Expert: Thom Brooks - 1/13/2008

Question
Hello my name is Sam.  It has always been my dream to coach football and i had that chance last year for a semi-pro football team.  Now that i have done that i have a new dream to coach for a major college or maybe even an NFL team. Now i know that it will take a lot of work, but i was wondering if you had any advice for me on what steps i need to work on or get a jump on now for me to reach my dream 10 years from now.  Any info you have would be greatly valued. Thank you.

Answer
Sam, hello and Happy New Year!

My Dad played ball at Appalachian State Teachers College before shipping off to serve 3 years in General Patton's Third Army in World War II.  It is so neat that you have a plan to Coach.  Keep on track with your goal.  Write your plans on paper and keep it in front of you.

I am a high school football official.  I have an insurance class this week and have a fellow official coming into school.  He coached high school for many years but is in his 60's now.  He may have been an assistant at Savannah State years ago, but paid the dues to coach.  

You can certainly get state approved to be able to coach at the high school level, but unless you're exceptional, you may disappear in yesterday's news.  Getting any assistant job at the college level starts by writing all of those that you would re-locate for.  

I have a friend in played ball at Clemson, then on to Green Bay and Washington until injured.  He got into the insurance business but has spent two years trying to get on the Clemson staff.  So, you have a heckuva challenge to break into one of the elite schools unless you carry some clout with you.  Do you have any connections at a college level?  Start with those contacts.  

Contact the local high school coaches, football official associations, and state high school associations.  They have a great deal of informations to share.  They probably can get you in the right lanes.

Let me know your progress so I can follow your career!

Go get' em !

Thom Brooks