Balancing different coach personalities on a staff

I know everybody has their own preferred coaching styles (talking personality, how one deals with others, etc. and not technique, how practices are run, etc.). I'm fairly laid back. I expect effort and hustle, and I have rules that have to be followed, but I almost never, ever yell. I've actually been told I'm "too nice" by a couple players. They're probably right.

I've been looking around for a JV coach for this year, and I think I found someone I'm going to ask. From what I've seen, he's great with the kids (he coaches other sports), but he's definitely a little tougher than I am. I'm certain he would be more of a disciplinarian than me.

Because of our school size, facilities, and all that, the plan is to mostly have joint practices where JV and Varsity are together.

Would that dynamic -- the head coach is more laid back, but one of the assistants (he'd be the JV "head coach," but for all intents and purposes he'd be an assistant during practices) is kind of tough -- work? Would his demeanor make it seem more like he's in charge? This isn't an ego thing for me, but I've found the kids need to understand the hierarchy.

In other words, is it cool to get a coach to do the yelling for me? I want a bad cop!

DD had a coach 1 year that had one of those voices that you could hear 2 fields over, if he yelled I think the entire city heard him. There was never any question he was AC, not HC.

HC set lineups, discipline, practice plan, ect. This is both from mine and DD's perspective, we knew who was in charge.

(Other teams we played might have been confused as who was in charge but our team knew which was all that mattered)

You need good cop, bad cop. HC is usally bad cop. But this may work for you with him being the bad cop! What I will tell you is this, use him and give him something to do. Having an extra coach can make you that much more efficient. I think you've seen my practice plans. Make sure your practice plans are detailed with who is doing what and with who for how long. That way he gets his chance to do his thing, and so do you. All in all this will allow for more repitions and more personal breakdowns for kids at postions they play!

Let him know what your boundaries are for him and then let him coach. Good cop/bad cop works well as long as the team knows the bad cop only wants the best for them. And, at the end of the day, all of my ACs know they are welcome to question me, speak with me, offer suggestions and alternatives, differ on opinions, whatever but the final decisions are mine alone and I take the heat alone.

I will volunteer to drive into city if I can be bad cop.

quincy said:

I will volunteer to drive into city if I can be bad cop.

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"OK, team, today we have a special guest instructor. I brought him here to scream at you for the next two hours."

And then I go get a sandwich and watch Domingo Ayala videos on YouTube while you do your thing.

I am usually a good cop and over the years I have had a few bad cop assistants. It has always worked just fine for our teams. The girls will know who is the head coach and who is the assistant. If you are the coach who leads the instruction, directs the practice, sets the game lineups, talks to the umpires and the other jobs performed by the head coach the girls will know. There will just be a new voice on the staff who sometimes gets a little bit louder.

You said he’s great with kids and has coaching experience. As long as you are up front with him that he’ll be your AC, it should work out well. Make sure you are both on the same page as to what is expected of your athletes. Even if your delivery of a message would be different , the girls should know that the outcome/consequences would be the same, regardless of where it is coming from. Good luck!


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I've been so lucky to have awesome assistants with me over the years and for me loyalty to what we are doing together is a big key. I've seen other assistant coaches create problems by questioning the moves and decisions made by the head coach behind his back to other players and parents back when my children played sports.

Set your boundaries and expectations with you coaches and adjust as you go. Great assistant coaches will not stick around if they have no responsibility or ownership in the program. I have a coach that in private always has a different view from mine, and he's a great resource to have, but after were done he will say, if you disagree I'll do it your way 100%. We have sometimes done it his way and mostly done it my way but a great coach to have. Good luck

Our travel team has a good mix. We do the good cop bad cops thing but myself and the other AC are the bad cops and the coach is the good cop. Our HC is also our best and most knowledgable coach. He is laid back and quiet. None of us are that yell and screamy but he is the least. We have also been told the staff as a whole is too nice. We have an understanding that none of us be negative.