CoachingSearch.com

As a coaches’ agent since 2014, I’ve been directly involved in dozens of head coaching searches and conducted approximately 70 mock interviews with some of the industry’s top coaches. Here is my advice for any executive or administrator leading a coaching search: 1. Read Credible: The Power of Expert Leaders by Amanda Goodall before you hire anyone. I’ve read more than 200 books on leadership, decision-making, business, and coaching. No other book will do more to help you identify who should lead and avoid common hiring mistakes. 2. Define the job before you discuss candidates. Write down the answer to “What is the job?” Then ask, “Who can do that job?” You have to believe in something before you can go find it. 3. Fix the interview. The biggest pitfall in a coaching search is the failure to properly interview candidates. It’s not how many you interview; it’s how you interview. NIL and larger staffs have made these operations bigger and more complex, and alignment is paramount. The traditional interview is no longer enough. Put the candidate in a comfortable environment and spend several hours going deep on his strategy and process, so both sides truly understand each other. 4. Ask better questions. Better questions in a better setting will reveal a candidate’s preparedness and skill set. For example, ask the following question: “Coach, please take a marker and use the whiteboard. We’d like you to identify, in order of priority, the 6 factors you believe will most affect winning going forward in college football. Once you’ve completed your list, walk us through your thinking. Why did you choose these 6, and why did you prioritize them in this order?” A coach cannot effectively lead if he does not have conviction in what actually drives winning. Then press him with follow-up questions. 5. Separate the coach from the circumstances. Examine who is truly responsible for the results. There are average coaches who have won because they were in the right place at the right time. There are effective coaches who haven’t won as much, in large part because of factors beyond their control. Adjust for resources. The gap between the haves and have-nots inflates some coaches and hides others. 6. Do not let the media build your list. I’ve tracked every FBS head coaching search since 2014 and saved every candidate list created by the media since 2017. Some of the best hires never appeared on any list. Some coaches who eventually delivered the worst results were mentioned on every list. 7. Hire for the next five years, not the last five. Who will he become, and how will the job change him? 8. Hiring a spokesperson is not the goal. Increasing your team’s win probability on game day is. A coach’s game and clock management should be an advantage, not a liability. 9. Be skeptical of endorsements. Head coaches want to grow their coaching trees and have little to lose by recommending someone. Agents have a financial interest in their clients, but a poor recommendation can come back to haunt them. Listen to both, because each knows a side of the coach few others see, but do not overvalue either opinion. 10. If you can’t clearly explain your hire at the podium, you probably hired the wrong person. If you are confident in your process and your hire, you should be eager to take questions about both, as most NFL GMs do. ** There are 3 other questions I consider essential because they reveal so much about a coach. If you work in the industry as an executive or administrator, email me and I’ll share them.

In nearly 12 years as a sports agent, I've been to nearly every college football venue in the country and mostly for big games. Last night in Oxford was the best atmosphere, best fan experience, and best in-game operations I have witnessed. It was first-class and everything fans want. Congratulations to @KeithCarterOM and everyone who is part of the Ole Miss in-game fan experience team. If you were there, you won't forget it. And if you think that atmosphere happens elsewhere, I haven't seen it yet.

Exactly! Utah also had the Outland Trophy winner, a consensus All-American, two first-team All Conference players, ranked No. 1 nationally in OL efficiency, 🚨likely two first-round draft picks which has only happened TWICE this century 🚨, No. 1 in yards per rush, No. 2 in RZ TD %, No. 5 rush EPA, No. 6 scoring offense, No. 9 sack % allowed.

For years, athletic directors and sports executives have made costly mistakes too often when leading a head coaching search. I recently finished reading Credible – The Power of Expert Leaders by Amanda Goodall. Reading this book should be a requirement for all ADs and sports executives. These decision-makers can learn from Amanda Goodall’s insightful perspective, examples, and research about who should actually lead and how to identify that person. I’ve read more than 200 books on decision-making, business successes, leadership, and coaches. More than any book, this one will help decision-makers avoid mistakes made by many. hachettebookgroup.com/titles…

Many cite the importance of previous head coaching experience, but of all the CFB hirings 2022-2024, 23 different coaches with previous head coaching experience currently have a 50% or lesser winning percentage.

7 of 24 new FBS head football coaches hired before the 2023 season have now been fired. That's roughly 30%. The interview/vetting process is so poorly handled in many instances.

Anthony Poindexter should be the No. 1 single most coveted head coaching candidate in the country for P4 jobs next season. Just talk to the people that have worked with him and his current/former players.

Not a single assistant coach on a Top 12 team has landed a head coaching job this year. Last year, 7 assistants on Top 12 teams in the final poll landed a head coaching job.

24 new head coaches were hired 2 years ago at the college level. FIVE have already been fired. TEN more have not broken .500 winning percentage over two years in the regular season. What does this tell you?

15 of 30 new FBS head coaches were hired within 5 days of the job opening. Fascinated to see the results that follow in the coming years.

Of the 50 new head coaches in the 2019 & 2020 cycles, 23 have already been dismissed. What does that tell you?

1000% false. I have studied every hire since 2013 for thousands of hours. The data shows the opposite. ADs must have a more thorough/intelligent interview process. Take the necessary time to get it right.

Since 2013, 42 new FBS head coaches didn't make it to Year 4. The open-minded, best listeners who are wary of media propaganda and actually interview candidates properly usually get it right. Very few actually do it.

8 of 24 new head coaches in 2020 have already been dismissed. 11 of 24 new head coaches in 2019 have already been dismissed. The process is totally flawed.

If the season is cancelled, the top concern of almost every coach I represent is the mental health of the young men they coach.

Why isn't anyone talking about this subject? While there are health risks associated with playing, there are also health risks associated with NOT playing: depression, anxiety, multiple other mental health issues, drug use, alcohol use, etc.