Coach Turnover

I don't know if they get the boot, but I see a lot of coaches leave for new (and for them, better) opportunities. A local HS that a lot of my son's friends attend recently had a HC change. The previous HC got a job coaching a college team (and most didn't care for him), now the new HC is in...and all like him except he doesn't really seem like a HC for baseball. 

I think it's good to see new coaches every so often, as long as they have something to contribute. 

Our area seems pretty stable.  Not many coaching changes from year to year unless it is retirements or folks moving on to a larger classification or better job.  Son's coach is on year 5 I believe.  Been to the playoffs four years in a row now so he's not going anywhere unless he wants to. 

Son's old high school coach started with the school when it opened in 2001, or thereabouts.  Assistants change a little bit, but very stable.  His son was went to Arkansas and was drafted so there have been rumors about him retiring and following his son, but he is still there.

Things seem stable here in the STL area.  Seems most of the bigger high schools have had the same guy for years.  All the teams in his conference have had the same coach for at least 10 years.  A Jesuit school is having their coach retire after 46 years on the job.  (Coaches choice, not the school)  Amazing.

Our program was fortunate to have a long term coach, for many years.   Quit a couple of years ago.   New guy is very unpopular with many players and parents.  Groundswell seems to be forming among some to get the AD and Principal to boot him.  

Can't figure out if this a good thing or a bad thing.   Coach has definitely not been great for my player this year.  No ifs, ands or butts.   But who knows whether change will improve things or make things worse.  

In our area, lots of guys want these jobs -- not because they pay well --- they don't.  But there are so many travel teams, competing for the best players, that if you have a HS team that incentivizes players to play with you all year around. And that is where these guys make their real money.

I find the whole thing distasteful -- cause it seems to me  there are built in conflicts of interest.  Centuries ago,  when I was a high school athlete,  and  the travel team industry didn't exist,  coaches were mostly teachers and there conflicts of interest like this weren't a consideration at all.  We may have gotten less high quality coaching, as it result.  But the system was much cleaner.  

Assistant coaches change a lot in HS.  Even at the college and especially at the pro level.

Our younger son (Jr. pitcher in college) had 1 pitching coach recruit him, a different one when he arrived and after freshman year yet another one who has now been there for 2 years. Not unusual at all.

Coaches are paid very little in HS, often are younger with young kids and wife.  They sometimes realize after a year or two that its more than they can handle given the time commitment.  Especially when moms secretly tape them and players won't get a haircut! 

Some HS head coaches last a long time, especially if they teach at the school.  But even that is getting less and less true.

A little different in our area.  I'd say at least 1/3 HC's are off-campus guys.  Nearly 1/2 of the schools have had frequent turnover the last six or eight years. 

At my kid's high school the baseball staff from varsity to freshman has been the same for eight years. I'm surprised the freshman coach has stayed. His name must come up for opportunities for other varsity jobs. He was the most baseball qualified eight years ago but lacked seniority and coaching experience. The previous head coach was there for twenty miserable, losing years. He lost his job when a new AD who wanted teams to win was hired.

The softball coaching staff was the same all four years my daughter played. It remained the same for three more years when the head coach got the job at the high school she was a teacher. The assistant moved up and stunk. She lasted two years. The new coach is in her second year. I don't have any idea about the JV and freshman teams. My daughter was out of high school when my son went in. 

A lot of the other sports coaches have been around a long time (as long as the teams are winning).

Note: Coaches don't have to be teachers at the school or in the district. This provides a lot of flexibility.

Around these parts,  at least in the publics as opposed to the privates,  I'd say it is much higher than 1/3 who are off campus guys.  I think almost all of them are.   The job pays so little and takes so much time, it's not like there is a huge incentive for a teacher to do it.  The incentive is for the off-campus guys -- who want to use their standing as the HS coach to attract players into their travel programs -- where, again, they make their serious money. 

You are right. There is money to be made in travel, and HS coaches get a big piece of that pie.  But here in NorCal, there are only a few teams that I know of (NorCal for example) that charge enough for coaches to make "serious" money.  I think it's far more common for a HS coach to make some money from his travel team, and make far more money from private hitting and/or pitching lessons.

Yeah, I take that as a friendly amendment.  Lessons are another big money maker.  As are various "clinics"   I'm in Nor Cal too. But I could add a few teams that make serious money.  Some not so elite.  Team Kado, for example, has HUNDREDS of players and that guy rakes in the dough.   Trosky too,  rakes in the dough -- it's the whole ball of wax -- training facility, private lessons, travel teams, consultants to various little league and pony league organizations, etc. etc. 

Yes, you're right about those two. And there are a few more. But I believe the great majority of NorCal teams are not such money factories.  Heck, half them are daddyball teams. As long as we're talking about HS coaches making cash from travel. Isn't the guy who owns NCTB a HS coach?  He's got to be doing extremely well.

Greg is the definition of Old School. Our lone senior on the team this year is on his 4th HC. Hopefully this staff that I'm on can provide some stability and build the program.