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RATHBONE: Picking the right coach is a science, not an art

14th March, 2012
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Ewen McKenzie has November to redeem himself and his side. AP Photo/Francois Mori
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14th March, 2012
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When I was younger, I wanted to be a Special Forces soldier. I then went through a stage where becoming a professional game ranger greatly appealed to me. The thing that terrified me most was the idea of a desk job.

I could not imagine a less appealing way to spend my days.

Rugby went professional just as I was stumbling my way through high school, and given that it was a job that did not appear to involve much desk time, I thought I might give it a go.

I had this recollection recently because I finally decided to unclutter my desk, sit at it, and get some work done.

In fact, I quite enjoy being at my desk now. It’s where I read and write, reply to emails, and generally get stuff done. At the same time, my desk is a stark reminder of how divergent my current views are to those of my 16-year-old self.

Sitting at my desk, my mind wandered onto the subject of coaches.

I’ve been fortunate to play under many different coaches, some of the better known ones being Rudolph Straeuli, Kevin Putt, Jake White, David Nucifora, Eddie Jones, Laurie Fisher, John Connolly and Andy Friend.

I’m often asked who I consider to be the best coach I’ve played under.

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Imagine asking a soldier what he or she considered to be the best type of camouflage. The simple answer is that there is no ‘best’; the effectiveness of camouflage is directly related to the environment in which it is employed.

I’ve certainly had coaches who were snow camo operating in a jungle. It’s not that they were bad coaches, just that they were ill-suited to the environment.

When I was at the Brumbies, some very capable and intelligent individuals were part of committees that assisted the CEO and board in selecting head coaches.

Despite this, there are clearly examples when this process produced very poor decisions.

The 2004 Brumbies and 2011 Reds produced championship-winning teams. Despite achieving the ultimate success, the nature of these two squads and the coaching involvement strikes me as completely different.

Ewen Mackenzie seems like the perfect fit for his young chargers. He’s a hands-on coach with an eye on the bigger picture, and an unassuming disposition that seems to set the tone for the rest of the group.

It’s easy to forget that Ewen was often criticised for not getting the best out of the Waratahs, for attempting an especially dour style of play. Now he heads the competition’s most exciting ensemble, playing arguably the most enterprising brand of rugby in the competition.

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David Nucifora and Andy Friend are both coaches who Brumbies fans remember well.

Both coaches have proven that when mated to the right group of players, they are able to produce fantastic results. Yet, both eventually appeared to be ill-suited to the teams they headed.

In David’s case, clashes with senior Wallabies had a galvanising effect on the group and ironically produced a championship team. Andy Friend lost the confidence of his players, and from that point on, a working relationship became impossible.

What does all of this mean?

To my mind, it is a reminder that the process of selecting a coach is crucial. One might be tempted to say it’s the most important job an organisation is tasked with.

Clearly selecting the best possible coach for a particular group of players is key, and clearly the process is not an exact science. But this does not mean that there are not both terrible and optimal ways in which to conduct the selection process.

Once you acknowledge that, it becomes clear that at least to some degree, the selection process is a science. The art is in knowing how much to rely on science and how much intuition is required to form a final decision.

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I don’t know the answer to this question, but I know there is an answer: an answer that bears seeking out.

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