The Excitement of Becoming a Head Coach and the Challenges That Follow

TLDRAt 35 years old, I got my first job as a head coach at a top 10 team, which was both exciting and unexpected. Oregon's culture of innovation and alignment with my vision made it the perfect place. The process of hiring staff and retaining players was intense, but having a list of potential hires helped. The one thing that surprised me was the amount of time required as a head coach.

Key insights

🎉Getting my first head coaching job at 35 was an exciting and unexpected opportunity.

💡Oregon's culture of innovation and alignment with my vision made it the perfect place to start my head coaching career.

📋Creating a list of potential coaching hires beforehand helped in the hiring process.

🔄Retaining players and dealing with roster turnover is a challenge in the current landscape of college sports.

⏰The amount of time required as a head coach was something I could only fully understand once I stepped into the role.

Q&A

What made you choose Oregon for your first head coaching job?

—Oregon's culture of innovation and alignment with my vision, along with their support and resources, made it the perfect place for me.

Did you have a plan for hiring staff?

—Yes, I had a list of potential coaching hires that I had been compiling over the years, which helped in the hiring process.

How did you handle retaining players amidst roster turnover?

—Retaining players can be a challenge in college sports, but hiring great people who share the same vision as me helped in building a strong team.

What was the most surprising thing about being a head coach?

—The amount of time required as a head coach was something I could only fully understand once I stepped into the role.

What excites you the most about being a head coach?

—The opportunity to lead a top program and make a positive impact on the lives of the players is what excites me the most.

Timestamped Summary

00:00Getting my first head coaching job at 35 was an exciting and unexpected opportunity.

02:52Oregon's culture of innovation and alignment with my vision made it the perfect place to start my head coaching career.

04:12Creating a list of potential coaching hires beforehand helped in the hiring process.

06:19Retaining players and dealing with roster turnover is a challenge in the current landscape of college sports.

09:59The amount of time required as a head coach was something I could only fully understand once I stepped into the role.

Browse more