there the for the joy of the sport and not personal gain. There is real substance to that and the kids will benefit from your example.

Keep, or make sure an up-to-the-minute "running scorecard" is kept during meets.

Keep track of athletes whereabouts before, during, and after meets.

Keep close contact with operation of all field event operations. Don't interfere with operation of events, But Make your presence known.

+all the 9 steps above.

Watch Ted Lasso and be Coach Beard.

Really long post, OP. Let me edit it down for you:

Be a sycophantic yes man, do what you are told, acquiesce to the head coach at all times, and then get passed over when the head coaching job is available because you are "too passive to lead.".

I agree 100%. I've seen head coaches with huge egos that collect a staff of lackeys and have a terrible program because of it. Then they blame their programs failures on their assistants, "I can't do everything", makes me laugh every time. Some are so insecure they run off any assistants that are competent or show any autonomy. Then wonder why they can't find good help.

I hire assistants that know what they are doing and want to be there, putting in the work every day. If they want to do the work but don't know how, I mentor them so that they are competent on their own. Then they are an asset instead of a lapdog.

It's not that hard to build a strong coaching staff, unless you're an insecure, egotistical, control freak.

Don’t be too successful. I have seen that bite assistants in the butt more tha being unsuccessful. Head coach usually wants event groups in a “sweet spot”

usedtacould wrote:

Don’t be too successful. I have seen that bite assistants in the butt more tha being unsuccessful. Head coach usually wants event groups in a “sweet spot”

So true lol. That's what happened to me, I moved on to being a head coach and now run a successful program. My old head coach's program, what a sad sorry state that's in lol, it's actually a little sad. He can't seem to find that "sweet spot".

Looks like there are some coaches with ego problems and really bad leadership skills. Bad combination.