This article by Bruce E. Brown of Proactive Coaching offers warning signs for young coaches deciding whether to accept a head coaching position. It contrasts how coaching careers developed a generation ago with today's faster path to head jobs and weaker administrative support, then lists specific "red flags" that signal a bad job and "green flags" that signal a program worth joining.
Introduction
Take the job or not? Warning signs for young coaches.
Coaching has changed dramatically in the last few decades. It used to be that coaches came out of college with a degree in education and an interest in coaching. They most often started as an assistant for at least 5-7 years before head coaching opportunities became available. Most coaches were career, (30 year) coaches so head positions were something you "grew into". During that time as an assistant, the young coach got to watch and learn. They saw things that worked and what didn't work. They developed a coaching philosophy by observing and gradually gaining more and more responsibility within the established structure. I think many young coaches in that generation were frustrated by how long it took for them to get their own head coaching chance. But the reality was that it probably saved many careers. By the time the opportunities were available, they were more than prepared for everything they were going to face.