Jamy Bechler

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

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

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.

[Read more…]

I Didn’t Quit Running

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

As a middle schooler, my mother wouldn’t let me play tackle football. I figured I’d be able to talk her out of it prior to entering high school.

I guess I overestimated my lawyering skills.

[Read more…]

The Case for Structured Interviews in Coach Searches

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

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.

[Read more…]

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.

[Read more…]

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…]

7 Things I Changed My Mind About as a Coach

Hey Coach, if you’re like me, you’re constantly trying to get better and improve. You probably see things differently now than you did five years ago, one year ago, or even yesterday. In my 20+ years of coaching and athletic administrating, I had my fair share of ups and downs, but I also felt that I got better every year. Leaders are learners and I wanted to always be learning.

I’m a product of those people I’ve been associated with and the environments I was a part of. Oftentimes in coaching, we do things the way others close to us did them. We may coach similar to the way our old coach did back in the day. We might run some of the same plays. Our communication might resemble their methods, as well.

However, through the years I realized that if I’m going to get better and improve as a coach, I must constantly be re-evaluating and honestly assessing some of my actions, words, and philosophies. Especially toward the end of my career in organized athletics, I tried to be as coachable as possible and be willing to adjust, adapt, and pivot when it was necessary.

[Read more…]

Four Ways to Better Prepare for Your Coaching Interviews

SPECIAL GUEST POST FROM DAN CHRISTENSEN 

We see it happen all too often when our team at Bechler Leadership is doing a school’s search. Candidates come into the interview process not prepared to present themselves in a way that will help them win the job.

We did a national study with college athletic directors and those in the hiring process, for college coaches to understand what kinds of questions work best for them and help them understand the candidates the most. Based on those answers, here are four quick tips for coaching candidates about how they should better prepare:

[Read more…]

Sign Up For Leadership Insights

Join Thousands Of Others Who Follow Jamy On These Platforms: