“I wish I would’ve known that when…” or “If I could do it all over again…” are some of the common phrases that many young coaches make after getting a chance to move up the ladder in the coaching profession. As a young varsity head football coach entering my 30’s, it seems weird to give advice to young coaches looking to make the leap to a higher level of coaching. No matter what level, there is a constant revolving door and moving up and down on the coaching ladder year in and year out. I personally have moved up the ladder pretty quickly in the high school coaching ranks. I was an assistant coach for one year in Illinois while I was still a college student. After my college football playing days were over after knee surgery, I wanted to “hang up my cleats and replace them with a whistle,” pay it forward and give young men the opportunity to play football the way I learned.
After graduation, I was offered and accepted a job in Central Virginia at William Campbell High School, a small school located just outside of Lynchburg. I was a defensive assistant there for three years. I then applied for and was offered the head coaching position at Galax High School, located in southwestern Virginia, which is a small-school with only 400 total students that plays in the smallest classification in the state. I was only 25 years old and recently married.
I served as the head coach for three years at Galax High School and then accepted the head coaching position at Grafton High School last year. Grafton has an enrollment of just under 1,400 students and is located in historic Yorktown in the famous “757” Hampton Roads football hotbed. We went 8-3 and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. I was selected the Bay Rivers District Division 4 Coach of the Year for reversing Grafton’s record from 4-6 to 8-3 and finishing second in our district behind eventual Division 3 State Champion, Poquoson. I was blessed with a talented group of athletes who played their hearts out for our coaching staff and each other. I’m a firm believer in the quote “It’s not about X’s and O’s but rather Jimmy’s and Joe’s”. They believed in the system that I brought and played together. I was surrounded by a great group of coaches who taught the game with passion and was supported by the best administration in the state.
I find it interesting that at the young age of 30 and only with 8 years of coaching experience that I have gone through the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and everywhere in between in my coaching career. Because of this I feel compelled to share my experiences and give advice/suggestions to young coaches who are looking to climb the ladder in the coaching profession. Here is a list of 10 things you need to consider if you are looking to move up the ladder in coaching:
1. Administration
2. School / Athletes
3. Community / Parents
4. Resources / Facilities
5. Control / Decision Making
6. Finances / Fundraisers / Booster Club
7. Success / Hype
8. Scenario
9. Staff / Personnel
10. Beginnings
Administration
Do they support their coaches when complaints are made, or do they tuck their tail and bow to the pressure? Do they play small or big town politics? Do they let you coach or do they micromanage? Are they willing to think outside-the-box and try something new or are they set in their ways? Remember, one thing you cannot control is the ever-changing face of your administration. You may get hired by one administration and they could be gone the next year. The new administration might have someone already in mind for your position and maybe they have a different vision than yours. While all of the other topics on this “top ten” list are important, it is vital to have a great and supportive administration. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
School/Athletes
When considering taking the next step up the coaching ladder, it is important that you take a look at the school and the athletes that walk the hallways. There are many different scenarios that you will need to look into and research when making such critical decisions. Weigh the pros and cons of a big school vs. a small school and how the school population impacts your level of athletic ability. Investigating the school’s past football history will reveal whether or not it was a football powerhouse with a strong tradition or a perennial loser that is the laughing stock of the school. Is the position an opportunity for a rebuilding or reloading situation? Are there athletes roaming the hallways who, for one reason or another, have not played in previous years? Does the school have other sports that are very successful, which interfere with participation in the football program? These factors are important with regards to the success of the program. Remember, in our cutthroat profession, if you don’t win, you won’t be there for long.
Community and Parents
The community and parents of your athletes can either be a valuable asset or a thorn in your side. Inquire about community and parental involvement with the football program and determine if it is a positive contribution to its success. It is also important to know how involved and supportive the parents and community have been with past football coaches. Does the school allow big town/small town politics to rule its athletic programs? Unless you are an alumnus looking to come home, or an assistant desiring to move up in the ranks, you will be an outsider. In addition, discovering how community and parent participation in fundraising and financially supporting the program is essential. It is important for new, young coaches to open up to the community and parents to gain their support. They can become your biggest ally in how effective and successful your program can be.
Resources and Facilities
While resources and facilities won’t make or break a decision to accept a coaching position, they are an influential part of building a solid foundation for your program. When you are researching a possible job position, you will want to look at the facilities that you will use for your football program. You need to assess the facilities and determine if you have good enough facilities to be successful.
How is the school’s weight room? Do they even have a weight room? Do you have a field house or is the locker room in the school? Do they even have a locker room? Is there enough storage for all of your equipment? How are the practice fields? Do you even have a practice field or will you have to practice on the game field? Is the equipment in good condition and do you have to acquire new pads and helmets to be a successful program? Is your school planning to get any “up-grades” or even “down-grades” in the next couple of years such as renovations, a new stadium, building of a new school, etc? All of these things can positively or negatively affect your program.
Control / Decision Making Power
Another element that is very important is your voice and decision making power for your program. How much power will you really have when it comes to the program? Will you have input in scheduling of future opponents? Will you get to determine what style of offense or defense you will run for your program? Will you have the authority to interview, hire, or fire assistant coaches on your staff? Though you may be the head football coach, there is a chain of command with the athletic director, school principal, superintendent, and school board who are really in control of the school and athletic programs. You will need to research how much influence they may or may not have on your program.
Do they micromanage or do they let you run your program? Do you have to get approval before you spend money earned through fundraising efforts? Will you be able to fundraise for your program? Do they have a track record of getting involved in the football program or using “executive power” over previous coaches? Remember, if you are going to be responsible for the program, you will want to make sure that you are truly in control of your football program. If you are not in control of the program, it really isn’t your program and decisions made by others may positively or negatively affect your program and your ability to be successful. p
(Part II will be published in the next edition of Gridiron Strategies).
About the Author: Jared Van Acker starts his third season this fall as head coach at Grafton High School in Yorktown, VA. He has led Grafton to back-to-back Division 4 playoff appearances and last year was named Coach of the Year for the Bay Rivers District. Van Acker previously coached at Galax High School where he was the head coach for three years.