“It’s the ugly underbelly of our profession—the higher you go, the greater the rewards financially, the greater the acclaim, and the higher the level of competition…but also the higher the risk. I actually managed to go a long time ‘escaping The Reaper’ as I like to say. Survived coaching changes at several D1 schools or made moves a year or so before The Reaper arrived on campus. But he finally got me and chased me for a couple years in a row.”
How should college strength and conditioning coaches deal with getting let go from a valued position and what factors can help mitigate that risk? Scott Salwasser, Director of Athletic Performance at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas, wraps up his 3-part conversation with Coach Croc, this time focusing on harsh realities of the job where longevity can be tied to factors outside your control.
It’s the ugly underbelly of our profession—the higher you go, the greater the rewards financially, the greater the acclaim, and the higher the level of competition…but also the higher the risk, says @CoachSSal. Share on X“Twice I’ve been a victim of *everybody got let go.* We just didn’t win enough games,” Coach Salwasser explains. “You can’t let that affect your confidence or your belief in yourself, because it’s going to happen to you if you coach long enough at a high enough level.”
For younger coaches, there is always a calculation to make, particularly those starting families. Coach Croc offers comparison points in terms of the relative stability for coaching in high school vs. Division 3 vs. at a Power 5 school, and the range of benefits at each higher competitive level can bring a greater suddenness of getting let go. Meanwhile, Coach Sal discusses added factors for coaches to consider when being offered a college position.
“It’s not just the school, it’s the staff. Know what year (of their contract) that head coach is on, know what type of success they’re having, and also know that if you’re coming in…someone else got let go. And that means you’re expected to be the savior and if you’re not, guess what happens to everyone? Gone.”
Video 1. The Croc Show featuring Coach Scott Salwasser.
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