how many coaches

Just my thought towards that question. I think those coaches that are bringing 2-3 assistants are aiming towards position specific coaches. This way you get more one on one instruction as a player for your specific position. The game has changed quite a bit over the past 15-20 years and coaches are getting more precise on what they are looking for. Those younger guys that coaches bring in to help in some cases can relate to these younger guys a little beter and can also fill these guys in on what to be working on from first hand experience. Another thing is "most", I said "most", of those extra coaches are volunteers trying to get their feet wet in the coaching world.... I enjoy having a couple of coaches in the dugout with me because sometimes they can pick up on something that I may have missed. A second opinion on things helps as well.

I do agree "5" coaches may be a little much.

I think it depends.  Younger son played at a HS with 5 varsity coaches, 3 JV, 2 freshman.  

GREAT coaching...and I mean GREAT.  Best HS coaching staff in America as far as I"m concerned...won everything including a mythical national title our son's junior year...all while having great fun and improving every single year.

But all 10 coaches are very high quality coaches, managed by a GREAT varsity head coach. Each coach with a role, very organized practices and game management.

Given that experience, I could never say that 5/3/2 coaches is too many.

The game has changed quite a bit over the past 15-20

Well I have attended some games and I see some stuff that would have driven me crazy.Not hitting cut offs. poor base running etc etc.  errors . when I coached there was not a 10 run rule and to be honest there was an occasional lopsided score but for the most part not. I follow the league I coached when checking the scores for the day at least 1 or 2 10 run rule. sorry to say it was better but it was.

I know by me they had two "volunteer" assistant JV coaches...these were newer coaches that were not getting paid and were doing so for the experience. As a  matter of fact, one of them was a better coach (IMO) than the paid JV coach...my son decided to play in the summer for this "volunteer". 

That is a bunch.  We have three V and two JV.  Three seems to be a great number if they are all available full time.  That allows for coaching at multiple stations and including bullpens into practice time.  That said, when we have four, we can usually put the extra to good use.  Some years, we are combining a few part-timers to add up to the third, so we actually have four.  I agree, when we go up against teams with 4-5 coaches, it can feel like it is more about the coaches than the team but as justbaseball experienced, it can certainly be a good thing with the right people.

I could see where, with bigger squads (20+) and/or a separate conditioning program/facility are part of the equation, an extra would also be handy.

I have also seen the opposite... a staff of three or four but one coach runs it as if the others weren't there and everything is one big group.  Terrible for the players.

At the school I'm at now, we have 3 varsity coaches, a JV coach, and a freshman coach. For practice, the varsity coaches are with the varsity and the two underclass coaches are together.

I think it'd be ideal to have at least two coaches at every game in case of injury if nothing else.