There are many misnomers about Coaching out there. It is a very scrutinized line of work. On the one hand people think it's like this glamorous occupation, and on the other people don't understand what it entails. A lot of people think they can do it. That's honestly the biggest farce of all. Many individuals think because they are fans of sports, or that they played sports at one point in time, that they would make a good coach. Unless you have done it before, you probably don't have a clue of what you are talking about.
I take a lot of things personally when it comes to this profession. Not everyone is going to understand what it is that we do, and that is ok. But it is always wild to me the way coaching is thought about in our society. How can it be the most overly criticized while at the same time undervalued profession in America? Like I think I would be crazy to call my kid's teacher and demand she gets an A, when she earned a C. I could say things like, "she's a great student. I know the caliber student and person she is, and I promise that she deserves an A in your class. Even though I don't go and watch her in an academic setting, haven't witnessed her attentiveness and participation in class, I can attest personally for how great she is. If you give her an A, you won't regret it!" I know there are people out there who are reading this and saying, "what a ridiculous thing to do." And I'm sure some of those people thinking that have called or emailed a coach once or twice (or at least thought that was ok) telling them why their kid deserves more playing time, when they are not at practice, and don't see them in that setting every single day the way their coach does. There can't be a more opinionated occupation. I would love to call a Doctor or a Lawyer one day and tell them that I think they are doing their job wrong and give them tips on how to do it better. That would be hilarious.
There are some other absurdities in the life of a coach. I think coaches, for some crazy reason also assume more liability for the actions of others, than any other profession. And I have given this considerable thought as well. I have never heard of a CEO getting fired because one of their employees commits a crime, unless they were complicit in it. Think about it. College coaches' careers literally rest firmly on the decisions made by 18-22 year olds. why is that? If a lacrosse player hazes another student athlete, why doesn't their academic advisor incur any consequences? I could argue they spend just as much time with said student, maybe even more? When I posed this question once, I was told the reason was because we as coaches are responsible for bringing said student to campus. I think that is a crazy argument. It could be said that many professions aid in the recruitment of talent, not just coaches. So, for one bad miss on a prospect's character and our jobs are on the line? Does his/her admissions counselor receive backlash? I have worked in admissions before, and I can argue they can have more of an impact on the enrollment of students than coaches, especially at the Division III level. They have to admit them and provide scholarship information. I don't have the power to those things. They also spend time interviewing them, and talking to them, and that student would ultimately count towards their quota should they commit to the university. They have a vested interest in getting them to campus, just like the coach. But if that same student were to sexually assault another student, or destroy property on campus, or get a DUI in the community, I would wager that neither their professors, nor their admissions counselor would be brought into the office of Human Resources.
It is such a strange, tragic realization of the life of a coach. There is all the aforementioned reverence and scrutiny put on the influence of a head coach, while simultaneously they are drastically underpaid. They assume more risk at the hands of others, in a job that pays on average $15k less than the national mean.
https://www.zippia.com/salaries/college-coach/
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/average-salary-by-state/
Average Salary By State In 2024
Ever wondered how your earnings compare with others on a national scale? Using data from a number of sources, we’ve mapped out the landscape of average salaries across the United States. From the highest to the lowest, these figures will give you the full picture of salaries from state to state,
College Coach Salary (April 2024) - Zippia
The average salary for a College Coach is $44,315 per year, or $21 per hour in United States. Find out the average a salary by state, years of experience, and field.
It takes someone special. Definitely takes a special person to take responsibility for 40 some odd teens, on their own for the first time in their lives, while constantly having their decisions questioned by people who don't share the same occupation, all for not that much money, lol. So why even do it at all?
I have often said to people that ask me about my job, the best way I can describe it is, everyone has a passion, and a profession. Most people go to work everyday and work jobs that they don't altogether love (65% of Americans are satisfied with their jobs, while only about 20% love their job).https://www.apollotechnical.com/job-satisfaction-statistics/#:~:text=In%20the%20U.S.%2C%2065%25%20of,come%20to%20the%20right%20place.
Those people will pursue their profession during the work week, while pursuing their passions, on their free time (weekends, time off, vacations, etc). I tell people that for most coaches, their profession and their passion are one and the same. I knew a coach that once said that's all he does. He claimed, "I don't golf, I don't hunt, I don't fish, this is all I do, and I love it."
Coaching most definitely isn't for everyone. Somedays I wonder if it is even for me. It can be hard and take a lot out of you. The stress that we put on ourselves is probably not considered 'healthy' by most standards. And I know that nothing ever gets easier. When you are bad, all you do is work hard to not be bad forever. And then once you are good, you can never relax because you want to stay good. After we won our first conference championship, I thought that would fill some sort of void, but it really isn't something that can be turned on and off. I don't think it is possessive, but it is certainly something that won't allow you to go backwards. Winning or losing, the pressure coaches put on themselves will never lessen.
I have had warnings too. I have had other coaches and wives of coaches telling me not to do it. "Go into sales" "Make some real money" "Be home more often," etc. I had one coach honestly tell me that I should try to strive to be middle of the pack (Of all the conspiracy theories, this one was my favorite). He told me that if you are at the bottom of the league, you could get fired, but if you finish on top, now that's the expectation, and that would ultimately be too hard to maintain long term. The best place to be is in the middle for job security (not making this up). I understand them just looking out for me based on their experience, but once it grips you, it's hard to turn off. I know that if there are any coaches reading this, they know exactly what I am talking about.
Coaching is a calling, and it's hard, but worth it when you get to witness the impact it has firsthand. However, It's never been harder to stay in the profession. Mobility is hard. As a GA, you’re pretty much an indentured servant, working for 2 years for no money. It's very competitive out there and you have to be willing to sacrifice a couple years until you gain enough experience to get a job as a full-time coach (we all did it, there are no shortcuts). But once you become a head coach where do you go? If you don't want to be in admin, mobility is limited. Promotions are very difficult to come by, so the best way to get a pay raise is to try to climb the latter and take another job. It requires moving in many cases. Pay is always a huge deterrent as well, especially for women head coaches. Staffing and resources (or lack of) make work life balance difficult. Many great coaches end up leaving this profession because of all the obstacles that persist, especially in small private college. It takes a toll on the family. I know as a new father, it becomes harder and harder to miss things because of the travel required. It puts a burden on my wife as well, to do much of the parenting solo every spring. You have to make sure you are with someone that understands what it is you do, or it will be very hard. I am lucky to have those people in my life that get it.
Somedays are very hard. Sometimes when it is tough, I think about what all those people told me when I told them I wanted to pursue coaching. I think about if they were right or not. I think about getting a job that pays more and requires less hours. I could be making more money and spending more time at home with my family, instead of trying to figure out how each Saturday I can balance being in season and looking after my daughter. I think about being able to be fully present at home instead of watching film, or texting recruits. It's very hard to turn off. As time goes on, I actively work on how I can turn off. At the end of the day, it's still just a job. It can take a lot out of you and require a lot, but you don't always have to be on the clock. You don't have to work every single day without taking a day off. You can tell your players that they are important, but your family will take precedence in terms of your allotted time and emotional bandwidth. You can compartmentalize. It is just a job. It requires a lot, but it does not require all of you. You are "Coach" to them but a father or husband to someone else, and that is more important. Don't forget that. But at the end of the day when I think about what my life would be like if I stepped away from coaching, I just don't know if I could do it. I can't see myself in a normal 9-5. It's just not me. To say I would miss it would be a drastic understatement. More adequately put, I don't think I would truly be happy doing anything else.
So why coach? As I reread this, it’s almost as if I should have titled this piece "why you shouldn't coach." Let's list some reasons why you should:
1) At the end of the day, it is an honest way to make a living. Though it’s not the most essential job in America, it’s a noble profession non-the-less. Coaching is teaching, and we need role models that can help teach and build character in society. I’ve always believed that. 2) It is not a normal 9-5 in terms of hours spent in an office. 3) There is a lot of travel involved, and time spent outdoors, if you enjoy those things. 4) It challenges you to have to overcome some weaker personality traits that might lay dormant in a less interpersonal profession. 5) You get to impact the lives of young men and women more directly than higher ups and that's what I love about it. No disrespect to anyone in admin. I am constantly asked if I want to ultimately end up as an AD, and I always answer no. I know it is the goal of a lot of coaches, and that is fine. I was lucky to have a great AD as a player in college. But when I really think about it, they don't have the same impact as your coach will have, seeing you every day. My AD had a lot of impact on me no doubt. She was in charge of a lot of policy and made decisions for the good of the department and the school. But with that said, that impact, though huge, is more indirect, where my coach had a real direct impact on my life. He is a man that I love and respect and played a huge role in molding my life. 6) This is kind of a silly one, but it is an interesting job. If you are a college coach, you know what I am about to say. People in America love sports. It's all most people want to talk about whether they're at work, or not. People close to you will care about what you do. This is so embarrassing to say but I have no idea what my friends do for a living. I have one friend that is in commercial real estate, one that is in cyber security, one that works for the government, one that deals in construction sales I believe. Most of them are in some sort of sales, and at the end of the day, no one really gives a shit what they are doing, as long as they are doing well. I hate to sound like a douche but it's the truth. I love my friends and by salary-based metrics, they are probably all way more successful than I am, but when I talk to them, I want to hear about their lives, their spouses, their parents and their kids, not their boring ass jobs (im jk). On the rare occasions of us all getting together, no one asks any of them about their jobs. At most, it might be something like, "how's work going?" etc. But if you're a college coach, I guarantee that at every social gathering, people will want to talk about your job more than anyone else's. Everyone will inevitably ask 'how the season is going,' and 'what's the team looking like next year?' Guaranteed. It happens to me quite frequently, to the point where I’d rather talk about anything else. 7) And remember, above all else, Coaches can do anything (despite what people say). Some people might look down on this profession but what they don't realize is the potential that coaches possess. If you were to coach for a while and then leave the profession, you can go into just about any field, because our job is so diverse. On any given day we are involved in sales, recruitment, management, marketing, motivation, education, public speaking, accounting, IT, and meteorology (the last couple we are amateurs in). Never underestimate a coach. Don't ever judge them on their wins and losses, because those have little to do with their overall impact. You can never tell how resources are delegated from institution to institution, so that can never be a measure of success. Geno Auriemma famously said that there are bad coaches that coach professionally and great coaches that coach high school. Just because someone works at a higher level doesn't necessarily mean they are inherently a better coach. True success is defined by the experience you provide and the impact that you make. If you are interested in getting into coaching, please don't let your success hinge on the idea of winning and losing. That's not where the real worth is found. And if you can find a coaching job that can provide the resources you require, pays well, and is in line with your system of values, then plant your flag and build something special.
KASEY BURST
The HC at the University of Dubuque, Kasey brings all things college lacrosse to your inbox.