parasaurolophus
Footballguy
Corporate America has learned that often it is better to find the right person and then teach them the trade, rather than find somebody in the trade and teach them to be a better manager or leader. I apologize if such discussion belongs in another forum.
I would love to see an owner try this.
Here is my proposal. I am going to go ahead and pretend that I own an NFL team. I would conduct a round of interviews looking for a "special consultant". I would seek 3 indiviuals around the age of 26-27. I would look for somebody who was a great leader, has a great ability to process statistics, was mentally tough, and had shown a track record of being able to adapt to new jobs and responsibilities at his current company. They would have their own film room and would have full access to all other facilities. I would create several other special "pseudo" projects for them so that when they were lingering around, people would not be wondering wtf they were doing there. I would also require them to begin a fairly rigorous workout program to get them into very good shape.
I would make sure they get very well educated in physical training and conditioning. This would be my "in". The most qualified of the group of three after about 2-3 years would become my teams new strength and conditioning coach. I see this as being the easiest way to put a non football person in charge of football personnel. Now I personally would like a coach who expects and demands their players to be in excellent shape. This would be a great way for him to get in the faces of some lazy players and demonstrate that he means business.
After gaining sufficient respect of the other coaches and the players, I would begin educating him to be a different positions coach, while still educating him in all apsects of the game. I would then promote him. Now he has a chance to show his skills in a more football related area. If I have picked the great leader and educator that I thought I did, he should immediately flourish. After a couple solid years, as an NFL assistant, he would be ready for my head coaching position.
Now if my team is doing great and I have a great head coach at that time, great. I am probably rich and have a different company anyway. I could probably just transplant my fully groomed head coach to my other company and he would probably make me millions there.
If my team sucks, and I need a new head coach. Yep I have one ready. He would be tough and he wouldnt follow conventional wisdom. He would look at situations analytically and decide based on his personnel what would be the best actions.
The media would already be crucifying him in the press, so if he made a bold 4th down call and didnt get it and they lost the game, so what? He would have no fear. If you surrounded him with the right locker room veterans and class act players, he should have no problem keeping his locker room. All you would need is one winning season and he would be supported.
I think this would work because it is fairly accurate to say that the best players DONT make the best coaches. Why? Why would guys who are amazing at their sport generally be bad at being a coach? Well maybe the best players rely so much on instinct and ability that they truly dont have a complete handle on being able to educate others to do what they did. Maybe they were always hard workers, so they cant comprehend having to motivate others to play.
People often say those who cant do, teach. Well I say we give that a try!!!! The fact that Norv Turner will probably get another shot at being a head coach tells me I might be on to something here. If a guy who keeps failing eventually everywhere he goes keeps getting jobs, the NFL HAS to be desperate for a good coach.
If it doesnt work so what? What have you lost? Your team already sucked. You would have wasted millions on your next bad coach anyway. Hell it would probably save you money even if it didnt work, because no way would you have to pay this guy anywhere near what you would have to pay a head coach. An up and coming bright 32 year old worker in corporate America would be very pleased to be making 350,000 a year as an NFL head coach. Especially if he was given incentive clauses based on his performance.
I would love to see an owner try this.
Here is my proposal. I am going to go ahead and pretend that I own an NFL team. I would conduct a round of interviews looking for a "special consultant". I would seek 3 indiviuals around the age of 26-27. I would look for somebody who was a great leader, has a great ability to process statistics, was mentally tough, and had shown a track record of being able to adapt to new jobs and responsibilities at his current company. They would have their own film room and would have full access to all other facilities. I would create several other special "pseudo" projects for them so that when they were lingering around, people would not be wondering wtf they were doing there. I would also require them to begin a fairly rigorous workout program to get them into very good shape.
I would make sure they get very well educated in physical training and conditioning. This would be my "in". The most qualified of the group of three after about 2-3 years would become my teams new strength and conditioning coach. I see this as being the easiest way to put a non football person in charge of football personnel. Now I personally would like a coach who expects and demands their players to be in excellent shape. This would be a great way for him to get in the faces of some lazy players and demonstrate that he means business.
After gaining sufficient respect of the other coaches and the players, I would begin educating him to be a different positions coach, while still educating him in all apsects of the game. I would then promote him. Now he has a chance to show his skills in a more football related area. If I have picked the great leader and educator that I thought I did, he should immediately flourish. After a couple solid years, as an NFL assistant, he would be ready for my head coaching position.
Now if my team is doing great and I have a great head coach at that time, great. I am probably rich and have a different company anyway. I could probably just transplant my fully groomed head coach to my other company and he would probably make me millions there.
If my team sucks, and I need a new head coach. Yep I have one ready. He would be tough and he wouldnt follow conventional wisdom. He would look at situations analytically and decide based on his personnel what would be the best actions.
The media would already be crucifying him in the press, so if he made a bold 4th down call and didnt get it and they lost the game, so what? He would have no fear. If you surrounded him with the right locker room veterans and class act players, he should have no problem keeping his locker room. All you would need is one winning season and he would be supported.
I think this would work because it is fairly accurate to say that the best players DONT make the best coaches. Why? Why would guys who are amazing at their sport generally be bad at being a coach? Well maybe the best players rely so much on instinct and ability that they truly dont have a complete handle on being able to educate others to do what they did. Maybe they were always hard workers, so they cant comprehend having to motivate others to play.
People often say those who cant do, teach. Well I say we give that a try!!!! The fact that Norv Turner will probably get another shot at being a head coach tells me I might be on to something here. If a guy who keeps failing eventually everywhere he goes keeps getting jobs, the NFL HAS to be desperate for a good coach.
If it doesnt work so what? What have you lost? Your team already sucked. You would have wasted millions on your next bad coach anyway. Hell it would probably save you money even if it didnt work, because no way would you have to pay this guy anywhere near what you would have to pay a head coach. An up and coming bright 32 year old worker in corporate America would be very pleased to be making 350,000 a year as an NFL head coach. Especially if he was given incentive clauses based on his performance.
Obviously, there are exceptions, but most NFL owners are pretty smart guys. If someone already exists with all the occupational skills needed (and there seems to be a decent supply; I mean we're only talking about 32 positions total) why spend the time/resources/money to groom someone who doesn't know the game?
Obviously, there are exceptions, but most NFL owners are pretty smart guys. If someone already exists with all the occupational skills needed (and there seems to be a decent supply; I mean we're only talking about 32 positions total) why spend the time/resources/money to groom someone who doesn't know the game?
Obviously, there are exceptions, but most NFL owners are pretty smart guys. If someone already exists with all the occupational skills needed (and there seems to be a decent supply; I mean we're only talking about 32 positions total) why spend the time/resources/money to groom someone who doesn't know the game?
