Clinton alumnus complains about football leadershi

[Guest cole703]

Ela,

 

I never said that I would terminate the coach for being late, what I said is that being late is a sure signal that the program is not organized. Yes you are also correct in saying that many coaches do not have the ability to hire, fire and make all of the decisions with regard to their program but that is the head coaches fault for accepting the job with severe stipulations placed on him. I would never take the head football coaching position without being able to take 3 assistant coaches with me and have final approval on all of my staff. Why do the principals give someone a job and then tie their hands by making them take a staff that has been loosing in the past. Why would anyone accept a staff that has developed a loosing attitude and work ethic?

[Edited by cole703 on 12-17-02 6:57P]

 

[ELA]

Very few head coaching positions in Tennessee will make room or allow you to bring in three assistant coaches. The larger 5A schools may have the openings, but schools like Clinton would not. We can agree that for better or worse, the head coach does catch all of the flack for everything that goes wrong!

[Guest cole703]

Ela,

 

You didn't answer the 2 most important questions:

1. Why do principals say they want a winning program but then tie the head coaches hands behind his back by making him accept an inadequate staff that has been a major part of the problems????????? If the assistants had not been a major part of the problem there would have been no reason to fire the head coach in most instances.

 

2. Why would someone take the head football job at a high school and allow a principal to hire his staff other than it pays more money? Would the principal allow the head football coach to hire the head of the math, science, or english department??? By following this procedure the new coach will most likely be fired just like the person that he replaced. Until the coaches in Tennessee take a stand on this issue they are going to continue having problems. Who are the assistant coaches going to be loyal to the old staff or the new staff????????? While everyone of the coaches are doing it for the love of the game they must remember that it is a job (business) and it must be treated that way.

[ELA]

Cole, I agree with you on what should be done, but I have never had the fortune of working for such a principal. Maybe it is just me, but I don't think there are many coaches who can make these kinds of demands before accepting a position. It has been my experience that you have three kinds of "faculty" assistant coaches: 1) the quality "career" coach who has the ability to teach the fundamentals of the game to his players, 2) the well meaning faculty members who genuinely want to help but may not have the background or abilities to immediately have an impact on a season, 3) the older assistant coach who is just there to draw a pay check. I can work with the first two types of assistants, but the last one is more difficult to accept and it is more often these types of coaches that a new head coach inherits. I have worked in systems before that told me up front, this guy will be your assistant and he will have a job as long as he wants it. Believe me it is all about politics and they simply will not hire people who try to change it. I just don't think anything will really change unless you have a director and principal that totally support football and are willing to "ride out the storm" that comes with change.

[Edited by ELA on 12-18-02 12:15A]

[sneakypete]

Since we're looking at assistants, does anyone know about Clintons' ? Which of these catagories would they fit in?

[ELA]

I will not get involved in these types of personal attacks on individuals. I have served as an assistant coach and a head coach and I find myself trying to protect my fellow colleagues, at least from the stand point of adding a coach's voice in the debate. In my last post, I did not mean to imply anything about the assistant coaches at Clinton. Since I don't know anyone from Clinton, how could I evaluate anyone? In any football program, you will have men who care about their players. From time to time, among them, you may also have some men who are simply tired and waiting for retirement. Many of these men are still good individuals, but they are just "hanging on" to that extra supplement to help in their retirement pay. Administrations allow this to happen because it will effect the individual for the rest of their lives, but it is not helpful to a head coach who is trying to build a program. Head coaches face these types of "behind the scene" problems all of the time. This is just one small example of how difficult it is to "get things done" in many athletic programs in the state.

[cbg]

Like Cole said, why would you not turn down the head job if they are going to tell you how to run your program??? These types of situations may need to be addressed by the high school football coaches association. If the coaches stay together they could change this type of behavior by the school adminstrations!!

[oskie]

Highheater:

You hit the nail on the head when You said "he sought to go to AC". Enough said.

[ELA]

I am all for positive change, but I just don't think the new coaches association will have the ability to do what you guys are proposing. I am a member of the association, but I just don't think this is a realistic goal. As they say, "Power is everything" and the Director of Schools is the boss. Under him your site administrator is your boss and you have to answer to both of them. You may not like it when they "micro manage" into your affairs, but as long as they are not telling me "who to play" or "what plays to call," I think they feel they are just doing their job. Very few head coaches get a "free hand" to do whatever they want to do and the director of schools and principal have different goals from the head coach. The head coach is interested in what is best for his team, whereas, the administrators are looking at many other things that do not always blend well with the head coach's needs. I'm not taking up for these men, but I am open enough to see all sides in this debate! Every head coach wants to have total control of his program, but the real challenge is working around some of these "institutional" problems.

[ELA]

There will always be someone who is willing to take the job. Work is work, you go where the work takes you, or you get out of the business.

[olhickory]

Well,well I knew it wouldn't take long for a sore loser dragon to respond, or should I say the hiheater. First of all, how foolish must you be if you believe AC would pay for another team's player to have surgery on his shoulder. Secondly, why would AC want a player who would only be eligible for the last four games of the season?Purkey came to AC because he wanted a chance to win, not because anyone recruited him,or told him we would pay for his shoulder to be repaired. He lived in AC's school zone anyway. Check your facts, before you let you big mouth outrun your brain. Nobody seems to know the solution to the problem at Clinton, but blaming AC will not solve it. One more piece of truth for you, we beat you all without Matt Purkey. IF you want some more truth, keep on with your sore loser lies about AC and recruiting.

[CCHSJets2002]

I think I know they problem, theres so many people mad at him because there boy isnt playing or something because its only a few people crying wants him gone. I say some of the players dont give it all because they dont like him. This might be it, It just seem the boys have heard all the negative talk and they dont care anymore. I'M GOING TO SAY THIS......CLINTON FANS SHUT UP AND GIVE THIS MAN A CHANCE....I'm suport him because he has done one thing i have like hes got rid of POLITICS. If your boy isnt playing it means he not good enought to play SO GET OVER IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!