As I begin writing this, I want to say thank you to who all responded to last week's newsletter. I received countless responses with positive and encouraging words. It gave me a large lift in my spirit. I cannot express how much that means to me and my family...
So what is next?
I am currently involved with a premiere high school football program here in Nashville that I want to have an opportunity at. This is an interesting and unique situation that I am attempting to take advantage of that requires a lot of work with little return in the short term.
I am going to explain my approach to landing this new job. Will it work? I am not sure. I have a plan that I believe it solid. Below, I am going to explain what my strategy is and what I hope comes from it.
First, some context
I have been present at this high school since January. This is where we were running our NFL Pre-Draft program at this year. Even though I was not around the football program for the high school, I was getting to know important people there in passing.
Quick Announcement I want to make...
My 1st ever NFL Draft Picks happened this weekend!
It may not feel like a big deal to some, but to me this is a major milestone...
Kaden Wetjen (WR) 4th Round | Pittsburgh Steelers
Riley Nowakowski (TE) 5th Round | Pittsburgh Steelers
This is a surreal moment for me and just the beginning...
Do I have to be a Steelers Fan now? 🤣
Back to the strategies...
After I got fired, the harsh reality is that there are legal stipulations with a non-compete clause that keeps me from training athletes privately in our local area.
Yeah.. that sucks.
So my best chance at coaching is where I have spent majority of my career. At the high school.
Lipscomb Academy Football has been a powerhouse in Tennessee. They won back to back state titles in 2021 & 2022 before Coach Trent Dilfer left to be the head coach at UAB. So the place knows how to win.
In February, Coach Dilfer accepted to come back to Lipscomb and aims to bring the program to national prominence.
This is where I come in.
I have connections with Coach through a couple of avenues that I have used to my advantage. I set up a meeting with Coach to see what his plans were in the S&C part of his vision.
Essentially he told me this:
"I've heard great things about you. If you can commit to sticking around here long enough, there will be a place for you here."
That fired me up!
The current situation is this:
- The head of performance over the entire school is filling in for now
- Coach wants a football only strength coach (did this previously)
- The head of performance is also the head track coach and facility manager.
But this means demonstrating value before getting paid and doing so purely on faith. So I have 3 strategies that I am taking that I believe will best position me to obtain a position here.
1) Be the Current Strength Coach's Best Assistant
This industry will always be predicated on relationships and trust. I have a choice here. I can come into this scenario and attempt to sound smart and takeover, or I can be an asset to the people.
5 years ago, I would instinctively go into this scenario attempting to take over and show how smart and effective I am as a coach. I do not believe that is smart in this scenario.
Why is this?
There is an existing people ecosystem that I am not familiar with.
Rhythms. Routines. Assumptions.
An abrupt interruption in an ecosystem can cause more damage than good, especially when it comes to power dynamics.
Instead of looking to fix things or come in loudly, per se, I will focus on increasing the trust and relationships first.
This starts with the Head of Performance.
I will aim to make his life easier and be an asset in every way possible.
- Setting up the room
- Program delivery
- Managing the session
- Coaching my face off
- Being willing to do the dirty work
If I can be seen as valuable in his eyes, he will echo that to others in the ecosystem, including important stakeholders and decision makers.
2) Win Over the Players
The next focus will be solely on the team. I want the team to see me as an asset and someone who helps elevate them when I am present.
Let me be clear: this is not attempting to make friends with all of the players and make them "like me". That is not the focus.
This is about being seen as an authority in the performance space by how I approach them, how I coach them, and the value I bring to them.
How do I do this?
If an athlete needs to be stretched? I am the first to help.
An athlete wants to work on their 40 start for camps? I make time to give them everything I have.
On top of that, I want to get to know them personally and show them that I am invested in their success as a human just as much as a player.
The players talk. There is a vibe to an environment that coaches can sense. I aim to improve that environment and culture by simply being an asset to the players.
3) Coaching Staff Relationship
I believe that if I can earn trust with the assistant coaches, it will only help me down the road. I am currently sharing office space with the defensive coordinator. We are beginning to become friends and share similar mentalities. I am helping him with his walk thrus and installs when I can to show that I can be an asset to him.
I am attempting to be intentional with all staff members so that they can see me as a cultural and schematic asset.
If the assistant coaches have good things to say to the head coach, it only strengthens my position.
Keep in mind that all of these efforts are genuine and authentic.
Conclusion
I believe that many strength coaches, or coaches in general, lead with their knowledge and information instead of who they are as a person.
I believe that buy in comes from you as a person first and your skillset second.
I will keep you updated on how this approach and strategy works out for me.
Remember, this is still a major risk for me. This could still not work out. I have accepted that fate. I have a lot of faith in this situation and will go about it with integrity and hope for the best.
Do you have any similar experiences to this? If so, reply and share with me! I read every response.
P.S. Don't forget to check out the resources I have at clhstrength.com
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