September/October 2021 - 18

A JOB GUIDE FOR
YOUNG COACHES
I Got the Job, Now What?
By Jay Gore & Bob Gecewich, McGavock (TN) High School
In 2010 I became the head football coach at an innercity
school in Nashville. In doing so, I inherited a young
assistant coach by the name of Bob Gecewich. After
several years of coaching together, Bob moved on and
has since become a head coach himself. Over the years
our friendship and respect for each other have remained.
We talk often, usually about attacking opponents or new
schemes that we have run across. It seems that more often
we talk about common issues that we both encounter
as head coaches; dealing with parents, weight room
programs, fundraising, etc. On multiple occasions, the
conversation has turned toward hiring and mentoring
young coaches and the challenges that it presents. As an
attempt to improve that mentoring process, Bob and I have
created a checklist from which we can start the discussion
with our young coaches, but also can be used as
an evaluation tool at the end of each season.
I have been very blessed over my 43year
career to have been mentored
by some great men. Men that
patiently and sometimes not so
patiently helped me refine my
craft of coaching. I owe a debt
of gratitude to each one of them
for the wisdom they chose to
pass on to me, and in their
honor, I pass this on to the next
generation of coaches.
We divided the items into three
levels of expertise: Apprentice,
Craftsman, and, finally, Master. We
wanted a starting point that would allow
the coach a framework from which to start,
a growth plan to help him develop, and finally, a goal
for himself.
This article will only deal with the first phase of the
apprenticeship plan.
Apprentice: Getting started
1. Show Up
2. Demonstrate Integrity
3. Be an Example
4 .Take Ownership
5. Take Initiative
6. Put Family First
7. Define your drills
8. Efficient use of Time
9. Don't Trust your Memory
18 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
10. Be Coachable
You can't get better if you don't show up. As with any
apprentice relationship it only works if both parties are
present and eager to teach and learn. Show up each day
with energy and passion to do your job. As a player, you
might have missed because you were having a bad day.
As a coach, you don't get that luxury. You have made a
commitment to this team - show up and grow.
Integrity is measured over time; it doesn't change dayto-day.
Be reliable, honest, and loyal to your players and to
your head coach every day. Be honest with your players, if
you don't know the answer to a question say, " I don't know,
but I will find out. " One of my previous bosses would say,
" Above all else be loyal. If you are loyal, then you do all the
other things naturally. "
Be an example for your players. If you want
them to work hard, be on time, hustle, ask
questions, and be accountable then you
must model that behavior for them. Be
aware that you are a coach now, not
a player. Watch your language and
actions. I had a young coach who
was sitting down one day watching
a drill. When I corrected him, his
response was " I am exhausted,
this teaching and coaching is not
easy. " The problem was he was
still acting like a kid in his day-today
routine, staying up late, playing
video games, going out with friends. As
we grow up our routines must change to
reflect our priorities and obligations.
Take ownership of your position. Do the
jobs that are assigned to you, without having to be
reminded or supervised. If you want the responsibility to
be assigned to you then you must demonstrate that you
can handle it. If you are the defensive backs coach, then
be the head coach of the defensive backs. This doesn't
mean that you have all the answers or don't need help, it
means that you have the maturity to seek out the answers
and ask for help when needed.
Take initiative, look for things to do that add value to your
position. Equipment issues, putting up field equipment, and
taking out the trash are all things that must be done. It is
like I tell my offensive line guys on pass protection, " Look
for work! " Don't think because no one comes through my
gap I can take a play off, look for someone to help. As a
young coach, one of your assets is your youthful energy.
September/October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September/October 2021
