O’Neil Blake Football: Tops Qualities of a Great Coach

O’Neil Blake is a former college football player from Hickory, North Carolina who has transitioned from being a player to being a coach. As the Defensive Backs Coach at Feather River College is responsible for coaching the defensive backs, or secondary players on the team. Great coaches are measured by more than just their win-loss record and whether they’ve won a championship. Here are some of the top qualities that make a great coach.

• The best coaches are organized. Being organized shows that you are committed to the team and their success. Great coaches will establish a coaching schedule every week. By being organized you are telling your team that their success is important.
• A great coach is consistent with their approach to the coaching process. This keeps team members from become confused by the coaching methodology. There are four key components to good coaching: standards, monitoring, analysis, and feedback.
• Great coaches ask their employees what they think went wrong rather than telling them what went wrong. This approach allows team members to participate in the coaching process. When the team does their own analysis of issues, the coaching process becomes more meaningful.
• The best coaches are knowledgeable about their subject they are coaching. They know the process and the skills and techniques that will help contribute to the team’s success. The combination of skills and knowledge is what creates success, and great coaches know this.
• A great coach has to be patient and tolerant of change. Behavior modification takes time and effort. Some team members are able to adjust quickly, while others have a harder time. A good coach is aware of this and practice patience.
• Great coaches are able to identify those team members who are consistently underperforming and is able to put them on a ‘get well program.’ They know how to create clear expectations and stick to it so the team member is able to stay on track. They are consistent with their follow up and don’t fall for any excuses.
• The best coaches are realistic in their expectations. They are able to tell when their coaching is not working and when their ‘get well programs’ are not succeeding. They realize that not every team member will benefit from their coaching efforts and they know when to quit and move on.

Anyone can become a coach, but only those who work at it can become great coaches. Being a great coach isn’t always easy, but working on the previous traits and developing yourself as a person can help you achieve greatness.