Coaching

Coaching Philosophy

Over a lifetime in athletics, I have been fortunate to have seen a lot of ways to do the same job. Starting as a child observing my father’s programs and playing youth sports, up through my current time as a coach myself, I have seen countless examples of coaching that have helped mold my vision of what a coach should be. Coaching can take many forms, and coaches end up taking on many roles depending on their place in their organization. Through my twenty-two years of experience in college football there are a few things that I believe are vitally important for any coach, but they all come back to the role of a coach being to help his athletes achieve their individual goals and have a positive experience while working toward them.

With that role and goal in mind, there are some core principles that I believe a coach must follow in order to put both him and his athletes in the best position to be successful. He must provide structure and accountability; he must share his knowledge and experiences; and he must encourage the athlete to embrace the daily demands of competing with themselves to gain daily improvements down their path toward their goals. That plan must be executed with a tremendous amount of respect for the game. The game of football is extremely difficult, and there are a lot of moving parts that have to align for an individual or program to have success. Acknowledging that and respecting that challenge is key to navigating the process.

For a coach/athlete relationship to work there needs to be a strong alignment in regard to honesty, work ethic, and courage. The athlete must be honest about his needs, and the coach must be honest in his feedback and guidance. The athlete must dedicate himself to the work necessary to accomplish the task, and the coach must do everything in his power to deliver tasks that put the athlete in a position for long term success. The coach must have the courage to be creative in their quest for the best practices and solutions to the challenges that will show themselves along the way, and the athlete needs to have the courage to trust the solutions presented by the coach. In my experience, when those dynamics are strong, the relationship has the greatest chance for success.

As a coach, I strive to be honest, diligent, and creative while serving the needs of my athletes on their journey toward their goals. By structuring a disciplined, encouraging environment to share my knowledge and experience, I plan to put my athletes in the best position to be successful. The competitive arena is full of challenges and competing for daily improvement is the best way to meet those challenges head on.