Helpful Guidelines for the Assistant Coach

Everyone who wants to become a successful assistant coach and eventually head coach must possess certain qualities and observe certain principles.

1. Loyalty is the most important quality. If you are loyal, all the other qualities will fall into place.  Loyalty does not mean being a "YES" man. Express your own ideas and opinions, and disagree with the head coach whenever you feel you are right. But do this behind closed doors and not out in public view. Once the head coach decides on a course of action, abide by his decision and never openly disagree with it. It is easy to be loyal when your team is 10-0; the test of loyalty comes during the 0-10 season.

2. Have a burning desire to improve yourself and to become a better football coach. The only way to achieve such goals is through hard work, not only during the season, but throughout the year. Make yourself a 12-month coach not just a 4-month one. Once the season is over, go right into your normal postseason activities such as attending clinics, caring for equipment, setting up a conditioning program for the squad, the recruiting process, and preparing for the next season.  Also do a great deal of work on your own. Set aside a time every day to work on your sport. Communicate with coaches who have more experience and knowledge-they can help you acquire different ideas.

3. Sacrifice is as essential for the coach as for the player. Without a great deal of sacrifice, a potentially outstanding player may remain ordinary, and a potentially outstanding coach may wind up jobless.  If you are primarily concerned with monetary rewards, you are in the wrong profession. You must be willing to trade wealth for the satisfaction of coaching and working with young people.  You must realize that during the season you are not your own man; you practically belong to the head coach and the rest of the team. Even during the off-season you must spend a great deal of your time on truing to improve both the team and yourself. Although this is the time that could be spent doing other things, you must be willing to give it whenever the team needs it.

4. Your family must be very understanding, as they are called upon to make even greater sacrifices than you. They live four months with a part-time husband/father, and they must always share you with 100+ boys whose name they hardly know.  Let your family know that they are the most important people in your life and that without them success would be impossible and meaningless. Make arrangements for them to attend all of your games. Make them a part of your coaching life.

5. Be an active teacher as well as an active coach. If you do not do a good job in the classroom, you will not do a food job on the field. The qualities necessary to become a good assistant coach are quite similar to become a good teacher. Your class work must not suffer because of your coaching.  When most schools hire a coach, they look for a teacher first then a coach. An assistant coach with a poor classroom record will find it extremely difficult to find a head coach position.

6. Always set a good example. You are actually closer to the players than the head coach, and they will look to you for guidance and leadership.  Never allow yourself to be anything but a gentleman in both action and appearance. Learn to control your emotions; never let them control you.  You cannot expect the players to avoid smoking if you are constantly seen with a cigarette in your hand.  Attend as many school functions as possible.  Let everyone know that you are an active member of the school community, not just a sport buff.  Never miss a team function.  Whenever you stay away from one, the importance of the activity will diminish in the players' eyes.  Not only must you be present, you should arrive early.  This will encourage the squad to be on time.
Never even slightly disagree with the head coach in the presence of the team.  The boys may wind up losing confidence in you.  Talk about the sport whenever you run into a team member during the off-season.  This will let the boys know that you are a year-round coach and will encourage them to think about the sport all year-round.
Develop a sense of humor (if you do not have one) and be willing to exhibit it on and off the field.  Practice can become drudgery and an occasional joke or two can make it more pleasant.  Dispatch all your duties with enthusiasm.  If you work with enthusiasm, your players will do the same. 

7. Love your job and do it with pride.  If you do not love it, you won't give it the time it needs and you won't be a success.  If your job is work rather than enjoyment, better start looking around for another field of enjoyment. Encourage others to feel the same way about the sport as you do.  Do not be afraid to let others know how dedicated you are.  You must believe that your profession is the greatest in the world.  Everyday you walk on the practice field, your love and enthusiasm for the game should be apparent to every player far above their capabilities in order to please you.  Show your affection for them in overt ways, so that it cannot be missed.  But be ready with a severe reprimand when they break the rules.  Without discipline a team will never develop the character necessary to become a winner.  Strive for perfection.  Never present an idea to the head coach, the team, or the public without having thought it completely through, being completely convinced that it is correct and the best that you can do.  Neatness, accuracy, and efficiency should be the guidelines for all your written reports to the head coach and the staff.  Be proud of your team and your school.  Wear shirts and jackets bearing their names.  When the students and the athletes see that you are proud of them, they will become proud of themselves.