Interviewing Assistants

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Jun 23, 2017
5
0
Indiana
I am a first time head varsity coach at my local high school. On Monday, the ADs and I will be sitting down and talking to possible ACs. He wants me to come up with some questions to ask, but this is difficult to do. Any ideas out there of quality questions to assess softball knowledge, coaching loyalty, and player/parent communication?

Here's what I have so far:

Take a couple minutes and tell me about yourself.
What would a team that you help coach be known for?
What can you add to this program to help it improve and ultimately take it to the next level?
How would you deal with a player who is complaining about the head coach or the program?
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
Ideally, you'll already know this candidate. I'd need to know what his/her style is 1st and foremost. Are they a yeller, passive, fundamentalist, do they build them up or break them down, do they have unrealistic expectations, do they believe in player development or just sticking with the starting 9? .... these are a few things I'd like to know about my assistants. As a new coach, you'll need an identity. For example, all my teams over the years have an identity of really good hitters, ok pitching and defense, and absolutely insane base runners. We will make the defense nuts with our aggressive runners and short game... that's what we're known for. What are you known for? How will your AC's compliment your identity?
Are they reliable, trustworthy, and have leadership ability? Or do they just want to be friends with the players? Are they willing to put in extra time into diamond prep? Dragging, mowing, weed control, chalking etc... Do they share your ideals on mechanics? or will they be teaching a bug squishing swing or hello elbow pitching delivery?
An office interview is highly ineffective in this role in my opinion. I'd suggest seeing them on the field in an open practice format, and step back and watch / observe what they teach how they communicate with the players, their knowledge levels etc... then take your top 3 or 4 candidates into an interview with the AD and go from there.
 
Oct 19, 2009
1,827
0
DD was just hire as an assistant softball coach for a HS here in Georgia a AAAAA team that finished 2nd in the state the past 2 years.

Some of the things she was asked were about her experience as a player, her Hs, college and travel teams she played for. What she did to improve herself as a player and her goals for improving the team and players as a coach. The coach asked DD about her ability to hit infield, outfield, setting up hitting station, warm up drills, fielding drills and keeping a lively pace during practice and warm up. DD also was a pitcher and she was asked about her ability to front toss and pitch batting practice.

DD told of her experience going to Georgia and Alabama softball camps, attending softball a camp with Crystal Bustos and training cession with Howard Carrier, she felt had prepared her to become a successful coach.
 

Tom

Mar 13, 2014
222
0
Texas
If you have enough qualified candidates who have Fastpitch experience and can have them jump through a few extra hoops send them videos prior of a pitchers, hitters and defense and ask for their evaluation (or do it during interview if you have time). Should tell you a lot about their style, knowledge and philosophy by what they praise, criticize and simply know to look at.

Couple other questions:
What coaches (fastpitch or otherwise) do you most respect and why?
Why do you want to coach Fastpitch, whats been your relationship to the game?
Assuming skill level is relatively equal between two players at same position, what factors would you use to determine who starts and why?
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
With regards to fundamentals, which would include hitting, fielding, pitching, and base running, what is your strongest area?
What does loyalty mean to you?
Are you willing to do summer camps for our program?
Are you willing to continue your education with regards to the latest changes in the game?
What sports have you coached in the past?
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
There are some very good questions here...

What do you believe an assistant coaches role is?
How do you see yourself supporting the HC

-- and does that match up with what you are looking for. There is nothing harder to deal with than an AC who doesn't know how to support a HC.

Last thing I would ask would be "Last year this team was W-L, we graduated X and we are expecting the team to look kind of like Y this coming season. Our goal if that is the case is Z. How do you feel about that."
- Because if last year you were 1-24 or 24-1, then we are talking about two very different HS teams you are coaching and you probably need some very different types of coaches for either scenario.
 
Jul 28, 2015
7
0
When I'm involved in an interview from either side I try to make it a conversation. If I was you I would look over their resume and then ask some questions to yourself like this is a guy with baseball background, I wonder how he got into FP or this lady played for this well known coach, I wonder what that was like? Then write those down and ask them and hopefully that will turn into a regular conversation. Just make sure you don't hire someone just like you.
You want someone to fill your coaching/personality gaps but that you are still comfortable with and can trust.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Dec 10, 2015
845
63
Chautauqua County
HCs need to establish who they are in regards to their expectations and coaching style. Your ACs must know this and be capable of fully supporting this. I tell all my ACs the same thing - you may disagree with me, please feel free to question me and make your opinions known to me but I make the final call and I alone take the heat. So far I have only had one AC who didn't get it.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
What are some things you teach differently now than when you started coaching? (to see if they open to new ideas, or continuing to educate themselves about the game)
or if younger - Remembering how you were taught the fundamentals of the game, is there anything you would teach differently?

Bonus question (aka - If you get this right, you're hired :D):
What's the Hanson Principle?
 

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