What happened to Coaches staying 5-10 years at a school?

T

Techman32

Six-man fan
Coming from Miami, I only had 3 coaches in my entire tenure K-12. One of my coaches came back from retirement to help last season. Coach Sam Browning still has the itch. I'm wondering how many 6man schools now have had coaches stay for 5+ years at a schools. I had Coach Danny James (8-12), Coach Sam Browning(K-12) and Coach Dwight Rice(K-9). Seems like everyone takes a new job after 1-2 years nowadays. Is this the new norm?
 
Techman32 said:
Coming from Miami, I only had 3 coaches in my entire tenure K-12. One of my coaches came back from retirement to help last season. Coach Sam Browning still has the itch. I'm wondering how many 6man schools now have had coaches stay for 5+ years at a schools. I had Coach Danny James (8-12), Coach Sam Browning(K-12) and Coach Dwight Rice(K-9). Seems like everyone takes a new job after 1-2 years nowadays. Is this the new norm?
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School boards probably play a factor.
 
Jones26 said:
If schools would give 5-10 year contracts, you'd see it again...lol
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Had a 2A school promote me from DC and offer me the AD/HFC. I wasn't the Supt's guy, but I won the majority school board. The Supt. offered me $6k less than what I was making as a DC there. He said I needed to show my commitment by taking that offer. I declined and countered with a number and a 3 year contract commitment. The Supt came back and countered and we agreed on a 2 year deal. At the school board meeting, when they were getting ready to offer contracts, the Supt made a recommendation to the board to make all contracts no longer than a year, until he was able to "fix the financial issues there".

The next thing I know, I've got a one year deal making about what I made as the DC. I'll never forget the look of shock and confusion on my wife's face. My gut told me to stand up for myself and approach the board with the fact they need to show their commitment by offering at the least a 2 year deal. I didn't and kept my mouth shut. That entire summer and next season, the Supt made my life hell. He scheduled my entire coaching staff CDL training the week of the district championship, which that school hasn't been close to in over 30 years. I could honestly write a book over the crooked stuff that went down at that place.

Anyway, we went to playoffs and the town got to enjoy a successful season for once. I started applying to other schools and the Supt tried to blackball me every which way he could. He suspended me with pay over Spring Break because my DC "got in a kids face for cussing out a coach". I resigned after Spring Break and I don't think they've collectively won as many games in 6 years as we did in one year there. My entire staff left as well.

Anyway, I say this because always remember...at this point, there is an underlying reason certain places are always bad. It's not their luck, it's their leadership. That goes for successful places as well.
 
In my experience, bad admin, bad school board, or bad parents. So many schools are now ran by parents with personal objectives, which then becomes a school board with those same ideas, and if you don't have a good admin those troubles typically fall on coaches. The coaching shortage for better or for worse has now given coaches many options when the place they're at isn't working out. Like @CoachSandersACS said the places that are always bad are typically those places ran by parents with a personal objective. I think it's pretty simple if your community has a coach who's holding kids accountable, teaching off the field skills, and lastly enhancing your athletic program, you should find a way to support them. When coaches feel supported by admin, parents, and their communities special things can happen, however right the opposite is also true.
 
What type of contracts are normally offered? 1 year? 2 year? Does it change with experience?

Does AD/HFC get a longer contract than an OC/DC or is it all tied to the teaching/admin position you're taking.
 
Some of it does fall on us coaches. I have moved several times on my own due to my mother's battle with Alzheimer's and my father's heart issues. I know it looks questionable to some, but I would do it again to be the son they deserved. However, I have also been places where the administration changes often. And, when admin changes, everything else does too, unfortunately. It is almost never the kids! They are very similar everywhere you go. Most just want to be coached and loved. Most folks get a one year contract, year after year. Admin, to my knowledge, usually gets more than that. It's just a different world today than it was 20 years ago, plain and simple. I honestly think that there is really no one thing, but multiple possibilities and personal reasons. Most coaches I know, work their tails off for the betterment of the youth and their communities. A simple thank you, would make most of them feel a little more satisfied in their jobs.

Thank you to all of my coaches out there. I know what you do, and how hard you work. It does not go unnoticed.
 
Pdevitt13 said:
What type of contracts are normally offered? 1 year? 2 year? Does it change with experience?

Does AD/HFC get a longer contract than an OC/DC or is it all tied to the teaching/admin position you're taking.
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Depends on the school district. I know some AD's are on multiyear contracts. OC/DCs usually on 1 year since they aren't an administrative role.
 
All districts I have worked for have assistant coaches on 1 year contracts - that way the AD/HC has the ability to non-renew. OC/DC are just assistant coaches for contract purposes - so 1 year as well. Teachers, without coaching, receive 2 year contracts outside of their probationary contract.

As for coaches not staying in districts for a long time - there's no one specific reason/cause in my opinion. I've left a district because of admin, but I've also left a school because I hit my ceiling within that program. Loved the kids, loved the admin, loved the school, but there was no more upward mobility in that program -- we had a great staff that had more experience than I had at the time. In that situation you have to weigh the options: Take a promotion to leave, or roll the dice and try to wait out those above you (which there's no guarantee on how long that may be, or even if I'd be the best candidate interviewed if they did leave). I'm sure there will be a time in my career where I'm comfortable with being complacent, but for my own growth and development I had to leave for greater opportunity or "promotion". Also, there's a lot more opportunity available now than there ever has been. I mean just look at the number of AD/HFC vacancies in the coaching carousel thread - there's no shortage of opportunity.
 
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