February 3, 2012

Qualities of outstanding assistant coaches

As I was thinking of potential topics for this week it struck me that all of the coaches who write these journal entries are assistant coaches.  With that in mind, I thought about the qualities that I think make an outstanding assistant coach.

This is my 15^th year as an assistant basketball coach at the college level. During these years I have been very fortunate to have worked alongside many great assistant coaches.  I was also a head coach for 11 years so I have an additional perspective of what makes an outstanding assistant coach as I interviewed and hired many over those years.

Here are the important qualities that I think about when I think of great assistant coaches.

Communication -   In today’s world, the most important trait that a good coach must have is the ability to communicate.  Communication is crucial in recruiting, teaching and interacting with the various groups on campus that you come in contact with on a daily basis.  The best coaches have a presence about them when they speak -  they know that body language is essential and they keep it positive at all times.  They communicate passionately and effectively with everyone they come in contact with.  Part of communicating is the ability to be a good listener as well. As coaches we must be willing to listen to our players when they have something to say.  You will usually learn a lot more when you are listening as opposed to talking.

Teacher  - When I was interviewing potential assistant coaches I looked for people that had a background in teaching.  The majority of coaching is teaching and breaking the game down into simple and understandable concepts. Good teachers find a way to reach everyone and convey their message in a simple but effective manner. They are able to motivate and inspire their players.  It is also important that assistant coaches keep a positive mental attitude.  As an assistant you must be able to find the positives in every negative situation.

Loyalty  -  Loyalty is an often overused word, and everyone will state their undying loyalty to someone. However, loyalty is more than a feeling or sentiment. A loyal person remains faithful or devoted to the object of loyalty (e.g., a coach or a school) even when it may be disadvantageous or costly to the loyal person to do so. In the coaching profession, loyalty cannot be overstated. As a head coach you must know that your staff will remain unfailingly loyal to you and your players, especially when things are not going well.

Knowledge - Every great coach is a student of the game and coaching profession. The best of the best continue to learn as much about the game of basketball and the profession of coaching as possible.  Given the abundance of information available at clinics, in books or via the internet, coaches can and should increase their knowledge constantly.  We want our players to get better every day, as coaches we must strive to get better every day as well.

Work with others  -  As a college coach you come in contact with and work with many different groups on your campus. In addition to your athletes, you work with student managers, trainers, equipment staff, faculty and a myriad of other groups. Outside of your campus you are constantly dealing with high school and JUCO coaches, high school athletes and their parents, AAU coaches and many others.  Having the ability to interact positively with others and communicate effectively about your program is crucial to the success of your program.

I am always impressed with the knowledge of the various coaches who write the entries on this site. We all have different strengths and areas of expertise, and I am constantly learning from each coach every month.  We are very fortunate to have the jobs that we have, as we have the ability to impact the lives of our  players, and this is a responsibility that can not be taken lightly.

Best of luck to everyone and we get into the 2^nd half of conference play.

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