Myths of Coaching College

By Andy McClain, Asst. Coach - UTSA

This past June I took a leap of faith. I had spent the first 14 years of my career at the high school level, working to the positions of strength and conditioning coordinator, special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator, associate head coach, and a head coach of another sport. Through a non-football connection to the GM at UTSA, I was able to visit with several coaches and was offered a position with the staff. I had never planned or really sought to coach at the college level, but felt this was an opportunity I could not pass up. Since first starting in July, I have learned a lot and thought it would be helpful to other coaches who have or maybe have not considered taking a chance at coaching at the college level (or even vice versa). My thoughts are based purely on my time working in the football program at UTSA under a great man, Jeff Traylor, and my experiences are probably different than at other universities or in other sports. That said, the following four “myths” that I believed, and probably many others believe, about college coaching (vs. high school coaching) have been proven wrong in my mind during my time there.

1. Culture Doesn’t Matter

Culture, a clear and consistent belief system that the entire program lives out, is paramount. This requires leadership and committed followers. The head coach sets the culture standards/pillars, the staff all buys in and echoes that culture, and leaders on the team demand their teammates live up to it. I was witness to this as I started my career in a consistently great high school program at Vandegrift and is true at UTSA. Even at the college level where players can come and go more often, a strong culture makes everyone who joins the program (no matter for how long) better enjoy being a part of it and it makes a difference in the critical moments of competition.

2. The Xs and Os are Too Complicated

A great friend of mine describes good scheme in sport as “Checkers not Chess”, and this is true at both levels. Yes, you must have sound teaching strategies, find ways to be unpredictable for your opponents, and constantly seek to learn and grow; but I have seen how simplicity helps athletes perform at their best at both levels. As a college coach, you have a bit more time during the day to dedicate to practice and game planning, but ultimately what your players need to know to execute in competition must be clear and concise. Our best games this season at UTSA were when the players were able to play fast and with confidence. Depending on the team makeup, as was true this fall for the Roadrunners, getting to that point may take a little more time than in other seasons, but the team will reach their peak if the staff avoids over complicating schematics.

3. Your Family Won’t See You

This was my greatest fear when entering the college level; as my wife and I have three school-age children, and we love where we are in life. What I learned is that priorities, efficiency, and involvement at both levels is what determines how your career will affect your family. It also means at both levels it is vitally important that you understand the philosophy and schedule your superior believes in. Ensure the program you are a part of is led by people who encourage families in and around the athletic facilities, who build events into the year where spouses and children are celebrated and get to be a part of what you are doing, and who are efficient with meetings and work time each week to allow the staff to be home and with their families. It is up to you to determine this before taking a position, make sure your spouse and children have a clear understanding of the situation you are stepping into, and then do your part in prioritizing your family with how you approach your job.

4. Relationships Don’t Mean Much

The thought that player-coach relationships in college sports are completely transactional, instead of transformational, is simply not true, at least in good programs. No matter the age of the athlete, they are seeking coaches who care for them and that they can count on to help them reach their potential. I have known coaches at both levels who are absolutely amazing at building positive relationships with and amongst their players. This does take time, but those coaches who are willing to invest in their players off the field can build these relationships quickly, even at the cutthroat Division 1 level. The actions and results on the field are a reflection of these great personal connections as all involved give everything they have for others. Personally, I have a great appreciation for both my high school and college coaches and how they poured into my life. As I’m sure is true for you, I gave more on the field, court, and track because I believed in the relationships I had with my coaches and teammates.

In conclusion, these four “myths” I addressed are what I had heard and believed as a high school coach. It is true; there are some significant differences (both positive and negative) between college and high school coaching (recruiting, no classroom teaching responsibilities, lower paying bottom positions, higher paying upper positions, etc.), and I would gladly talk to anyone interested about those; but in this article, I wanted to encourage both high school and college coaches that they can confidently pursue a career that allows them to positively impact young people at either level of sport. If you are considering what level to coach at, I challenge you to focus on your faith, be willing to build relationships with wise coaches at all levels and in all sports, and trust you will be called exactly where you are meant to be.

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