As a former head football coach in Division II for nine seasons, I am often asked about the duties and requirements that go along with being at the helm of your own program. In the eyes of the general public, coaching is a very glamorous position, as they equate the position with the higher level head coaches at the larger universities, playing in mega stadiums, having multiple staff members, and making seven-figure salaries. Most people don’t realize that the majority of head football coaches today are at lower level institutions making mid-five figures, with limited staffs, and even more limited resources.
These gentlemen often have more responsibility at their individual schools than the “big time” coach can even fathom. I know many Division II and III coaches who currently have the responsibility to cut their gridiron’s grass, and line their own fields. They are their own compliance officers, media relations managers and equipment managers. Try doing all of these, while you struggle to deal with administrative details, recruiting, public relations, and fundraising plus, at the end of the week there needs to be a competent, well-prepared game plan because the only thing that we are judged on is winning or losing. I remember days of doing laundry after both practices and games to be sure that my players had clean clothes, or lining both the practice and game fields. Somehow in my wildest imagination, I can’t see Bob Stoops, Nick Saban, or Brian Kelly unrolling socks, or firing up the Toro to cut the practice field.
This is the grind of a lower level head football coach. In most instances, you would not recognize him. He does not have a national talk show. His press conferences are not broadcasted. His endorsement package is non-existent. He works in a small office, most of the time without the support of a secretary, and he answers his own phone. He arrives before daybreak, and is there long into the night, not because he is asked to, but because he wants his program to be the very best it can be. He puts his total effort into it every day forsaking the three “F’s” - family, friends, and finance. He hopes he can build his program to national prominence, and one day take that success to a higher level.
Lower level coaches realize that they are never going to have the resources that FBS head coaches have. The courtesy car for him and one for his wife, lavish expense account, country club membership, and huge endorsement deals are about as likely as having the winning powerball ticket. But that is not why they are in this. At the heart of it, I believe all coaches do this for one reason and one reason only. They do it because they love the game, and everything that goes along with it. It’s the feeling of knowing that you can have a positive influence on the lives of young men, many of which are desperately searching for direction in their own lives. There is no bowl win or national championship that will ever compare to the feeling of watching a young man who could have turned left, turn right. Sometimes, because of their stature, the “big time” coaches lose sight of this.
So, God bless the lower level head coach. He is a mother, father, counselor, pastor, disciplinarian, and friend. He is the guy that answers his own phone when you call. You can occasionally find him in the equipment room, hanging up wet jerseys, or on the tractor seeding his field for the upcoming season. He drives for hours during the winter to the far ends of the country in search of not only the great player - which he rarely gets – but also to give that elusive opportunity to a young man who may never have gotten one. He does not look for accolades, but deserves any that come his way. His triumphs are often overlooked because he is not on the front page, and likewise his tragedies go without notice, as he never makes them public. He tracks along doing the best job he can, always aspiring to be more and to do more.
If you ever meet a lower level head coach, shake his hand or pat him on the back. He sacrifices a great deal for so many. He gives opportunity, and by often forsaking his own ambitions, makes others dreams come true.
About the Author: Coach John Parker is a twenty four year veteran of college coaching, including nine years of collegiate head coaching experience, a leadership trainer and empowerment expert and author of the book “A Compartmentalized Life”. He is the host of “The Sports Mayhem USA” on WestPlex News/Talk 94.1-Westwood One Radio Network in St. Louis and “The Coach John Parker Show” worldwide on Blog Talk Radio. Visit His website at www.coachjohnparker.com