During May of 2015, Eight Laces Consulting had just over 300 assistant coaches at both the high school, and collegiate level complete a survey about Head Coaches.  This survey was a follow up to a survey about Assistant Coaches.  I encourage all Assistant Coaches to read those articles as well, which you can find here in the archives.

One of those articles was The #1 Thing Head Coaches Need To Improve.  Really interesting read if you’re a Head Coach, or aspiring Head Coach.

What follows below are 107 things that Assistants listed as liking the MOST about the Head Coach they worked for.  Check it out.  Head Coaches, you have such a major influence on so many people!  Best of luck to you this year!

What do you like most about your Head Coach?

1. He’s a good man with a lot of experience
2. Cares about our kids.
3. How he handles the staff and parents.
4. He’s ultra competitive and demanding of excellence.
5. He communicates well with the staff.
6. He brings together many aspects of the program as a whole.
7. He allows us as coordinators and assistant coaches to be our own coach within the confines of the program as a whole.
8. He’s a good person that looks out for his coaches.
9. He is very self aware and has hired great coaches that are all strong in different areas.
10. He is a great Christian man that loves his players and would do anything to help them be better men and graduate from High School.
11. He cares about the program and the kids.
12. Nothing
13. He is an advocate for me to other coaches and the school.
14. He does that for all assistants. It’s nice to have a coach that will go to bat for you.
15. When we are not talking football or at practice, he is actually a pretty cool guy.
16. He is a friendly person to be around when he takes off his “head coaching hat.”
17. His priorities-starting with the kids
18. He’s a great guy and does a good job with the staff.
19. I feel like his football knowledge is through the roof, but still listens to ideas and allows me to coach my guys the way that i want, and is all around flexible to the coaching staff.
20. Buys us food once in a while.
21. Nice guy
22. Not sure . . . .
23. Great guy. Great motivator. Love football and loves the kids.
24. Makes Weight room a priority
25. Hardest working person on the staff and does a good job getting the best out of his coaching staff. Plus isn’t worried about his Ego.
26. His genuine care for the players and his coaches. He had taken in over 30 foster kids over the years and adopted several.
27. Open minded, no ego
28. His passion!
29. That he is a defensive guy.
30. When I don’t have to look at or listen to him.
31. Loyalty to his staff.
32. He looks after as people and understands we have families. To be honest that has hurt us a few times by keep someone on staff a year longer then we should of.
33. There is always a plan.
34. He allows me to run my defense and do what I like the best as long as it’s good for the team. He also allows me to do many of the head coaching duties to prepare me for the day I can become a head coach.
35. Passion, dude fricking loves football.
36. His ability to lead our program.
37. His enthusiasm for helping kids become better and his willingness to give me 100% freedom to do my own thing
38. He shows up every day
39. Family atmosphere
40. He is honest and lets you know exactly where you stand.
41. Great father, teacher, citizen, friend, and coach!
42. His pure love for the people he is around. There is never any doubt that he cares about his staff and about his kids.
43. Works for the kid’s futures and not just right now.
44. Gives me near %100 autonomy of my position group and side of the ball.
45. He coaches for all the right reasons.
46. He is a caring man, a man of high character, has a huge heart and respects that we have families.
47. He is a wonderful role model for our student-athletes.
48. Easy to talk to.
49. Great person. Wants to have his players succeed both on and off the field.
50. Our staff has become a family and our HC hires people that know how to teach a get the most out of kids…not only on the field but in the classroom. Everyone has a voice on our staff and is able to speak to the HC without hesitation no matter the circumstances
51. Great person.
52. He gets the most out of kids
53. Wants what’s best for the kids. Will always stick up for the program.
54. He cares for our kids. While most other people don’t. He has genuine conversations with them he’s a father figure to them
55. Open to the staff when it comes to implementing new systems. Not a micro manager
56. Parents and players blame him for bad calls as they know he doesn’t take advice from other coaches
57. Cares about the kids, has passion for game
58. Energy, understands the importance of loyal, dedicated assistant coaches.
59. He makes kids and coaches want be better their best daily
60. Always has kids best interest in mind
61. Freedom to coach
62. His heart is in the right place for the kids. He believes he is doing the best for them.
63. The opportunity he has given me to be part of his staff.
64. His commitment to the kids and the staff. And very organized outside of the actual practice plan.
65. He hires good people and lets them coach.
66. His ability to rally his players/team every year and get them to buy in to what we are doing.
67. Dedication to ensuring that each kid is given every opportunity possible to succeed.
68. The way he treats others
69. He is a man of Integrity and faith and he doesn’t sway from that
70. He’s a good man. Someone you can trust.
71. His heart is in the right place
72. Listed above but mainly the loyalty, not micro-managing and his ability to develop our staff chemistry.
73. Getting closer to retirement
74. Respect
75. Cares about the players and tries to do great things for them
76. Holding everyone accountable to the program goals. Building something to be proud to be a part of.
77. He can be a good person to hang out with (at least for some of the players).
78. His caring for our student athletes.
79. The freedom that he gives me to do my job.
80. His organization and communication.
81. That he might be leaving after this year or next.
82. He does not mess with me on defense
83. He has brought in a lot of nice material things to program because of outside connections
84. “Real” person, there is very little ego there. Not afraid to be wrong and not afraid to admit it.
85. He shows us that you have to put 110% in all the practices; doesn’t matter if you’re a coach or a player.
86. Passion for the game.
87. His desire to put a competitive team on the field.
88. We are best friends.
89. His knowledge and his way with the kids
90. His ability to get players to play extremely hard.
91. He genuinely cares for kids
92. He’s a good person with an amazing past. Loves the kids and city he coaches for.
93. Always finds a way to win.
94. His wisdom in hiring staff
95. He listens.
96. He is organized
97. He is energetic and loves his job.
98. Gives the assistants the freedom to coach.
99. He’s knowledgeable, logical and even tempered.
100. How he treats everyone from players, coaches, staff, parents, public, etc.
101. He is a great man who is teaching me to become a better coach and person.
102. He is also teaching me how to run a program which will be very helpful for when I get my chance at being a head coach one day.
103. He listens. To us as a staff and to the kids as respected members of what we are trying to build.
104. It’s never about him, it’s about the kids and how we can best support and teach them.
105. He allows me the freedom to do my job the way it needs to be done.
106. Family first. We don’t spend all Saturday and Sunday in coaches meetings.
107. Not too much

Chris Fore has his Masters degree in Athletic Administration, is a Certified Athletic Administrator and serves as an Adjunct Professor in the M.S. Physical Education – Sports Management program at Azusa Pacific University. He is a speaker with the Glazier Clinics, and a Coaches Choice author. Coach Fore runs Eight Laces Consulting where he specializes in helping coaches nationwide in their job search process.

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