I've been meaning to post this for a while, as I consistently claim that coaching success is pretty much all about talent. But coaching -- beyond recruiting, which is job 1, 2, 3 ... 10 -- does make a difference. I read a quote from someone like Geno Auriemma who said good coaching can make a team 10% better and bad coaching can make it 30% worse, and that seems about right to me.
So what, then, is good coaching? (And I leave it to you to apply these standards to Mark Madsen and Charmin Smith.)
1) Getting your players to play hard. This is the sine qua non of coaching. Every coach does this differently, and it requires a relationship that fosters a desire to succeed individually or as a unit. Some coaches can supply this motivation by being distant from their players; others foster it by building one-to-one relationships. Regardless, it is the most important thing (after recruiting) a coach can do.
2) Combining/adjusting system and talent. Systems are built over time, and players get more and more comfortable within a system the more they play it. (Which system is, to a great extent, immaterial. All kinds of systems work, and if the coach believes in it, it can work.) Establishing a system/culture was easier before mass transfers, but it still is a big part of the job (after recruiting).
That said, the system must adjust to available talent, and most systems are flexible enough to do so. If not, perhaps another system should be installed. The coach must recognize what talent she has -- easier said than done, sometimes -- and then use it to maximum effect without having to start from zero each season. Adjusting the system to the talent available is helped at the college level because you can recruit (there's that word again) to the system.
3) Teaching. It's one thing to have a system and it's another to teach it. Coaches who cannot teach well will underachieve. At the lower levels, coaching is almost all teaching, because so many fundamentals are still involved, but even at the college level, players must improve through instruction, and they must be able to understand and execute the system.
4) Working with the administration. The administration isn't going to change, so it's up to the coach to adapt to whatever is happening above him. This sometimes means working around the edges, and sometimes requires a more direct approach. Understanding how the administration works, and the strengths and weaknesses of the administrators, is part of the job, just as with any large corporation.
5) Working with the staff at the same level and below. Coaches can do a lot to make the experience of their players better -- and thus increase player satisfaction -- by working well with everyone who is connected to the program. This extends from strength and conditioning to whoever has the keys to the gym. If the staff doesn't like a coach, easy things become difficult.
6) Dealing with the alumni. Perhaps this should be higher, as of course major donors are critical, but all alumni are important, and recognizing their importance in the perception of the program can make success come a little easier.
7) Dealing with the media. Not nearly as important as in the past, and official social media is mainly cheerleading, but still ... if ESPN likes you because you're always cooperative, that can't hurt.
8) Dealing with the officials. Being such a jerk that they hate you will catch up to you. Coaches feel they have to yell at refs for a variety of reasons, but I really don't believe it. Even if you do think yelling at the refs can produce positive results, it needs to be done in a "professional" manner.
9) OK, Xs and Os. You can always hire assistants for this. When the Sacramento Monarchs won a WNBA title, the head coach didn't draw up the plays in the huddle -- he had one of his assistants take over. But it doesn't hurt to be innovative, but really, you can only run a play couple times before the counter is applied.
So what, then, is good coaching? (And I leave it to you to apply these standards to Mark Madsen and Charmin Smith.)
1) Getting your players to play hard. This is the sine qua non of coaching. Every coach does this differently, and it requires a relationship that fosters a desire to succeed individually or as a unit. Some coaches can supply this motivation by being distant from their players; others foster it by building one-to-one relationships. Regardless, it is the most important thing (after recruiting) a coach can do.
2) Combining/adjusting system and talent. Systems are built over time, and players get more and more comfortable within a system the more they play it. (Which system is, to a great extent, immaterial. All kinds of systems work, and if the coach believes in it, it can work.) Establishing a system/culture was easier before mass transfers, but it still is a big part of the job (after recruiting).
That said, the system must adjust to available talent, and most systems are flexible enough to do so. If not, perhaps another system should be installed. The coach must recognize what talent she has -- easier said than done, sometimes -- and then use it to maximum effect without having to start from zero each season. Adjusting the system to the talent available is helped at the college level because you can recruit (there's that word again) to the system.
3) Teaching. It's one thing to have a system and it's another to teach it. Coaches who cannot teach well will underachieve. At the lower levels, coaching is almost all teaching, because so many fundamentals are still involved, but even at the college level, players must improve through instruction, and they must be able to understand and execute the system.
4) Working with the administration. The administration isn't going to change, so it's up to the coach to adapt to whatever is happening above him. This sometimes means working around the edges, and sometimes requires a more direct approach. Understanding how the administration works, and the strengths and weaknesses of the administrators, is part of the job, just as with any large corporation.
5) Working with the staff at the same level and below. Coaches can do a lot to make the experience of their players better -- and thus increase player satisfaction -- by working well with everyone who is connected to the program. This extends from strength and conditioning to whoever has the keys to the gym. If the staff doesn't like a coach, easy things become difficult.
6) Dealing with the alumni. Perhaps this should be higher, as of course major donors are critical, but all alumni are important, and recognizing their importance in the perception of the program can make success come a little easier.
7) Dealing with the media. Not nearly as important as in the past, and official social media is mainly cheerleading, but still ... if ESPN likes you because you're always cooperative, that can't hurt.
8) Dealing with the officials. Being such a jerk that they hate you will catch up to you. Coaches feel they have to yell at refs for a variety of reasons, but I really don't believe it. Even if you do think yelling at the refs can produce positive results, it needs to be done in a "professional" manner.
9) OK, Xs and Os. You can always hire assistants for this. When the Sacramento Monarchs won a WNBA title, the head coach didn't draw up the plays in the huddle -- he had one of his assistants take over. But it doesn't hurt to be innovative, but really, you can only run a play couple times before the counter is applied.
