Is 1 Season Enough? (Coaches)

[Bullaholic]

Here during the off-season with NFL, college, and highschool coaches being hired and fired, I wonder if a coach can make that much of a difference in 1 season at any of these levels. Are the expectations and tolerance that much different for coaches at all 3 levels?

[RiverRat19]

Each individual situation is different but I would say the only way that a coach makes any difference in a full year on the job is how well the players buy into the changes in the system and into what they are being coached to do. The NFL and college coaches also have to deal with being able to change the level of talent with free agency and trades or recruiting and HS coaches have to just make who they have better... (unless you're a cheater who recruits)

If the incoming coach can quickly teach and get the players to buy into his system and they execute that as well as possible, then it can be changed quickly. That still may not translate into a "worst to first" turnaround but it will lead to improvement. 3-5 years I think is still a good timeframe to determine if a new head coach/coaching change has worked out or not...

[nationalpastime]

I agree with you rat. In a year you can sometimes tell whether or not a guy is going to be a good fit. I've been around college coaches that lost all sorts of respect from their players the first time they opened their mouths and I've also been around some guys that players would walk through hell and back for. Whether it's high school, college or the pros, people are going to figure out real quick if you know what you're talking about or not.

[Bullaholic]

How about the expectation level being tied to the team or program?

For example will a Bob Shipley be expected to produce results at Brownwood quicker than at a school with lesser tradition?

How about Sherman at aTm?

How about Indy's new head coach?

[nationalpastime]

I think the guys with the "better" track record will get a little bit more leniency than a guy that's not proven. It also depends on the relationship that the coach has with his boss(es) and the level. An NFL and college guy probably has about 3-5 years because of recruiting purposes (finding the right guys to fit into their scheme) but a high school coach can bring boosters, administration and even school board members to practice and show that he might be going through a slump as far as the kind of kids that are coming through a program.