I recently read an article about 50 things a coach wished an older coach had told him before they took the job. It was rather intense, but it made me think. When I became the head coach at my school, there were things I already knew and some I learned on the job. Following are 15 things I think new coaches should know entering the job of head basketball coach.
1. Character matters - If they want to fire you, make them fire you over wins and losses and not because of something you have done in the community. This is a tough one because it means you are under the microscrope, more so by yourself.
2. People will talk and critisize - Learn to deal with it or get out. Do not lose years off your life or be stressed out, realize it is going to happen.
3. Every year there is something to deal with - If you believe that a certain year will be problem free, prepare to be wrong. There is always something that happens.
4. Help others - You will be amazed how much others will help you if you are willing to help them.
5. Winning is often not in your hands - You can prepare, work, and take care of every detail, but at some point it is high school kids playing the game and you aren't. This is a really hard one to come to grips with.
6. Pick your battles - Most of them are not worth fighting, most of them you will lose, but when you do fight, fight with everything you have.
7. Build loyalty - Do not bad mouth other coaches and help out as many people you can at your school. The more loyalty you build, the more likely someone will at least remain silent when you are being bashed, at best they will defend you.
8. Many people at games are there to watch an individual and not the team - Therefore when you win, you will still have upset people because of not enough shots, not enough playing time.
9. Make the big time where you are - Don't work less because you aren't at a generally accepted big time place...make it big time there!
10. Success is in the eye of the beholder - What you view as a success isn't always seen by everyone else as a success.
11. Don't bad mouth a previous coach - It makes you look bad and most people will you believe you are jealous.
12. When forming a team, having players quit is much better than having to cut them - It puts the power of the decision in their hands.
13. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals - Enough said.
14. Love it or get out - You will deal with enough negatives that if you don't love it you will get out. Always, always have a positive attitude!
15. Pray - It gets me through some of the worst times not just in coaching.
