During the pandemic many successful coaches at the college level have been furloughed. They may not be rehired to their former positions due to budget restrictions. The future of college athletics at all levels during this time of uncertainty is very fragile at best. If I were a hiring manager in the market for a new hire in sales, I would start immediately with identifying and hiring successful small college coaches who are sitting at home determining what their future holds.
Why would I hire small college coaches? These individuals are among some of the most driven, highly skilled, competitive, optimistic and energetic people I have known. They are usually not paid enormous salaries and do what they do for the love of the sport. They operate with tight budgets, slim resources and are often intrinsically motivated, thus not requiring a lot of supervision. Small college coaches have spent their life competing against others. They sold young student-athletes and their families on investing large amounts of resources and energy to have the opportunity to get an education and to play college athletics. They understand return on investment as well as anyone.
The attrition rate in recruiting for most division III college coaches is normally less than 1 in 4 of the prospects who actually apply to their school. Like great salespeople, successful coaches learn to handle rejection and over come failure. They work daily selling their student-athletes to commit to working hard in the classroom and in their sport. They recruit their returning players each year if they are successful much like good salespeople have to recruit their clients annually to continue with their company. The successful coaches often work 12-14 hour days. They have a work ethic established that affords them to go the extra mile.
Division III coaches in general are a jack-of-all-trades. They don’t have elaborate staffs that allow them to specialize in just one area. I once had a very successful division I baseball coach tell that he wanted to hire a division III coach as an assistant. This was during the time the NCAA was reducing the number of full-time coaches that division I programs could have. The coach said that he had a lot of people on his staff that could teach a lot about a little, (a base running coach, a hitting coach, an outfield coach etc.) but what he needed now is a couple guys who can teach a lot to many. The Division III guys get it. They have to because they have been during it for years without large staffs. They have to learn the whole game. In your business you want people who learn the whole business and can share it in a manner that your customers can appreciate.
Successful coaches bring a commitment to success. They are goal driven and don’t operate with a 9 to 5 mentality. They know that to be successful in the pursuit of their goals they have to be dedicated, focused, disciplined and have adaptability for changing markets and trends. They are not afraid to tackle a challenge or unable to overcome adversity. Anyone can win once in a while, but the truly great coaches are those who do it consistently. The same is true in sales.
Coaches who have been successful know that teamwork must happen for a group to find success. They have been competing their whole lives. Every sport, individual or team, has a coach and a support system built in. These coaches are used to working together with diverse groups including student-athletes, parents, alumni, and administrators while dealing with all kinds of issues and distractions. They are used to overcoming challenges and successful coaches refuse to back down from a challenge.
The small college coaches who have long-term success have great interpersonal skills. A former student-athlete of mine, Brent Weaver, once commented that he didn’t know if any of the 13 assistant coaches I had hired that summer could coach, but they sure seemed like awesome people. In coaching hires I always looked for the personality types that could connect with a variety of people and backgrounds. In sales and coaching, communication and connection are keys to turning prospects into commitments.
Successful athletic coaches have the ability to celebrate small victories. They understand that Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes planning, recruiting, cultivation of relationships and a strong work ethic to achieve their goals. The role of a coach transforms quickly into the sales role as long as the coach has a consistent history of success and a drive to be the best. There are a lot of those types of individuals in the job market right now who may not easily pass through the applicant tracking systems but would make great employees for the right company.
Oh Geez Sports 