playing then coaching Q (1 Viewer)

[Bri]

A recently promoted QB coach started just 11 games, played in 31, threw for 16 TDs and 24 INTs, 2:3 ratio, during his 9 year career.

He has to coach two QBs that are most certainly still developping.

If you were hiring for a team, Does his lack of experience or TD to INT ratio matter in this decision?

 

[DinkinFlicka]

I would consider how good of a teacher he is more than how good of a player he was.

 

[chuckmorris]

I would consider how good of a teacher he is more than how good of a player he was.

Agreed. With numbers like those he obviously was not the star QB of the team, but that says little about how knowledgeable he may be when it comes to playing the position. Whether his actual physical skills fell short or his performance was poor partly due to limited practice reps etc., what you look for in a coach is someone who has the knowledge and is effective in teaching it to the players. Like they say, "Those who can, do - Those who can't, teach".

 

[Modog814]

I would consider how good of a teacher he is more than how good of a player he was.

Agreed. With numbers like those he obviously was not the star QB of the team, but that says little about how knowledgeable he may be when it comes to playing the position. Whether his actual physical skills fell short or his performance was poor partly due to limited practice reps etc., what you look for in a coach is someone who has the knowledge and is effective in teaching it to the players. Like they say, "Those who can, do - Those who can't, teach".

I read something a while back that was discussing this very same topic and I recall it asking a lot of "star" players if they'd like to be coaching one day (or in some cases did and failed) and they asked the reasoning. And most surprisingly said very similar things, mostly that "football was instinct to them, and they found it hard to explain why this or why that, when all their playing careers they just knew, it just clicked and it's very frustrating for them to try to explain something to someone, when it comes so easily to themselves"

And I think this has to do with it to some extent. The players who have to work harder to make up for less "talent" tend to, IMHO, make better coaches. Actual playing statistics and experience has little (although I'd argue experience is more valuable to be able to put yourself into the players shoes) to do with it.

 

[SSOG]

A recently promoted QB coach started just 11 games, played in 31, threw for 16 TDs and 24 INTs, 2:3 ratio, during his 9 year career.He has to coach two QBs that are most certainly still developping.If you were hiring for a team, Does his lack of experience or TD to INT ratio matter in this decision?

Gary Kubiak was a career backup. He's widely credited with Jake Plummer's dramatic turnaround and making Schaub into a stud. Mike Shanahan never made it to the NFL, instead playing as the starting QB for Eastern Illinois. He's the QB coach who turned John Elway into a HoFer. No, I'd much rather have a QB coach who was a bad QB than a QB coach who was a good QB.

 

[TruckBoatTruck]

I read something a while back that was discussing this very same topic and I recall it asking a lot of "star" players if they'd like to be coaching one day (or in some cases did and failed) and they asked the reasoning. And most surprisingly said very similar things, mostly that "football was instinct to them, and they found it hard to explain why this or why that, when all their playing careers they just knew, it just clicked and it's very frustrating for them to try to explain something to someone, when it comes so easily to themselves"

Well said. I don't think the two are mutually exclusive (Mike Singletary comes to mind), but two very different skill sets. Those who can do both are rare.

 

[bentley]

A recently promoted QB coach started just 11 games, played in 31, threw for 16 TDs and 24 INTs, 2:3 ratio, during his 9 year career.He has to coach two QBs that are most certainly still developping.If you were hiring for a team, Does his lack of experience or TD to INT ratio matter in this decision?

No. If I was hiring, I hope I'd be smart enough to think of the hundreds of examples in all sports where mediocre (or worse) athletes became great coaches and great athletes became awful coaches. If someone needed convincing of that fact, I'd thaw out Ted Williams and have him talk about his successes as a manager for a while.