Jamy Bechler

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

What Athletic Directors Say About Coaching Searches

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

Hiring a college coach is one of the most important decisions an athletic director makes.

It is also one of the hardest.

A coach hire affects far more than wins and losses. It shapes team culture, student-athlete experience, retention, department morale, institutional alignment, and the long-term direction of a program.

That is why we recently gathered input from 60 college athletic directors across junior colleges, NAIA programs, and NCAA Divisions I, II, and III for our 2026 College Coaching Search Report. The goal was simple: better understand what athletic directors are experiencing, noticing, valuing, and struggling with in today’s coaching searches.

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How ADs Can Interview for Real Culture-Building Coaches

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Every coaching candidate talks about culture.

They believe in accountability. They care about relationships. They want to recruit high-character student-athletes. They value hard work, trust, discipline, and family.

Those are good words. But in a coaching search, they are not enough.

One of the biggest mistakes an athletic director can make is allowing “culture” to remain vague. When culture becomes a personality impression, the process drifts toward questions like, “Did we like this person?” or “Do they seem like they would fit here?”

Those questions may feel natural, but they are not enough to guide a high-stakes hire.

The better question is this:

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11 Interview Tips to Give you an Edge

“How would I describe myself? 
Three words: hard working, alpha male, jackhammer … merciless … insatiable“ 
(Dwight K. Schrute)

You have already applied for a job and listened to my advice on the do’s and do not’s of applying for jobs but now it is time for the dreaded interview.  The modern day version of the Spanish Inquisition. What will make you stand out?  What will differentiate you from everyone else.  Here are some ways that you can gain an edge over your competition.

In my career, I have been on 13 interviews for coaching positions at four-year institutions.  Of those 13 interviews, I have been blessed to have 10 job offers.  Through my personal experience, as well as being a member of several search committees, here are 11 tips that will GUARANTEE YOU A JOB!!!

No, not really.  I wish it were that simple. Seriously though, I can offer you one guarantee, however . . .  [Read more…]

Red Flags in Coaching Interviews: What Athletic Directors Should Not Ignore

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

Every coaching candidate has weaknesses.

That is important to remember. The goal of a search is not to find a perfect coach. No such person exists. Every candidate has growth areas, blind spots, and situations they have not handled as well as they would like.

But there is a difference between a normal growth area and a warning sign.

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11 Off-Season Team Building Ideas

There’s more to a good team than just talent, strategy, and philosophy. The best teams have a high level of trust, respect, and a sense of purpose. This doesn’t happen by accident. Building a strong and healthy team is intentional.

There’s an old adage that says, “One day the winter will come calling and it will ask what you did all summer long.” You reap what you sow, and this is no different for your athletes, your team, or even yourself. The off season is a great time to prepare for the upcoming season. It’s a great time to build strong habits.

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How to Tell if a Coach is a Real Leader or Just a Good Talker

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Some coaching candidates are excellent talkers.

They know how to describe culture. They have polished answers about leadership, accountability, recruiting, and player development. They understand the language athletic directors want to hear.

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8 In-Season Team Building Ideas

11-time NBA Championship coach Phil Jackson said, “The strength of the team is each individual member, and the strength of each member is the team.” As a coach, you understand the importance of building a strong team.

There are plenty of teams that consist of skilled individuals and athletes with tremendous physical assets. However, some of these teams never reach their potential because they are just a bunch of puzzle pieces that don’t seem to fit together.

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The Case for Structured Interviews in Coach Searches

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Most athletic directors have sat in coaching interviews that felt productive in the moment but became difficult to evaluate afterward.

The conversation was good. The candidate was engaging. The committee liked them. They seemed confident, prepared, and aligned with the department.

But when it came time to compare candidates, the room struggled.

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8 Ways to Choose Team Captains

Having a good team captain can make your job easier. Conversely, if your captains struggle to lead effectively, then your team will most likely underperform during the year. Team captains can often make or break your season.

You’d probably love to have a Derek Jeter, Sue Bird, Tim Tebow, or Mia Hamm-type captain, but those are exceptions, not the rule. No matter who wears the captain’s armband or dons the “C” on their jersey, you want to be training them and helping them develop their skills for this leadership position.

As you think about selecting your team captains, maybe you’ve always done it a certain way. Maybe you’re ready for a change. No matter how you select your captains or how successful this process has been in the past, you should always be evaluating your methods so that you can be as good of a coach and have as strong of a program as possible.

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How to Evaluate Whether a Coach Will Work Well in Your Department

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

When athletic directors hire a coach, it is natural to focus first on the program.

Can this person recruit?

Can they coach the sport?

Can they build a competitive roster?

Can they connect with student-athletes?

Can they create a healthy team culture?

Those questions matter. But there is another question that deserves just as much attention:

[Read more…]

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