Is there a job opening in your future?
What's the THERE there? UCONN 1985. The AD promises the players they'll get the best 'woman coach' available. The players push back. "Why not get the best coach available?" Enter Luigi "Geno" Auriemma. The rest is history.
Success didn't arrive overnight. UCONN won its first National Title in Auriemma's tenth season. He's won ten more since.
Do you know about a job opening? Whether it's tiddly winks, soccer, or basketball know the ENVY acronym. ENVY?
Expectations. What are the expectations of the program? Is the athletic program championship driven or driven by equity of playing time? Are you the next person following a legend? Is participation rising or falling? Are the top players leaving under recruiting pressures?
Needs. Assess the program infrastructure (youth program), existing personnel (usually new coaches aren't walking in to 'stacked' lineups), culture, resources (assistants), and viability of the offseason program.
Vision. Do you see your vision of the future as complementary or conflicting with the current version?
Your kid. Expect every parent to want what is good for their child...the Big Three of minutes, role, recognition. If what's good for their kid supervenes what is good for the team, neither success nor satisfaction is likely.
The job isn't easy, even for accomplished coaches. Here's an example. Steve Harrington, coach at Watertown High School was a Hall of Fame player at Brandeis and has coached multiple state champions. I talked with him a few years back and he shared this story. First game of the season, five minutes in, and his cellphone rings. A parent is calling asking why his kid isn't playing. "That's the last time the phone was on during a game."
Lagniappe. Terminology, "Split Action." This creates multiple options for both the receiver and cutters.
