Am I too young to be HFC??

[tjackson]

I am 22 and I have had 3 telephone interviews to be a HFC in high schoo. Am I too young??

[redandwhite]

tjackson,
It all depends. I was a head coach at 23 in a small 9-Man school in Minnesota. It was extremely difficult being a first year teacher and head coach. I went into the situation thinking I had all the answers, and couldn't believe how much I didn't know about organization, teaching progressions, working with kids and the game of football itself. I learned more in three months that shaped my career than I thought was possible. It worked because I had great support from my school and great support from my former coaches. It could easily be a career breaker early on, but if you have the confidence and the support system, I say go for it. Things have worked out well for me - I am now at my third school, moving up each time, and have had success at all three, including being fortunate enough to win two state titles. I would never go back and do things differently. Be sure that you are willing to adapt your thinking and seek the advice that you need.

[tog]

I would say if you have to ask, then maybe so.
I know that for years I knew that I wanted to be an OC and then a HFC. Just in the last couple of years do I feel confident that I could do either well and give them justice.

It all depends on the situation I guess.

[coachdawhip]

I second tog, I was playbook ready. but the organziation skills I was not. You could be, if I were you I would make sure I interviewd at a school that would give me time to build a program at your age.

[cc]

I third Tog.

[tog]

Please don't take this as a "young guys don't know anything" type post from the football gods like you would receive elsewhere.

That was just my experience. While I would love to have that on my resume already, it simply wasn't time. For me at least.

[groundchuck]

Okay, no matter what in your first head coaching job you are going to make mistakes. If you have a few years of apprenticeship in a quality program under and great head coach you can learn a few do's and don'ts of the job before you make those same mistakes youself. That goes for the organizational, the motivational, and the schematical aspects of the game, as well as other areas.

I do not believe there is a right age. You are ready when you are ready. You will know. Just be sure it is the right situation and you are not looking to be a head coach just to be a head coach. Know what I mean? I am not trying to sound condecending at all. Just throwing some thoughts out there from my own experiences.

[tog]

What size schools jackson? and where?

[Tar Heel HS Coach]

I got my job when I was 26 at a 4A School...I asked my mentor if i was ready...He said "You are as ready as you are going to be...There are things you can never know until you do them." Being a HFC is so much less about X's & O's as it is handling the Jimmy's and Joes, and there mom's, agents, uncles, aau coach, algebra teacher, girlfriends, etc...etc..etc. Organization is the key and building on sound principles

[sls]

tarheelhscoach said:

I got my job when I was 26 at a 4A School...I asked my mentor if i was ready...He said "You are as ready as you are going to be...There are things you can never know until you do them." Being a HFC is so much less about X's & O's as it is handling the Jimmy's and Joes, and there mom's, agents, uncles, aau coach, algebra teacher, girlfriends, etc...etc..etc. Organization is the key and building on sound principles

Very good post.

I thought I was ready at 26. Thank goodness I did not get the first several jobs I applied for. You are never ready, but I was alot more prepared at 30 than I would of been at 26.

[viking]

I would say make sure it is a situation you know you will be happy with, and be ready to be humbled. When I got a HC job at a small HS at 24, I thought I knew quite a bit about football. I had played in college, had a year of teaching and coaching under my belt, and I thought I was going to have all right moves. We started out 5-1 and I was feeling pretty good. Over the next 4 weeks, we lost 3 key players, lost 3 games (2 by the 50 point rule), I lost my girlfriend / future wife of about 3 years, and pretty much had one of the ultimate character checks of my life. That being said, I learned a ton, persevered, and we have gone 18-3 since. I advise you do what you really think is best - deep down you have to know what that is.

[amikell]

here are my two bits.
I was 22 fresh out of college when I got my first head coaching job 5 years ago, so I have experience in the situation. here are some thoughts.

1. As others have said it is most certainly more about organization and dealing w/ people. not x's and o's

The following fall under the heading "There are reasons that schools have losing traditions."

2. What is the program like? Look at the past few years records and numbers of players.
Why is the current HC leaving?

3. What is the admin like? Do they support you? If they say yes, the ask how the will support you. If you kick a kick off, they have to have your back. Keep them informed.
3 a. Are they going to let you grow into the role a little and give you a few years to find yourself as a coach. Basically are they going to be a little patient w/ you.

4. What are the expectations for the program? From the community, the admin, etc. Sometimes these are out of line w/ each other and reality. On a related noted are your expectations in line with what the community and admin expect? Are you expecting too much off a commitment or too little?

5. Does the AD coach anything? If so are there areas where you might have conflict over athletes? If so, figure out how make the AD happy, otherwise you're in for a tough row to hoe.

6. Don't take this the wrong way, why are they hiring a young guy? In my case it was b/c they just wanted someone fill in the role. Initially, the program had virtually no expectations except for the kids to enjoy themselves. Needless to say, that changed. Make sure if the expectations change for you you know it.

How to change things if they are bad, or what are some other things to keep in mind

7. Make the program yours. Get immediate involvement from the whole community, but start wiith the school. Something along the lines of teachers sponsoring a play and wearing their jerseys for game day. Basically create a buzz.

8. Every coach at all levels must run your stuff. You must be able to teach your coaches you stuff.

9. You cannot be afraid of confrontation w/ anyone. Player, coaches, admin, or parents. stand up for what you think is right and fight for it in a professional manner.

10. Be prepared to work harder than anyone else on staff and demand that the other try to keep up.

That's all I can think of at the moment. By the way, if you can do 9 and 10 I think that'll cover most everything else.

[knighter]

I became a head coach immediately after graduating from college. I was hired at a small school (9 man football) in Northeast SOuth Dakota. I had 1 year of assistant experience at a very good school in Iowa, where the head coach gave me every opportunity to be involved in many aspects of the game/coaching etc. Basically I WANTED to be a head coach immediately, and I took the first opportunity that came my way. I was offered the job basically because I was young, and they did not have many applicants due to the fact that they had been horrible. (0-8 for 4 consecutive years prior to my arrival). They felt like a young guy could come in, with new ideas, and energy, and I would be able to relate to the kids. Thus more kids would participate...in the minds of the administration winning was secondary, they wanted to increase numbers. This was all discussed after I was offered the position, and I really felt that my ideas (however primitive) would be supported by both the principal, and superintendent (AD was the principal as well). So I accepted. Now I have been a guy that learns better by "doing" so I also felt if I wanted to be a head coach, the way for me to learn how to do that was to be a head coach. I thought I knew an awful lot of football having played since the age of 8 all the way through college. I had had both bad coaches and also some of the very best coaches a guy could have (won't name the bad, but the good in no particular order were Matt Dillon (now head coach at Cornell College in Iowa), Keith Gurius, Jerry Walker, Steve Latimer, Mark McDermott, Terry Allen, Bill Salmon, Mark Farley, Ardell Weigandt, Dick Mosely, Wes Anderson, Walt Klinker, Mike Howard). So I had a pretty good idea of how to treat players, how to watch film to find out what will owrk against a particular defense, how to defend a particular offense, etc. These guys took the time (with a marginal at best athlete) to show me how to watch film. I think they all probably saw coaching in my future before I ever did. It was Salmon who finally "said" it. He told me in college that A) I was one of the best Spring Ball backs he had ever had and B) I would be a much better coach than I was a player, and I should look into it.

So I learned by trial and error. Figure out who I was as a coach, what I wanted to do, how to organize a practice, order of installation for offense and defense etc. Maybe mine was not the best way, but I learned a ton, and I had to learn quickly, and I believe it has made me into a pretty solid coach (still have a lot to learn, which is something I did not know early on in my career). After 4 years in SD I was ready for a bigger stage, and got the position I am currently in in Iowa (small school, 11 man football). Funny in SD when they said they were a 9 man school my exact words were "It is no wonder you lose, the other team puts 2 extra guys on the field, you can't even field an entire team?" Superintendent and AD/Principal were both former FB coaches and they got a good laugh out of that, and proceeded to give me a mini-clinic on a chalkboard as to what 9 man football was.

I wouldn't trade my experiences thus far with anyone, have loved every minute (good and bad) of it!

[Deleted]

I didn't think that I was too young when at 26 I applied to be a head coach, I'm glad somebody else thought that I was. . .it would've been bad.

Like Amikell said, why are they hiring a young guy, expectations etc. I admit that I found a place with a poor record over the past few years, had 3 coaches in the past 6 years, etc. and thought it was a job i could get--immature. Don't just look around for the job you CAN get. Look for the one you WANT to get.

So I applied for the job and had a great interview, talked at length about X's and O's, discipline, community involvement, etc. They called to offer me the job and the AD (who had been one of the unsuccessful coaches) told me that I was the best candidate but all on the committee agreed maybe a little young, so he said he was going to put me on a sort of "mentor" plan where I'd work with him to make sure I was doing okay.

I said, "you're starting me off on a plan of improvement?" and he responded that being so young they didnt' want to see me struggle with things that more experienced guys had failed with. Of course I came into that job having been a grad assistant at a D1 school, etc. and knew I could get a good assistant job somewhere.

So I figured that if they thought I was too young to do a good job, maybe I'd take that idea and go.

My biggest mistake in that was picking that place to apply just because it was a head coaching job and I thought I knew it all. I'm glad they did what they did, because even if I'd have been successful there would've been trouble.

[tvt50]

If your asking you probably are. Don shula when asked if he was to young by the Cots owner Shula told him, "Your just gonna have to hire me and find out" Im sorry thats name dropping I shouldnt do that on here.

[tog]

tvt50 said:

If your asking you probably are. Don shula when asked if he was to young by the Cots owner Shula told him, "Your just gonna have to hire me and find out" Im sorry thats name dropping I shouldnt do that on here.

this is a good way

using name dropping as a way to make the entire point instead of even detailing what your point and then using an example like that is the problem

[tjackson]

The schools I apllied at have enrollment of 700-1500 and are located in Michigan and Washington State.

I know that I am capable of being a head coach. I just wanted to know what the general thoughts of everyone on the board was.

[coachd5085]

I would say that NO head coach is ready to be a head coach until he has been a head coach for about 2 or 3 years.

[knighter]

coachd i second that...and not even sure if ready at that time, i have been a head for 10 years, and still learning!

[cqmiller]

I hope you aren't too young. I'm 22 years old too, and am looking to get either a HC job at the high school level, or else a GA/Position job at the college level. Hope you have better luck than I have so far.

[ike2112]

I am 23. I was in charge of a team last season for the first time. I am not a teacher by profession, so it was all quite a steep learning curve. I had one assistant for half of the season, none for the last 3 games/5 weeks.
But I am glad I did it - I am 100 times the teacher and organiser I was, and even feel a better person for it. I have become more focused on planning, time management etc and it has made me more productive even at my place of work.
Another couple of years of that, and I will probably then feel not quite so overwhelmed and will be able to carry out the role to the best of my ability - I do not feel near that stage yet.

[coachbullock]

Im 24 years old and was offered my first HC as a SR in college. They werent a successful school, program needed a jump start. I went to the interview and I truly felt I was ready. I was offered the job a couple of days later, during that moment of time I did a little last second research. I felt that they were looking for a young guy that they could get there hands on, and I decided not to take the job. 2 years later I really Felt I made the right desicon. I thought I was x and o's ready, I thought I wsa good at organazation, but the toughest thing even as a coordinator is the public scrutiny and that everybody thanks you dont know because you havent experienced that situation yet. You have to be great at public relations not only from the coaches end but in the school as a teacher. I really dont think there is age when you are ready, but I believe you need to set and listen and study your metors before you jump into that situation. I know I wasnt ready as I look back on it, as much as I thouhgt I knew I have found out that I just barely broke the ice, just look around and make sure its the right sitauiton and that you will have a support system and great assistants.
This is just my opinion and I hope all goes well, follow your gut and not your pride and you will do fine

[tjackson]

thanks to everyone. ireally appreciate your replies.

[coachd5085]

cqmiller...Just a word from the wise. H.S coaching unfortunately is all about paying dues. At 22, I would venture to say that the only H.C. jobs offered would be the ones that those who have paid their dues won't touch.

[coachmyers]

which school in washington state? thats 2-4A in washington

[tjackson]

4 A LAke Washington

[coachmyers]

Good school, good athletes but they work hard in the weight room you wont have alot of grade problems and the parents are good support, talent tends to fluctuate. I played agaisnt them and my cousin went there. Also, you'll have a division 1 tight end who's been offered by all the Northwest pac 10 schools.

[coachpassion]

Man, I'm 22, played a couple years in college before injury ended my playing days, coached this past season at the JV level and was offered a position on the varsity staff for the upcoming season. I am leaving the area though because I will be finished with school by then and I have been unable to land a position coach job on a varsity team. Like someone one mentioned, it is all about paying dues and those I have talked to are not interested in what I have done or what I know...only that I am 22. I barely landed a makeshift spot on a JV staff (again). I can't believe I'm having trouble finding a job coaching a varsity position and you are interviewing for a HC job. Different parts of the country I guess. Good luck either way man and know that you are in a better position than many of your peers.

[coachcalande]

depends on who you know..nothing more.

[kkennedy]

Which shools in Michigan???