Will the NAIA Head Job doom me to a future of being stuck in the NAIA or will the head coach experience help my career in the long run? As a field event coach I know there will not be many opportunities to get a head coach position. Does having HC on your resume open more doors?
Think about how good/unique this opportunity is to become a head coach and what you will get out of it with your career interests. There aren't that many good coaching jobs at the D1 level, so there are many highly qualified coaches working at smaller schools or community colleges. If this is a unique opportunity to be a head coach at a smaller school and it's a less unique opportunity to be an assistant at D1, then consider that. It may be less likely to take a D1 assistant job now and find a head coaching job at a smaller school later. This is assuming you feel ready for the head coaching job now. There may be more job satisfaction with working at a smaller school than a larger school or opportunities to teach classes or become an AD, etc. If there is something unique about the D1 experience (recruiting, dealing with scholarship athletes?) that you won't get with the NAIA job and that's where you want to go eventually, then that's also a consideration.
Disclaimer: I am not a coach.
Get a real paying job, then coach club athletes once or twice a week. Less hours than a full time coach with better pay.
You are already looking to the next job and you do not have this one yet.
I am NOT trying to be a smart-a$$. What are your goals?
If you want to have a career that is rewarding, less pressured, more family time, potentially in a smaller community, stable, etc., the NAIA head job may be a lifelong opportunity. If you are just using it as a stepping stone in hopes of moving to the top echelons of coaching at a large prominent university, then the assistant job may open more doors "IF" it is at the right school and under the right head coach. If you hope to keep climbing, connections are everything regardless of which path you choose. Just another angle to think about.
Head coaching experience will definitely get another small college athletic director to look at your resume, but if you want to be ultimately be in DI, take the DI job.
DI athletic directors, or those that come from DI and are at smaller schools are snobs, they only want DI candidates.
If you can see yourself staying at this NAIA school and building a program long term, it can be very rewarding, and set up a good career in small college athletics. But be prepared to take on additional tasks in the athletic department to be able to build a career. (many small college full-time coaches, that don't do administration, can't make it salary wise once family enters the picture).
If you are looking for a stepping stone, take the assistant position at DI, if you are looking for a long term commitment take the HC position.
More simply, if you don't have DI experience, you will never get a DI job.
Career Crossroads wrote:
Will the NAIA Head Job doom me to a future of being stuck in the NAIA or will the head coach experience help my career in the long run? As a field event coach I know there will not be many opportunities to get a head coach position. Does having HC on your resume open more doors?
That's is a tough question.
I am currently a D1 Assistant Coach at a Mid Major to help fill in that information.
Like I and most of the others have concurred, it depends upon your goals.
Are you married? Kids? Are you okay with what many consider below average pay to keep the dream alive of a top paying big time job? Are you looking at building something you, the athletes, the school, and the community can be proud? Or is it big time or nothing? All paths are admirable, but you need to really consider why you are in it and what you are willing to sacrifice to get there.
I have coached just about every level possible from mid-major as a head coach and accomplished athletes on the side to high school. All are great in their own way. Figure out what you ultimately want from it all and that will help guide your path and decisions.