"Requirements" to get noticed for a College Coaching Job

Geodude wrote:

What about volunteering at a Power 5 school ( Texas a&m, Oregon, Florida, Arkansas, Etc ) ??

Will a couple years in a program like this and having a good bit of responsibility while there put you in a good spot to land a mid-major paying job??

Has anyone on here gone this route at a power5 school and it pay off as apposed to starting at a mid-major or DII as a volunteer?

You get the volunteer gig that you can land. The volunteer coaches at A&M are almost all former athletes connected to the coaching staff. There have been a couple that I can think of who were grad assistants that didn't previously know the staff in some capacity.

They usually progress through the ranks if they stick with it long enough. One was around for a long time and is with Altis now. Another two went to UNO then one went to Texas while another went to McNeese and then Oklahoma (that contact was made at A&M, though!)

It really is about two things:

1) Who you know. This is huge. You can trace most hires to a previous connection of some sort.

2) How hard you work. There are so many people applying for these jobs. You have to differentiate yourself somehow.

Ways to get in if you weren't a D1 athlete:

1) Grad assistant at a major school.

2) Volunteer assistant

DO NOT GO HIGH SCHOOL ROUTE. Go read ladder theory about relationships. Similar concept here. High school is a different career ladder than college. The job requirements are very different. The social circles have very little overlap. This will pretty much ensure that you never coach in college.

Final piece of advice - echoing what someone above said. Learn an additional event group. Go to USTFCCCA and get specialist certified in something other than distance. Collect the certifications with the same effort that you seek Pokémon with your phone.

Get to know as many NCAA coaches as possible. It's as much who you know as what you know.

I know a guy who recently got a volunteer assist position and he said the stack of applicants' resumes were over an inch thick. This is a power 5 school and apparently it's the best way to get started in this industry. Also go to ustfccca conventions and get your level 2 in a different principle

Yes.

1. Volunteer

2. Go to Coaches Education. Do jumps or sprints. You'll learn more information that goes across disciplines. And, those areas are less flooded with applications.

3. Coaches Education is GREAT for networking.

4. Volunteer at some summer track camps. You can meet another network of coaches.

To the guy who said if you're not black or female, don't bother. Are you kidding? Have you been to a track meet? They're overrun with skinny white guys. Don't make up excuses for your own failures.

Which is better for collegiate coaching education USATF or USTFCCCA? My guess would be the latter

Pokemon wrote:

Which is better for collegiate coaching education USATF or USTFCCCA? My guess would be the latter

This is an excellent question. Would love to hear coaches with experience answer it. Obviously unique pros to both. My general knowledge is USATF will help you network with USATF people, whereas USATFCCCA may provide better knowledge/bang for your buck.

I have a certification from USATF and USTFCCCA, but they are basically the same because I got the USATF jumps certification when Boo, Vanhootegem, Lane, and Anderson were doing their education and the USTFCCCA after they all moved to that organization.

The education system in track is largely based on who knows who just like everything else. I like the guys mentioned above and think they do a good job.

I also think you could probably learn things elsewhere if you had the resources to fly around the country.

Right now I would suggest you go with USTFCCCA just because they have a better structure to their program.

Bump

kiss lots of booty. Honeslty there are very few self made coaches anymore. They mostly owe their career to someone else. So start kissing butt to the more fortunate.

I'm not questioning your use of the term, but what would a "self made coach" even look like? Can you name one? Just curious if there's someone out there who had a lot of success without being given a or some great opportunities? Who has gotten little help and made chicken salad out of chicken feathers?

Catatonic wrote:

I'm not questioning your use of the term, but what would a "self made coach" even look like? Can you name one? Just curious if there's someone out there who had a lot of success without being given a or some great opportunities? Who has gotten little help and made chicken salad out of chicken feathers?

Well, I might kinda qualify for that...but only to a limited degree.

I started the women's t&f/xc program at my alma mater during my senior year--coached it as a volunteer for six years. Volunteer (men's) assistant at another school, then went to a third to get a master's in phys ed--and started their women's t&f/xc program, on a volunteer basis, while there.

In my tenth year of college coaching, I started to make a part-time (four-figure) salary at a fourth college. Three years later I made a part-time (low five-figure) salary as head men's and women's coach at a top D3 school.

TL, DR: If there are still women's programs that need to be created, you can try getting started in coaching that way. Think in terms of decades and a non-living wage. I'd guess that might qualify as "self made."

Otherwise, overcome your natural distance runner's introversion, go to clinics as a student, *put on* clinics as an instructor, go to coaches' ed and get to know every coach/speaker there, and just generally become "that" guy--not a pest, but the helpful guy whom it was a pleasure to interact with.

Huh?

cdvmalskcmkasd wrote:

I would not get married for awhile either. You will need to be able to move to a small town most likely and take a job that hardly anyone wants plus you will make virtually little money. Most women do not support that.

What about a long time partner? I'm with someone now and it would be hard to walk away arbitrarily.

Saturdays Down South wrote:

I have a certification from USATF and USTFCCCA, but they are basically the same because I got the USATF jumps certification when Boo, Vanhootegem, Lane, and Anderson were doing their education and the USTFCCCA after they all moved to that organization.

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I took jumps with Boo and Lane several years ago and it was close to mind blowing. The bigger part of it was the networking. Those two are well connected and have been helpful in giving me job advice. Lane has practically written a book for me on things to do to get noticed. Anyone on here looking to get into college coaching or get jobs should reach out to him for advice.

Bump

Sundays Out West wrote:

Saturdays Down South wrote:

I have a certification from USATF and USTFCCCA, but they are basically the same because I got the USATF jumps certification when Boo, Vanhootegem, Lane, and Anderson were doing their education and the USTFCCCA after they all moved to that organization.

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I took jumps with Boo and Lane several years ago and it was close to mind blowing. The bigger part of it was the networking. Those two are well connected and have been helpful in giving me job advice. Lane has practically written a book for me on things to do to get noticed. Anyone on here looking to get into college coaching or get jobs should reach out to him for advice.

Reading what you quoted and I might have implied that I took the same cert twice. Didn't. Did jumps with USATF and sprint/hurdle/relay with USTFCCCA. What I meant was that USTFCCCA education program is what USATF was about 2010 or earlier. I forgot when the break happened but older USATF level II is basically new USTFCCCA event specialist cert except you don't have to do the ridiculous level I type cert.

One day I'll probably head out to ALTIS just for a change of pace and so I can stand behind Pfaff wearing shades with my arms crossed. On the coaching bucket list.