Another D1 Coach wrote:
Long Time D1 Coach wrote:You obviously don't understand coaching and have no love for teaching the sport. Sorry for you son... It is the most rewarding "job".... Folks in my profession do not consider it work at all. I have never had to work a day in my life after college... Can't have asked for anything better than my college coaching career. In year 24 now and love it as much as ever. We do not get into this for $$ - But... You can make a nice living if you have success and have no worries about job security if you know what you are doing and treat people with respect always. It's no more un-safe than any other career out there. I often feel for people who have to work the mundane 8-5 type of work... I couldn't do it... Been too spoiled now. Cheers :0)
THIS.
That's a very rosy picture you paint, coach. I agree that the actual "work" itself is AWESOME. When I was "in it" I didn't consider it work either, even the most mundane pursuit was preferred over what a Joe Schmoe has to deal with on a daily basis. There is nothing in the world better or more satisfying than helping a young person achieve their dreams, and accomplish things they had no idea that they were capable of. However, you left off the other side of the equation.
The "work" comes in outside of office hours, i.e. at home. You need to be able to work twice as hard to keep it together at home, and that can be pretty difficult with the hours you need to be successful at the college level. The coaching landscape is littered with broken marriages, coaches who have drinking problems and are on marriage #2 or 3, the kids from a coaching family who don't respect or like their parent b/c they spent more time with other peoples children than they did with their own, wives who are hanging in there, but who resent the hell out of you for working 80+ hours a week, aren't helping with a young family, and are making beans for the first 1-10 years, etc. So in a way, that guy who schleps the 9-5 is in a type of hell, but he can at least make it to all of his kids piano recitals, sports events, and teacher conferences. Anyway, it's something to think about, and something to consider. Yes, very rewarding, but life outside the playing field it tough, that is a fact.