Every year teams from all sports and levels fire their head coaches for a multitude of reasons, and so far, this year has been no different.
Just this past month both the University of Florida and Louisiana State University have fired their football teams head coach due to what most believe was underperforming.
“At that level it’s extremely important to win, it’s a business just like Walmart or Publix, so I think the thing that led them to getting fired is just not getting the results. You’re getting paid millions of dollars people want the results. There are a lot of factors as far as recruiting and NIL(Name,Image,&Likeness), but when you’re at that level, a lot of it is about winning, so you have to make sure that you win above else and if not that’s the result you get, like I said it’s just business. When you are a businessman you will understand that I might like this guy but if you’re bringing the company down, or you’re not meeting our standards, I have to let you go and get somebody in there that can meet that standard and get those certain results,” Four Corners High School (FCUS) Football Coach Greg Matthews said.
Not every sport shares the same structure when it comes to coaching. So, when it came to the firing of coach Chris Koclanes, from the Women’s National Basketball Associations (WNBA) team the Dallas Wings, some believe the cause to be more relationship oriented.
“I believe there were a number of reasons why he was fired – performance issues, team culture conflicts, leadership challenges. At the end of the day, coaching isn’t about winning; it’s about building relationships, taking accountability, and how you handle adversity. If there are breakdowns in those areas, it can lead to tough decisions,” FCUS Girls Basketball Coach Asha Blanton said.
However, FCUS Boys Basketball Coach Jeremiah Brown believes that in the National Basketball Association (NBA) coaches not only have to worry about their team’s relationship but what’s best for their franchise as a whole.
“At the pro level, for a coach to be fired he must not be producing enough wins for his team, because at the pro level if you’re not winning the franchise is losing money, but if you’rewinning, they are gaining more money, more revenue. At this point in time, it’s really championship or bust, that’s just how it is now. They only give you one, two, maybe three years, if that, for you to make something happen within the organization, some coaches get a little bit longer depending on the relationship they have with the owner, General Manager and all that other stuff. But they don’t give you that much time. So, the reason why coaches get fired is because they don’t probably agree with the vision that the general manager has, the owner has, and they’re just not winning enough games,” Brown said.
With the firing of coaches every year it leads viewers to question what it really takes to be a coach. For Coach Matthews, he believes that role models like Colorado Buffaloes’ Football Head Coach Deion Sanders and retired National Football League Quarterback Cam Newton are prime examples of what it takes to be a coach and what coaching should look like going forward.
“For coaches at that level, it’s not so much about the X’s and O’s versus the kids, the Jimmys and the Joes. Somebody like Deion Sanders, he does a great job of connecting with young high school and he was a phenomenal player. I think just as far as a coach who has the pedigree, you know, the resume, and then who also could build those connections and relationships because he has been to where most of the kids are trying to go, as far as being a professional athlete. He could help you get there. But then another person, Cam Newton, I think he does a great job with seeing. One of his companies he does seven on seven and they do tournaments for all of the top players from all over and they fly and come in with Cam Newton. Deion Sanders and Cam Newton are two people that do a great job of relationship building and then just using their connections and using their influence in a positive way,” Matthews said.
Similarly, Asha believes that coaching is more about how you influence your athletes rather than the win record they produce.
“The most important thing is remembering that you’re shaping young adults ot just athletes. Wins and stats will fade away, but the lessons you teach your players will stay with them forever. You have to coach the whole person mentally, physically, and emotionally. Being a coach takes patience, discipline, consistency, and genuine care for your athletes. Coaching is not about just teaching skills; you have to be able to teach, motivate and hold people accountable – all while modeling the same standards you expect from your team. Coaching made me see sports as more than just competition. It’s about development, teamwork, and growth. I realized how much preparation, communication, and culture go into success,” Asha said.
Sometimes coaches don’t get the opportunity to show off their true coaching abilities, whether that be due to poor management or roster, which leads to some quitting coaching overall. But for Coach Brown he believes being fired shouldn’t always be the end of a coach’s journey.
“My advice for any coach who has been fired from coaching is to go back to the reason why. Why are you coaching? Just think about your reason why and continue to keep going, find another club, find another team. Continue to keep going. Your passion is coaching. My passion is coaching. So, I’m going to keep going no matter if something happens here or at another school. That’s not going to stop me from coaching. I’m going to do what I’m called to do as a coach,” Brown said.
Coaching isn’t for everyone but for those willing to put in the work to keep their coaching dreams alive, going back to your reason “why” seems to be a good first step.
“Don’t let it define you! Stay connected to your “why”. Every coach has faced setbacks. If your purpose is genuine, one door closing just means another one’s opening. Keep learning, stay humble, and never stop believing in your ability,” Asha said.
