Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

Brother’s Keeper

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
Click here to listen to the 2-minute version of this article on the “Success is a Choice” podcast network.

Basketball was everything to me. It was my favorite sport. When I was in 7th grade, I was riding the bus home after school. My brother, who was three years younger than me was acting up quite a bit on the bus that particular day.

[Read more…]

What Frustrates Coaches Most During a Search?

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

Not every candidate is going to enjoy the outcome of a coaching search.

Someone is going to get the job. Most people will not.

There will be difficult decisions, delays, HR requirements, committee schedules, reference checks, and circumstances that athletic directors cannot completely control.

So the goal of a good search process cannot be to make every candidate happy.

But it should be to avoid unnecessarily frustrating good candidates along the way.

As part of our 2026 College Coaching Job Search Study, we asked coaches an open-ended question:

“What frustrates you the most when you go through a search?”

[Read more…]

Making Your Bed

“If you want to change the world, then start by making your bed.” (Admiral William H. McRaven)

I woke up this morning running late and the last thing I wanted to do was take 30-seconds to make my bed.

Click here to listen to the 2-minute audio version of this article

Maybe you’ve been right there with me struggling between listening to that pesky little bed-making devil on one shoulder and that cleanliness-is-next-to-godliness angel on the other shoulder.

After all, that bed is just going to get messed up again that night, anyway, who will ever see it?

[Read more…]

How Smaller Colleges Can Land Great Coaches

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

One of the realities of hiring coaches at a smaller college is that you are not always competing on equal financial footing.

Another institution may offer a higher salary.

They may have better facilities.

More scholarship resources.

A larger staff.

A bigger recruiting budget.

For athletic directors, it can be easy to look at those differences and assume there is not much you can do.

Our 2026 College Coaching Job Search Study suggests otherwise.

We asked more than 300 college coaches:

“What can a smaller college with limited financial resources do to make an opportunity more attractive?”

[Read more…]

9 Barriers Coaches Face When Communicating

Communication is perhaps the most important skill you can possess. It can make or break your relationships, friendships, and partnerships — and it’s the difference between your team reaching their potential or not.

Billionaire businessman Richard Branson says “Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.”

[Read more…]

How Coaching Candidates Evaluate Your Culture

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

Almost every athletic department says it has a good culture.

You hear words like collaborative, supportive, family-oriented, student-centered, and close-knit in job postings and interviews all the time.

But when coaches are considering a job, what actually convinces them that the culture is healthy?

As part of our 2026 College Coaching Job Search Study, we asked more than 300 college coaches:

“Which signs most strongly suggest that an athletic department has a healthy culture?”

[Read more…]

Getting Athletes to Buy Into Backup Roles

    There are no small parts — only small actors!

    This phrase has been uttered countless times when it comes to acting, but it also applies beautifully to your team. You could easily say there are no small roles, only small athletes.

    A car is made up of many parts, from the chassis to the motor to the tires to the lug nuts. Even though some may appear more important than others, each component of a car plays a vital part to its’ operation. An expensive luxury car doesn’t get very far if the $5 spark plug isn’t working properly. 

    [Read more…]

    The On-Campus Interview Is Not Just an Evaluation. It’s a Recruiting Opportunity.

    SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

    By the time a coaching search reaches the finalist stage, it is easy for an athletic department to think primarily about one question:

    Do we want to hire this person?

    That is obviously important.

    But the candidate is trying to answer an equally important question:

    Do I actually want this job?

    As part of our 2026 College Coaching Job Search Study (to be published soon), we asked more than 300 college coaches which parts of a finalist or campus interview would be most valuable to them.

    The top responses were:

    [Read more…]

    9 Things to Avoid as a New Coach

    It’s very exciting to join a new program and start fresh.

    Whether we’re a young coach or a wily veteran, head coach or assistant, there are still some important things to remember as we begin this new job.

    [Read more…]

    What Coaches Wish They Knew Before Applying for Your Job

    SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

    Most college coaching job descriptions tell candidates plenty about what the institution expects from them.

    They list responsibilities, qualifications, compliance expectations, and application instructions.

    But they often say very little about something candidates care deeply about:

    What will I actually have to work with if I take this job?

    As part of our 2026 College Coaching Job Search Study, we asked more than 300 college coaches:

    [Read more…]

    Sign Up For Leadership Insights

    Join Thousands Of Others Who Follow Jamy On These Platforms: