I was offered "TRIGGERED" as a potential thread title for whatever it is we're doing here, and I kind of like it. We're trying to reignite discussion on the forum, and what better way than to bring up topics that might anger a few people. Y'all think of something better, let me know, but I like it.
Thanks to Noles for this week's topic; I had a different one in mind, but I think mine can wait, because I want this blog/thread/whatever we call this to belong to everyone, so I like going with the suggested topic.
You've just lost your head coach and you're in the market for a new one. You have many considerations to make: what kind of man is he? What is his take on discipline? What kind of system does he work in? How well can he train other coaches to maximize his staff potential? But the most important question has to be this: what kind of experience does this new coach have? Must he have a proven record with a War and Peace-length resume? Do I go with a young coach, or do I go with the older, more experienced option?
Certainly, you cannot deny the appeal of the old guard. A man with a few gray hairs and a grizzled edge makes you feel safe as an administrator. You want someone who has been there before, someone with a "name." You want someone who has seen things, been places, has a few titles we can brag about. As an admin, you want to feel like you can trust a coach to the point where, when the proverbial waste hits the fan, that coach can look back on experience and know what the next move is. This is a school hedging its bets; yes, I know that this old man has probably seen his best years pass him by, but at least I have some visible evidence that he was at least successful ONCE, which is more than I can say about the wet-behind-the-ears newbie that just put his application in.
There are some potential pitfalls here, too. What if the old man is past his prime? What if he's stubborn, set in his ways, unable to adapt to ever-evolving strategies and design? What if he has already made a name for himself and has no desire to do the work necessary to get back to the top of the mountain? What if he wants to....*gasp*.... run the dreaded DOUBLE-WING!?!? If you think that hiring the same-old, same-old can't be a bad thing, ask Greenville-county schools. They have a distinct reputation for recycling blue-haired geriatrics who think "the spread" is something you put on toast.
Then there's the new guard, the young bucks. Admittedly, I'm a young(ish) coach with head-coaching aspirations, so I'm a little biased here. However, the only risk in hiring someone young is the possibility of getting conned by a silver tongue and inadvertently hiring one of those yokels in the stands who thinks they know everything. And granted, it is a risk. however, the reward can be greater as well: these coaches are young, enthusiastic, committed, and hard-working. They haven't made a name for themselves, and your school might be the place to make that name. Of course, you have the potential risk of job-hoppers, those young kids trying to hop from A to AA, them to AAA, and the like. That does, however, mean that they found success in those low ranks, too, so take that as you will.
So you're an admin and you have a role to fill: do you go young or do you go old? Thanks, Noles, for the suggestion.
Thanks to Noles for this week's topic; I had a different one in mind, but I think mine can wait, because I want this blog/thread/whatever we call this to belong to everyone, so I like going with the suggested topic.
You've just lost your head coach and you're in the market for a new one. You have many considerations to make: what kind of man is he? What is his take on discipline? What kind of system does he work in? How well can he train other coaches to maximize his staff potential? But the most important question has to be this: what kind of experience does this new coach have? Must he have a proven record with a War and Peace-length resume? Do I go with a young coach, or do I go with the older, more experienced option?
Certainly, you cannot deny the appeal of the old guard. A man with a few gray hairs and a grizzled edge makes you feel safe as an administrator. You want someone who has been there before, someone with a "name." You want someone who has seen things, been places, has a few titles we can brag about. As an admin, you want to feel like you can trust a coach to the point where, when the proverbial waste hits the fan, that coach can look back on experience and know what the next move is. This is a school hedging its bets; yes, I know that this old man has probably seen his best years pass him by, but at least I have some visible evidence that he was at least successful ONCE, which is more than I can say about the wet-behind-the-ears newbie that just put his application in.
There are some potential pitfalls here, too. What if the old man is past his prime? What if he's stubborn, set in his ways, unable to adapt to ever-evolving strategies and design? What if he has already made a name for himself and has no desire to do the work necessary to get back to the top of the mountain? What if he wants to....*gasp*.... run the dreaded DOUBLE-WING!?!? If you think that hiring the same-old, same-old can't be a bad thing, ask Greenville-county schools. They have a distinct reputation for recycling blue-haired geriatrics who think "the spread" is something you put on toast.
Then there's the new guard, the young bucks. Admittedly, I'm a young(ish) coach with head-coaching aspirations, so I'm a little biased here. However, the only risk in hiring someone young is the possibility of getting conned by a silver tongue and inadvertently hiring one of those yokels in the stands who thinks they know everything. And granted, it is a risk. however, the reward can be greater as well: these coaches are young, enthusiastic, committed, and hard-working. They haven't made a name for themselves, and your school might be the place to make that name. Of course, you have the potential risk of job-hoppers, those young kids trying to hop from A to AA, them to AAA, and the like. That does, however, mean that they found success in those low ranks, too, so take that as you will.
So you're an admin and you have a role to fill: do you go young or do you go old? Thanks, Noles, for the suggestion.
