Five-Tool Head Coaches: Who has one?
Baseball pundits often talk about the five-tool player (i.e., one who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, fielding, throwing, and running/speed). Applying a similar approach to college football head coaches, one might imagine a 5-tool analog along these lines:
- In-game coaching/game planning/game management
- Out-of-game/practice coaching (player skill development)
- Recruiting
- Fan/alumni/media-facing activities
- Student-athlete education (not only from an academic perspective, but character and personal development as well)
With this as a guide, I would argue only a small number of college coaches perform well in all five categories. For example, I believe Harbaugh is a five-tool guy with small qualifiers (e.g., intermittent clock management issues and quirkiness that may bother some) while James Franklin - mainly due to his overwhelming propensity for in-game head-scratchers - falls outside the designation. Similarly, Paul Chryst makes my list, but Urban Meyer misses the mark with the last category due to his own well-documented moral failings as well as multiple player and staff exploits.
That is not to say a team can’t have success on the field without a five-tool head coach. Obviously wins and losses are the ultimate bellwethers, and that might spark a discussion about another baseball term - WAP (wins against replacement). However, I suspect there is intrinsic value in the less tangible aspects of the job. Perhaps it’s an example of what is often described as Michigan arrogance, but I’d rather have Harbaugh than, say, Dabo Swinney.
What do you folks think about how various coaches stack up? Moreover, do you think it makes any significant difference when evaluating a head coach’s overall value to a school?
August 19th, 2022 at 2:56 PM ^
5 COACHING TOOLS
50 MB MAX EDIT
August 19th, 2022 at 3:04 PM ^
Urban begs to differ.
August 19th, 2022 at 3:04 PM ^
Damn, beat me to it.
August 19th, 2022 at 3:20 PM ^
Beat me to it too.
My thought was that a coach could be a total tool in 5 different ways.
But I like Hail 2's better.
August 19th, 2022 at 3:57 PM ^
That’s a pretty fine tool bag.
August 19th, 2022 at 3:06 PM ^
You didn't mention that it had to be a current college head coach (and discussed Urban). My example of a five tool coach would be Pete Carroll. I particularly like his efforts to make the game safer by teaching shoulder leverage, rugby style tackling.
August 19th, 2022 at 3:08 PM ^
I don't know about 5 tool coaches but I do know that Craig James killed 5 hookers
August 19th, 2022 at 3:12 PM ^
EDIT
August 19th, 2022 at 3:14 PM ^
*allegedly
August 19th, 2022 at 3:10 PM ^
hand tools: socket set, screwdriver set, hammer, channel lock pliers (or vice grips), and wrench set
power tools: circular saw, mitre saw, router, impact driver, and sawzall. could go orbital grinder here as well.
now that i looked at the actual OP i think i'm way off base, but i still like my list. top 5 tools
August 19th, 2022 at 3:30 PM ^
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5640/29969924715_114d550ca6_o.gif
Frames Janklin is famous for only one tool
August 19th, 2022 at 3:59 PM ^
This tool set needs to have more than five…. But, the original list provided us certainly a good start.
August 19th, 2022 at 4:03 PM ^
With the nearby article on the new hockey coach, I was thinking, "How does one act as a 5-hole coach?"
August 19th, 2022 at 4:05 PM ^
So the guy with 3 national championships is behind the guy who won the conference for the 1st time last year and Paul Chryst?
What's the point of this system?
August 19th, 2022 at 4:16 PM ^
Actually, yes. In terms of institutional value, I would rather have either of those guys above a serial douchebag.
August 19th, 2022 at 4:09 PM ^
I think you mean WAR (wins above/against replacement). WAP is something completely different... but I like where your head is at.
August 19th, 2022 at 4:13 PM ^
Glad someone caught that. I saw it after I could no longer edit the OP. But in retrospect, knowing it was a completely subconscious effort, I kinda' like where my head is too.