A NEW COACH? HOW TO SELECT?

At a certain moment a club will need to start searching for a new coach. This can be because of different reasons: A previous coach his contract is expired and the club would like to sign a new coach; a coach would like to make the next step in his career and moves to a different club when his contract is finished; a coach is fired due to bad results; a coach is approached by another club and accepts the offer.

How does this influence the club policy?

Well, I think that clubs need to have always a list with potential candidates which can come from within the club or outside of the club. In this way you can always react quick or prepare yourself as a club for future changes in your coaching staff.

What criteria’s do you look for as a club?

A club has her philosophy, her playing style which should be leading in the choice for the next coach. The club management should do an interview and discuss subjects that are important to the club with the new coach. I also think that the new coach should be asked to present himself as a coach. He can have a certain style of coaching that appeals to the club’s philosophy or not. He can have a football philosophy that matches the club’s philosophy of playing football.

The club management can also have demands towards a coach that are important for the growth of the club and her players. The club can have the demands to work more with local players or to implement academy players in the first team squad.  If this does not match and you decide to sign this coach, then you can already have a conflict before the season starts.

Should these criteria be leading in the decision making?

I think they should be leading as you are trying to find the right person to assist the club in further growth towards a professional club or a stable professional club and contender in future prices. It should not be seen as if you want to interrogate the future coach but you simply want to see if both sides can be successful in their cooperation.

Advise; prepare yourself as a club by having an interview plan for a coach. Determine what you think is important in the club philosophy at this moment but also include future thoughts. Ask also your candidate to prepare himself in a good way. A power-point presentation with his football philosophy and principles, his coaching principles and expectations from the club could be very useful.  I think for a coach it is a perfect way to show and explain your professionalism as a football specialist.

It does not mean that a club or a coach can not adjust his ideas but simply that you will not get the opposite of what you want to receive. In this way both sides are prepared for a good football meeting among professionals!