which sport is the hardest to coach

[patsopinion]

as a pro sports coach, which sport would be the toughest?

[lleeder]

Special Olympics, those retards just don't focus much during practice...

[sailor]

since you only gave those 4 choices, i'll go with nfl and it's not even close.

[patsopinion]

since you only gave those 4 choices, i'll go with nfl and it's not even close.

there are other sports?

[DolaMight]

since you only gave those 4 choices, i'll go with nfl and it's not even close.

It's just not even remotely close. It's really the only one where one single decision a coach makes directly affects whether the team wins or loses. The other sports depend way more on the decision making of the players themselves.

CART/IRL/NASCAR/F1 racing is another sport where coaching strategy matters more than the others.

[cougarjake13]

yeh but he asked hardest to coach and i think that with the nfl and all the plays you have to learn just to play makes it the hardest

pretty much the other sports you just pick who you want out there and let them play, you're not making calls on every play like an nfl coach

[epo]

I'm gonna say the NBA.

#1 is the NBA. A tough schedule inside of the season (which cuts down on scouting/prep work) and you are constantly reading offenses/defenses and players. Plus in key moments there is the possibly of creating a play from nothing.

#2 I call NHL. Similar to the NBA with the grind of the season and you are working with lines of players, so the substitutions are a little more simple.

#3. The NFL is so system-driven and you get a week to prepare for each game. Sure you are looking for match-ups....but what sport ain't?

#4. MLB is pretty simplistic in many ways and there are fewer in-game decisions. It's mostly prep work.

[underdog]

Football is the most strategic of these four sports, and coaching effects it the most. There's so many plays and sets you need to know, and know what to call at any point.

[patsopinion]

well young catchers cant all their own games most of the time so theres more then just placement involved in that sport

and you have more assistants involved in nfl then in other leauges so its really a delegating position

[A.J.]

College coaches have it tough -- especially those at smaller schools with hardly any assistants and few if any scholarships. You have to spend time recruiting, run practices, make sure the kids go to class, be there when they inevitably fuck something up. As a coach I know once said to me, "when YOU have a bad day at work, YOU don't have to read about it in the paper".

But since the thread is about the pros I can say that the NBA is certainly NOT the toughest place to coach. If an incompetent like Doc Rivers can still survive...

[JPMNICK]

since you only gave those 4 choices, i'll go with nfl and it's not even close.

i agree 100%. a whole week spent planning for one game

[drjoek]

It's just not even remotely close. It's really the only one where one single decision a coach makes directly affects whether the team wins or loses. The other sports depend way more on the decision making of the players themselves.

CART/IRL/NASCAR/F1 racing is another sport where coaching strategy matters more than the others.

There's a stragegy to driving left?:laugh:

[epo]

i agree 100%. a whole week spent planning for one game

Wouldn't that help to make the game easier?

[Earlshog]

well young catchers cant all their own games most of the time so theres more then just placement involved in that sport

and you have more assistants involved in nfl then in other leauges so its really a delegating position

Why can't a young catcher call a game? I can sit on my couch and know what is going to be called 99% of the time, its not rocket science.

[DolaMight]

There's a stragegy to driving left?:laugh:

Managing the amount of fuel, deciding when to pit... Tuning the car to match the track. One bad decision can be the difference between 1st or last or DNF.

[Earlshog]

Managing the amount of fuel, deciding when to pit... Tuning the car to match the track. One bad decision can be the difference between 1st or last or DNF.

I agree there is tremendous strategy involved, when driving to DC or Boston its always a very complicated decision, do we stop here or can I make it to the next rest stop?

[ralphbxny]

NFL or football in general...you need to know what 50 guys and your staff are doing. It seems like its very difficult.

[FUNKMAN]

#1 mlb

there is a ton of strategy going on and it can change from pitch to pitch.

#2 nfl

although in the nfl it does seem like the playbook would be tough to memorize but it seems almost everyone gets it down for the most part

[drusilla]

i'd have to go with football just for all the different plays. coaches usually call every second of those games. the nba may have the hardest season, but the players make a lot of last second decisions during the game. as someone who has to sit on the sidelines for everything, i would have to go with football. plus in football i think the coaches get blamed a lot more.

the only other time you hear people getting mad at coaches would be when a pitcher is taken out of a baseball game.

[PapaBear]

Curling. The players are always such hot-heads.

[BMoses]

Curling. The players are always such hot-heads.

They have player/coaches (Skips). That makes it all the more difficult.

[spoon]

#1 mlb

there is a ton of strategy going on and it can change from pitch to pitch.

#2 nfl

although in the nfl it does seem like the playbook would be tough to memorize but it seems almost everyone gets it down for the most part

But funk, they don't just pick plays like they're playing playstation, they design the plays. And by plays, you have to know what each player does on the field for two sets of playbooks, O, D and special teams. On offense you break it down by running backs (full and tail), receivers (wr not tight ends), O line (blocking schemes with one guy taking the lead and makes adjustments at the line on every play, and teh importance of the center exchange, long snap vs regular as well), tight ends (blocking and pass routes), and of course the QB and that's just on O. I won't get into D and special teams but the level of complexity in football is amazing. You either have to be a great mind to handle the game or hire amazing talents at each position coach spots. Most head coaches tend to lean towards one focus, o or d, but some like Parcels and Marty Schot have their hand in it all.

I can't tell you how easy this poll was for me and I've played every sport up there. I've even coached in three (baseball, hockey and football), so I'm speaking from my experience. Now I'm not talking high levels here, mostly with kids in terms of coaching, but it really only makes them all a little harder in some areas (parents, attention) and easier in others (ego and will to learn). Bottom line is, it's much harder to be a coach in football, but to be good at any you have to work your ass off none-the-less. And you never just put ur guys out there to play as a coach in any sport. I just got done running my team in a very tough game against our rivals last night and made some moves that paid off with a great comeback win. I'm not always in the right, but I'm really happy with my line moves, timeout selection, working of the refs, positioning of players on the PP and in the D end, and of course my selection of shooters for the shootout. We came back from 2 down bc of early bad penalties to force the OT/shootout based on the moves. It surely doesn't always break down this way, but hey we are 3-0 in a really tough league. I'll take that start any day.