November 07, 2022 | Read Online

The 4 Types of Coaches

The Strategist can anticipate problems, ask the right questions, and build something sustainable.

College Football has become a huge business in America — with money flowing toward conferences because of lucrative TV contracts. This revenue has bolstered countless other sports programs across the country.

College players are no longer amateurs, as they now can legally get rewarded for their impact on the field. Coaches have also seen their salaries significantly increase, and with this have come higher expectations from fanbases. As a result, coaching turnover is at an all-time high.

When their search begins, schools hunt the next Nick Saban, Kirby Smart or Dabo Swinney, coaches who have dominated the college landscape in recent years. But no one really understands what makes them effective; they simply want their success. When hiring, schools look for coaches who fit into three categories:

The Schemer. This coach has demonstrated proficiency and expertise in a specific area of the game. Schools that hire the "Schemer" feel this will get them into the winning circle. But schemes never win. They only help.
The Caretaker. This coach provides some cache and brand power and relies on hiring a great staff for him to oversee, not direct. He cannot fix problems other than firing and hiring another expert in the problem area.
The Recruiter. This is a coach who has great contacts with all the high schools and can connect on a personal level with the players.

What's missing in most searches (college and professional) is the Strategist, someone capable of handling the three elements above — and much more. The Strategist can anticipate problems, ask the right questions, and build something sustainable.

Additionally, the Strategist is concerned about the present and the not-too-distant future, while understanding the art of team building and helping the people under him/her improve their skill set. The Strategist has core beliefs that adapt to the present situations.

The Strategist is a leader, not a manager. Remember the difference: Leaders do the right thing, and managers do things right. The three others are essentially managers. When the conditions of their situation are not perfect, the margin of error greatly increases, and another search begins.

After firing a coach, the new coach is always strong in the area that hindered the former. (Applying this method of hiring is a clear indication the school has no idea of its real problems). However, the perceived problems of the former coach might not be the current cause of the decline.

Without a strategist, no program can be consistently effective. Without searching for a strategist, the universities and NFL teams will continue to hire and fire and never move closer to understanding their real problem.

Who will become the strategist if the organization hires one of the three manager types? The Athletic Director? The person who makes the largest donation? The fans? The media? The alumni?

The answer: All of the above and why teams regularly change coaches.

Coaches need to spend more time away from their schemes and develop an understanding of the complete game — how to impact the organization, not the plays. Once a coach moves away from one of the three areas and into a strategy role, the program will begin to grow in all areas.

Coaches always ask their players to grow their skillsets and demonstrate improvement in all areas. But the same advice applies to them.

Become a strategist, not a schemer.