How does one become an NFL coach? (1 Viewer)

[Eminence]

How does one start a coaching career in the NFL?

 

[Young 8]

Being hired

 

[Insein]

Being hired

/thread

 

[TwinTurbo]

Start as an assistant under someone that is already a head coach preferably one that is your dad. That seems to be one way.

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

college player > assistant college coach > college off/def coord >college head coach??

A better question would be how does one become a part of an NFL team's scouting dept

 

[flc735]

your team has to be winning when your a step away from the head coach position. that's why we see so many coaches have the same origins. coaching tree

notice the more successful the coach, the more branches they tend to have underneath

 

[Sweet Love]

I could be foggy on details, but I actually went to college with Eric Mangini (small DIII school in CT). He was an academic all-american in DIII, and coached some team abroad while he was in school. He then took a job as a ball boy (mind you, he had the mind and grades to get an I-banker job that would have paid him 80k+) and probably made about $10-12/hr, if it was even a paying job. He went to the same school as Belicheck and Bill took him under his wing from there, getting him jobs in operations and on the field. Ironically, I was also in the graduating class of Jed Hoyer who is the current GM of the Cubs. He also was a DIII player (baseball), but took a job in university relations and then with a consulting firm. His good friend (who ended up being the baseball coach at our university just a couple years out of school) called him about an intern job with the Red Sox. At this point, he was likely making about 70-80k, but left that job for an internship for $10/hr...the rest is history.

Basically, there are a few rules:

1) You need luck, and you need to know someone.

2) You need to be smart

3) You need to be willing to work for peanuts, long hours and no guarantees

4) You can't have a girl on the side who is wife material...they just won't get it, and will bring you down like your name is Tiger

 

[BroadwayG]

Start taking timeouts at most inopportune times.

 

[Area51Inhabitant]

Buy the team and you too can be Jerry Jones.

 

[AngryPatriot]

I would move to San Diego, hang around the facilities, it shouldn't take long.

also: see above...

 

[Donnybrook]

Nepotism

 

[Shutout]

I could be foggy on details, but I actually went to college with Eric Mangini (small DIII school in CT). He was an academic all-american in DIII, and coached some team abroad while he was in school. He then took a job as a ball boy (mind you, he had the mind and grades to get an I-banker job that would have paid him 80k+) and probably made about $10-12/hr, if it was even a paying job. He went to the same school as Belicheck and Bill took him under his wing from there, getting him jobs in operations and on the field. Ironically, I was also in the graduating class of Jed Hoyer who is the current GM of the Cubs. He also was a DIII player (baseball), but took a job in university relations and then with a consulting firm. His good friend (who ended up being the baseball coach at our university just a couple years out of school) called him about an intern job with the Red Sox. At this point, he was likely making about 70-80k, but left that job for an internship for $10/hr...the rest is history.Basically, there are a few rules:1) You need luck, and you need to know someone.2) You need to be smart3) You need to be willing to work for peanuts, long hours and no guarantees4) You can't have a girl on the side who is wife material...they just won't get it, and will bring you down like your name is Tiger

Can you elaborate more on point #4 please...*takes pen and paper out*

 

[just_want_2_win]

A better question is how some of the current coaches in the NFL were hired in the first place. Some just make terrible decisions on a regular basis, e.g., Norv Turner.

 

[EBF]

My HS WR coach went from high school --> Pac-10 ---> NFL WR coach within the span of just a few years.

Don't know the whole story. Smart guy. Good coach. Played at a major D1 program.

 

[Maven]

Connections. Just like most job opportunities...its who you know. If you look at the career paths of most of these coaches, they come from a tree....My guess is you would need to start at the lower levels and work your way up...I'd also get to know or get friendly with all the other coaches at each level as well.....cuz if they get hired to the next level, you may be on your way with them.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Connections. Just like most job opportunities...its who you know. If you look at the career paths of most of these coaches, they come from a tree....My guess is you would need to start at the lower levels and work your way up...I'd also get to know or get friendly with all the other coaches at each level as well.....cuz if they get hired to the next level, you may be on your way with them.

And when you go out to lunch with them pick up the check as often as possible.

 

[Sarnoff]

I've faxed my resume to NFL teams dozens of times, but have never been hired. If I am, I'll update the thread.

 

[Bad_Mo]

I could be foggy on details, but I actually went to college with Eric Mangini (small DIII school in CT). He was an academic all-american in DIII, and coached some team abroad while he was in school. He then took a job as a ball boy (mind you, he had the mind and grades to get an I-banker job that would have paid him 80k+) and probably made about $10-12/hr, if it was even a paying job. He went to the same school as Belicheck and Bill took him under his wing from there, getting him jobs in operations and on the field. Ironically, I was also in the graduating class of Jed Hoyer who is the current GM of the Cubs. He also was a DIII player (baseball), but took a job in university relations and then with a consulting firm. His good friend (who ended up being the baseball coach at our university just a couple years out of school) called him about an intern job with the Red Sox. At this point, he was likely making about 70-80k, but left that job for an internship for $10/hr...the rest is history.Basically, there are a few rules:1) You need luck, and you need to know someone.2) You need to be smart3) You need to be willing to work for peanuts, long hours and no guarantees4) You can't have a girl on the side who is wife material...they just won't get it, and will bring you down like your name is Tiger

Going out on a limb here, but Mangini doesn't strike me as a "girl on the side" type. In fact, he strikes me as the "Dungeons & Dragons on the side" type.

 

[Bad_Mo]

Start taking timeouts at most inopportune times.

lol...like when you're sitting down to dinner with the family, get up and run down the length of the table to your wife and signal a time out. Then get mad when she looks at you awkwardly like you did something weird.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Start taking timeouts at most inopportune times.

lol...like when you're sitting down to dinner with the family, get up and run down the length of the table to your wife and signal a time out. Then get mad when she looks at you awkwardly like you did something weird.

and if you don't like her food make sure you grab at the proper side to throw the flag or you look like an idiot.

 

[Sweet Love]

I could be foggy on details, but I actually went to college with Eric Mangini (small DIII school in CT). He was an academic all-american in DIII, and coached some team abroad while he was in school. He then took a job as a ball boy (mind you, he had the mind and grades to get an I-banker job that would have paid him 80k+) and probably made about $10-12/hr, if it was even a paying job. He went to the same school as Belicheck and Bill took him under his wing from there, getting him jobs in operations and on the field. Ironically, I was also in the graduating class of Jed Hoyer who is the current GM of the Cubs. He also was a DIII player (baseball), but took a job in university relations and then with a consulting firm. His good friend (who ended up being the baseball coach at our university just a couple years out of school) called him about an intern job with the Red Sox. At this point, he was likely making about 70-80k, but left that job for an internship for $10/hr...the rest is history.Basically, there are a few rules:1) You need luck, and you need to know someone.2) You need to be smart3) You need to be willing to work for peanuts, long hours and no guarantees4) You can't have a girl on the side who is wife material...they just won't get it, and will bring you down like your name is Tiger

Going out on a limb here, but Mangini doesn't strike me as a "girl on the side" type. In fact, he strikes me as the "Dungeons & Dragons on the side" type.

Lol...I don't know what kind of tail he pulled (I transferred as he graduated), but I can tell you, even though he was a d-lineman, he had the size of a D1 linebacker or an NFL SS...sans the muscles.

 

[California]

Interesting article I read awhile back.

 

[Kleck]

I'd say it's like most jobs. Got to be good at what you do and others will recognize it. Also helps to be able to adapt, learn and master new techniques to stay on top of your game. You win some high school championships and college coaches will take notice. Networking is key too, just like most jobs. Besides being a good at what you do you got to know people higher up the chain or have that "in". As they move up, they may pull you up. At some point you might take their job or move up with them. Until one day they get fired or retired and now you went from assistant to NFL head coach.