Coaching Philosophy as told by Bill Walsh

• A head coach's philosophy is shaped by a number of factors, including his

background, experiences, work environment, education, aspirations, etc. By
adhering to his philosophical tenets, he is provided with a systematic, yet
practical, method of deciding what to do in a particular situation.

• To a point, a head coach should measure success in terms of how well he is

able to carry out his responsibilities relative to what he feels coaching is all
about. As such, he can place greater emphasis on developing his players to
take advantage of their full potential, and on developing a proper foundation
for the team to perform well in the future, than on whatever actions might
otherwise emanate from a ''win-now-or-else" approach.

1. Be yourself. Throughout your career, you will have the opportunity to

observe and work with other coaches. While it is important that you learn
whatever you can from each one of them, you must recognize the fact that
you can't be any one of them. You should work to take advantage of your
strengths and to diminish your weaknesses. For example, you can become
more knowledgeable. You can enhance your ability to apply that knowledge
in the fulfillment of your professional responsibility. At any given moment in
time, however, "you are who you are."

If you try to be someone you're not or act as someone you want to be, the
effort will typically be perceived as phony — by both your assistants and your
players. In the process, everyone may lose respect for you. As a result, your
ability to lead effectively will be severely compromised. Your approach to
coaching football should be a natural extension of your personality and your
philosophy. Some great coaches are extroverts, others are introverts. The
important thing is to approach every task in a sincere and honest manner.

2. Be committed to excellence. To a point, you must be willing to work

extremely hard and make whatever reasonable sacrifices are necessary to
achieve the organizational goals that have been established for the team. At
the same time, you must ensure that every member of your staff and all of
your players fully understand that the commitment to excellence can never
willingly be compromised. At all times, the focus must be on doing things
properly. Every play. Every practice. Every meeting. Every situation. Every
time.
3. Be positive. One of the most important things a head coach can do is to
adopt a positive attitude. Your staff and your players will respond better to a
positive environment than to a negative one. While it is often very easy to
accentuate the negative aspects of a particular situation or set of
circumstances, such an approach typically accomplishes little (if anything)
other than to serve as a means to let you vent your feelings. In most
instances, what it really achieves is to establish a mental barrier between you
and your staff and your players that inhibits their ability to maintain the
proper focus and to communicate effectively with you.

4. Be prepared. No aspect of coaching is more important than preparation.

While coaches cannot actually control which team wins a game, they can
determine how their teams prepare to win. Good fortune on the playing field
(i.e., performing well, winning, etc.) is a product of design. Accordingly, you
must develop a plan to ensure that your team is properly prepared to handle
every contingency and possible situation. Good fortune on the playing field
(i.e., performing well, winning, etc.) is a product of design. Accordingly, you
must develop a plan to ensure that your team is properly prepared to handle
every contingency and possible situation. Attention to detail is critical in this
regard. You must address all aspects of your team's efforts to prepare
mentally, physically, fundamentally and strategically in as thorough a manner
as possible

5. Be organized. It is critical that you make the best possible use of the
available time and resources. Being organized is the single best way to avoid
wasting either. Fortunately, the effort needed to be organized is not that
extensive. The process of becoming organized essentially requires two
qualities: a disciplined mind and the ability to think clearly. However much
energy you spend on the process, it is time well invested. Getting organized
can provide substantial benefits (e.g., it frees up time; relieves stress and
pressure; and helps engender confidence in your competence from other
individuals). Given the axiom that "luck is merely preparation meeting
opportunity," the more well organized you are, the more likely you will be
"lucky."

6. Be accountable. You must accept responsibility for those matters over

which you are in charge. Deflecting blame, even if you are not responsible for
a particular occurrence, is often viewed as a sign of weakness by both your
staff and your players. Whatever the situation, offering apparently well-
 reasoned excuses and plausible alibis to explain your failings is simply
irresponsible. "Passing the buck" when times get tough will not enhance the
level of respect you engender from others. If you expect loyalty from your
staff and your players, you must show it to them first by being accountable
for your own actions. The factor that is most often at the heart of
accountability issues is the team's win-loss record. However unfair it may
seem that you are held responsible for something that is not totally within
your control, the responsibility comes with the position. If the team wins, you
get much of the credit; if it loses, you get most of the criticism. You should
remember that ultimately, you are responsible for the performance of your
players. As such, fair or not, it is logical that you would be held accountable
for whether their performances led to the requisite number of victories.

7. Be a leader. From a leadership standpoint, an effective head coach is

someone who is able to develop a vision on how the team should operate, is
able to establish a strategy for achieving that plan, and is able to inspire
everyone (staff and players) to carry it out successfully. An effective leader is
an expert in his field. His actions embolden confidence and respect for him by
those with whom he works. He cares about people and treats them fairly. He
demands that all staff members meet the highest possible standards. He
prefers positive reinforcement, rather than the "big stick" approach. He
knows that results are what count — not the number of hours spent on a
task. He does not second guess himself on decisions that were made with
integrity, intelligence and a "team-first" attitude. He is able to identify
appropriate priorities. He doesn't coach "caution"; he coaches to win.

8. Be focused. You must be able to keep everything in the proper perspective

and to concentrate on the appropriate task at hand. Everything should be
viewed in terms of how it affects the team and the organization—not how it
affects you. All factors considered, your focus must be results-oriented. To
the extent possible, these results should be measurable. All efforts and plans
should be considered not only in terms of their short-run effect, but also how
they might impact the team and the organization in the long term. The key
point is that at least three elements must be present to build a winning team:
talent; strategies and tactics; and conditioning and execution. As such, the
head coach must not focus solely on one factor to the exclusion of the other
two.

9. Be ethical. You must have a strong value system. Your values serve as your
moral compass. Morally sound values engender respect from others and
 enhance the likelihood that your decisions and your behavior will reflect high
principles. Your values also help to determine what things you choose to pay
attention to and how hard you will work at them. In that regard, the welfare
of the organization and the well-being of the players and your assistants must
be among your preeminent concerns. You must have the character to abide
by a morally sound code of conduct regardless of the circumstances. In that
regard, you must exhibit integrity in all of your dealings with others.
Furthermore, you should believe that it is important that your team wins in a
manner that is a credit to the organization.

10.Be flexible. You must have the ability to respond and adapt to changing
circumstances. While consistency is important, if the situation changes, you
must change with it. One of the most important areas of coaching in which
flexibility is essential involves the need to give your team the tools to win.
Within the specific framework of your system, you must be bold, creative and
willing to take risks when necessary. First, athletes must be given the tools
that best suit them and will give them their best chance to succeed. Second,
the coach must be willing to change what he is doing if it obviously is
destined to fail and if a feasible alternative exists.

11.Believe in yourself. You must have confidence in yourself and your system.
It Is also important that you sell your program to your players. They must
believe in you in order for them to be able to make the sacrifices that will be
required of them. Everyone in the organization (e.g., your staff, the players,
the athletic trainers, the team managers, etc.) must believe that your plan for
success will be effective if it is carried out as directed. They must also feel
that you have their best interests at heart.