This is the first part in a series of three articles which examines great sides and seeks to understand why they are excellent.
This article seeks to quantify the effect of coaches on a team’s performance as opposed to solely the skill of the players in producing excellent results. Both coaching skills and playing skills are necessary and both are critical to the overall success of a team, but some coaches harness their side’s abilities better than others.
If I were to walk into a room of 100 people and ask the question, “Who is the most successful coach you can think of?” I can guarantee that there would be a wide range of responses that would largely be informed by interest. Some would point to Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool’s dominance. Some might argue Craig Bellamy or Bill Belichick as they have led their respective football sides to dominance over the past 15 years.
Others might point to John Buchanan or Greg Shipperd in cricket or Mick Malthouse in the AFL. So, what makes a good coach? Well, I believe that a good coach has five key characteristics: inspiration, preparation, determination, expectation and communication.
A good coach inspires his side to play well. They do that in a wide variety of ways. Bill Belichick inspires his players through the ‘Patriot Way’, encouraging his players to block out all the noise and focus on the upcoming game, to be versatile and ruthlessly unaccepting of mistakes. He has the ability to take players who might have allowed their off-field behaviours to impact their on-field performances and get the best out of them.
Randy Moss is a prime example of that. By contrast, Wayne Bennett is not afraid to laugh and joke with his players, even when they have lost, because he knows that they know how to fix what is wrong and he does not need to dwell on it.
(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Secondly, a good coach works hard. No coach shows up to a match completely unprepared. Coaches at the elite level put in a vast number of hours preparing themselves and their teams for the opposition. They watch video, go through the numbers and train their sides to play a certain way to beat the opposition. Good coaches make their teams the fittest, strongest and most adaptable that they can be.
Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp are both good at this and prepare their sides well for the opposition. Few could argue that Guardiola’s or Klopp’s sides are underprepared for any opposition that they encounter. Likewise, Justin Langer is excellent at neutralising opposition threats and creating plans to optimise wicket-taking opportunities for his bowlers.
Thirdly, a good coach possesses a great deal of determination. No coach likes losing, and coaches who lose often have a greater drive to win more. Much like teaching, coaching can be a difficult job because coaches have to unite their team, make them all pull in the same direction, develop strategies and tactics for gameday and then pinpoint areas for improvement without impacting team morale. A good coach must possess a great deal of determination to continue to excel and get better. One of the main reasons why Wayne Bennett has had so much success is because he has learned to adjust his game plans to fit in with the changes in game styles in the NRL.
Every coach must possess a great deal of expectation. They coach their sides with the expectation of winning or at the very least competing in the match. For coaches who take over clubs that are perennial strugglers, this can be a difficult mindset to dispel. To create a culture of winning, a coach has to change the team’s expectations.
When the Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 2004, it capped off an 86-year losing streak for the side. They would go on to win the World Series again in 2007, 2013 and 2018. This change came about because of an insistence on high standards and high expectations. Boston teams are expected to challenge for the World Series every year.
Finally, every coach must possess good communication skills. Gossip is nobody’s friend. It sneaks around the back channels and provides ammunition for the news-hungry media who continue to feed the beast. Coaches need to be frank with their players, have honest conversations with them and let them know where they stand.
Hearing Langer talk about the improvements that various players need to make in their games is critical for coaches and players alike to build a relationship and for coaches to get their messages across. Good coaches are good communicators and use their excellent communication skills to foster bonds of trust between themselves and their players.
The next instalment will look at players and how a player’s skillset drives them to want to achieve greatness regardless of the coach.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Fair enough though I think you're kind of highlighting that expectation may or may not help. No doubt Yankees managers try to do the same thing but they're either not doing the rest of the coaching right or management is buying the right players. They're still trying to buy championships but making some poor choices, e.g. compared to the Dodgers. Great managers in baseball seem to be like those at the Rays and the Athletics who get results way beyond what the team salary spend would lead you to expect. Although part of that again is team management in terms of canny choices about which players to buy and which to develop through the farm system, etc.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
It's based on the Aussie side's dominance up until the India series. The issue against India was not so much the tactics (other than their persistent use of the bouncer) as it was more the management. The fact that Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins weren't rested at all with Pattinson and Neser given a shot (especially Neser in Brisbane) was the critical issue. Those 3 were tired and only Cummins looked like making inroads at times. There was no harm at all resting all 3 of them at some point during the Tests when you had handy backups waiting in the wings. India's all out for 36 in Adelaide was testament to the bowling plans working and everything coming together in one perfect innings for the Aussie bowlers. Same in T20 cricket. Langer backed his players, instilled the values of playing for a WA-based side with a crop of WA players and lo and behold, the Scorchers did extremely well. Australia's more recent performances have been more of a confidence issue than a skill issue. Once you lose a match in T20 cricket when they're played so closely together, it's difficult to regroup. The same mistakes keep piling up and piling up with little to no time to rectify mistakes. Carey as captain. The non-inclusion of Inglis. The persistence with Finch at the top of the order when that clearly wasn't working. Also, remember that they did not have a first-choice T20 squad (but I'm not sure if that would've made heaps of difference).
Gibbo
Roar Pro
He did have to keep Warnie's ego in check. That's a full-time job in and of itself!
Paul
Roar Guru
Buchanan had a tough gig didn't he? Sitting there all day, watching some of the best cricketers of any era doing their stuff. Writing the odd note. I'm sure he did more than that but a great coach also knows when to only support if required and that group didn't need much help too often.
Paul
Roar Guru
" but ‘quirky and intense’? Really ????" Yeah, that was my take on Langer in two adjectives but no doubt there are more. :happy: I think the issue with Langer is exactly what you hit on in your post. The guy is having far too much to say, I guess part of that problem is that Australia has hardly played any cricket since February and what matches we did play were very average affairs with underwhelming teams and plenty of losses. Of course the journos are going to ask him about that, as well as THAT survey and his position hasn't been helped by which ever genius kept that issue bubbling along, but now is great time to shut up . Even when it gets to the WC and the Ashes, he needs to do his best Wayne Bennett impersonation and use as few words as possible. As the old saying goes "silence is golden".
Ian
Roar Rookie
G'day Paul....The problem is "everything we read" But you forgot to mention "and have heard".I always enjoy reading your posts and respect your comments immensely but 'quirky and intense'? Really ???? During the multiple lockdowns over the past 18 months over here,I've heard and read far more from Mr Langer than any cricket lover should have to tolerate.He has literally been everywhere.If I was a cynic ( which I am!) ,I'd think he was looking for a fat county cricket contract over here as it seems obvious his days as Australian coach seem to be numbered. I've commented here,there and everywhere that Justin would be well advised to shut his mouth and just let his players do the talking.There has been little evidence of that in recent months.
Ian
Roar Rookie
It's like saying a great player will make a great TV commentator. We all know what nonsense that is after having to listen to most of them.
Ian
Roar Rookie
You might add John Buchanan to that list.If I was the coach and had Warne,McGrath,Gilchrist,Ponting and at least 10 others to call on,I honestly believe I might be able to watch Australia win the occasional Test match or World Cup.
Ian
Roar Rookie
Maybe try to communicate before your 15th can of Swan Jeff. That might be the go?
Ian
Roar Rookie
I agree with that.But if only Langer would stick to that method of coaching instead of strutting around putting himself front,left and centre at every opportunity.Over the last 12 months I've heard and read far too many interviews and podcasts with WA's finest martial arts expert telling us all how it's done.You can get away with that kind of nonsense when you're always winning but once you start losing........??????
Paul
Roar Guru
exactly. The guy is first and fore most a coach. He's there primarily to help individuals and the team improve their cricket. If he can do that, he's doing his job.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
Nope, it doesn’t. Boucher was the wrong man for the job, but he may have success yet.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
It’s an interesting point. The reason I separated it here was because I believe that belief and expectation, whilst they go together, are not necessarily inseparable. I have belief that I can hit a home run, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to expectation. I play cricket every season with the belief that I’ll make a 50 and a 100 in the season. I’m still waiting for it to transfer into expectation. ???? regardless, every coach or manager instills an expectation. Yankees fans, as terrible as they are, still live in the Steinbrenner era when they bought championships for fun. The MLB doesn’t work that way any more. Red Sox (and New England fans more generally) fans have tasted success and expect more and thus impose that upon their respective sides. This is reinforced by Alex Cora, Brad Stevens and Bill Belichick as they coach their respective sides.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
He was last year for sure. Belichick has been known for making average players good and good players great and great players superstars. Last year, I think he got too cute and tried to win without a great side. Same with his last year with Brady. I’m a passionate Pats fan, and I couldn’t stand to watch last season.
Gibbo
Roar Pro
There have been reports of players, particularly Travis Head, but also guys like Labuschagne, Pucovski and others who’ve mentioned how Langer has been able to really communicate what they need to do better at her sessions and the like. That, to me, is where the real communication is done.
Micko
Roar Rookie
It was such a weird comment. Seemed like something a CA official wrote about him. :laughing:
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Naaah ... Sydney and Brisbane tests last Aussie summer. :laughing:
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
A trend is to now appoint ex cricketers regardless of coaching background into Cricket,... South Africa appointed Mark Boucher to bring as Director of Cricket Graeme Smith said... A mental tougness to the side.. But his initial stint into coaching at domestic level was uninspiring, poor actually.. .. Then Jaques Kallis was appointed batting coach.. No previous coaching experience to speak of.. Yet Cricket SA have coaching programmes.. Genuine coaches brought into the system who are largely ignored.. Not saying an ex Test cricketer shouldnt coach.. But am saying they like all others should do the hard hards as coaches first post playing career, establish a track record then and only then be considered coach of a National Team.. Its a different dynamic and mindset to playing.... A succesful Cricketer does not automatically default to a succesful coach..
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
I have been many places in Indonesia over the last 20 years and lived there for the best part of a decade but I have never heard of this wild man from Borneo. Does he reside in the smaller Malaysian section of Sarawak? He does sound wild though. :stoked:
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Interesting discussion. I'm not totally convinced that expectations is really a separate category for coaches. Creating belief and expectation is part of inspiration and building a good team culture. Eg the Red Sox creating a recent tradition based on success might make the job easier, but they have had three different managers in the 4 titles won over the last 18 years. The Yankees always have expectations based on their unparalleled history of success, but it has only got them a title once in 20 years. But I just mention this as a point of discussion, not a criticism.