Why Be a Head Coach and What Makes a Great One?

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RamFan503

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Last night my boss and I were talking about coaches. For those of you who don't know, and I don't want to bore you with this fact, he was a DC in college and the European leagues. He said he never wanted to be a head coach. He said that some coaches just need to get out of this mindset that HC has to be the logical end game. You are either meant to be a HC or you are not. You either like and are equiped to be involved in all aspects of the game or you do/are not.

He was talking in particular about Bellifat, Jim Harbaugh, Wade, Saban, and McVay. He said you can see the way they coach on the sideline and tell if he is meant to be HC or coordinator. He said as much as he hates the patsies, no one is better at being a HC than Bellifat. Harblow takes a close second and Saban has it but is way too much of a head case when he doesn't have ridiculous talent.

He says it is a bit of a strange situation where McVay gets away from the sideline when the D is on the field. But he also thinks that is just because Wade is such a great DC - the best in his eyes but Wade is a friend of his. He feels McVay will take on a more varied role as he gets more experienced and doesn't have someone like Wade around anymore.

He is really high on our young HC because the game is not about him but about everything football, strategy, and what it takes to make ordinary plays work. He says the Rams don't do anything that hasn't been done before. The plays have always been run but with very subtle tweaks. McVay works on little details that make plays just work.

Anyway, it makes me want to watch Bellifat (puke) closer because he says you can see him position himself completely different depending on which of the three units is on the field. He says few if any coaches can see the alignments from the sideline like Bellifat can.

I also asked him if he thought that is why Bellifat's coordinators don't generally go on to be good HCs. He said that is exactly the reason. Bellifat is a total control freak and for good reason. His coordinators never really get a chance to actually control their units. He does think however, that his former DC Patricia may break that mold. I didn't get into that with him as I was fucking sick of hearing good things about the patsies.:cool:
 

RamFan503

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Funny also that he absolutely hates the patsies and bet on the over at half, the over at the end, and the Beagles winning. He texted me when he won both overs and said at this point he doesn't even really "care if those cheating bastards win".:LOL:
 

jjab360

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McVay is special imo (or everyone's opinion who's being honest and knows anything about football).

His combination of rapid-fire analytical mind and humble yet engaging interpersonal skills is something that just doesn't come around very often. And for him to have honed his craft at such a young age just doesn't make any sense and he's only going to get better.

It'd be hard not to like him even if he coached a rival team. He demands respect in the way he carries himself and not because he asks people for it. Kyle Shanahan, for example, probably has his offensive expertise but just comes off as an egotistical, micromanaging jerk and I'm pretty sure the players pick up on that. And this is why I think having a ton of personalities on this team will never be an issue as long as they love football.
 

RamFan503

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With how Stan has stood behind some of his other coaches, I don't see McVay going anywhere unless he proves to be totally inept - which I don't see happening. We have a coach that will be with us as long as he chooses to stay.

This is a very cool time to be a Ram fan. Possibly the coolest. And this is coming from a Ram fan of 50 years.
 

Karate61

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You are either meant to be a HC or you are not. You either like and are equipped to be involved in all aspects of the game or you do/are not.

He says it is a bit of a strange situation where McVay gets away from the sideline when the D is on the field. But he also thinks that is just because Wade is such a great DC - the best in his eyes but Wade is a friend of his. He feels McVay will take on a more varied role as he gets more experienced and doesn't have someone like Wade around anymore.
Great points! Wade's history lends him most suited as a DC; and, McVay knows this. Therefore, it is totally understandable that McVay delegates the defense to Wade during game-time. I do not worry when McVay is seen sitting on the cooler when defense is on the field. I call it great delegation of resources. If and when the time comes, McVay can jump back in on defense as needed. Thanks for sharing in your post...all good stuff!