It is that time of the year. The coaching carousel is in full effect and as people see the massive buyouts head coaches will receive, they tend to forget about the other coaches and support staff who do not make a fortune in their roles.

Transition during this time is tough. I personally have been fired because of a new coaching staff coming in, been a part of new staff coming taking over a program and been fired by a coach who hired me.

There has been a 483% increase in player development staffs since I began in player development in 2016. There were six staff with more than one person in the role in 2016, now there are 35.

I will talk about these salary numbers through gains and losses throughout my career. I will discuss exact numbers during my podcast episode this week.

University of Houston

Early 2016: - $23,000

I came from being a HS Coach into the player development role and took a massive cut to begin my career in this role.

If I started all over in player development again there are many things I would do based on the experiences I have from working for three college football programs. In this blog I will share the top five things I would do if I started over in player development today.

192% Increase Since 2016

There is a 192% growth in player development professionals in the role since I started in 2016. There were 53 professionals in a player development role when I started, now there are 155 professionals in a player development role.

The Beginner’s Guide to Player Development Course will help you set a clear and impactful foundation in player development. This foundation will allow you to create impact immediately.

In the SELF PACED course, you will:

Create a personal definition for player development

Identify the SIX main areas of player development

Understand the TEN areas inside player development

Build a customizable player development outline

ED JONES!!!!

It is my first day on the job as the Director of Player Development for the Houston Cougars Football Team.

I just got in the building and was coming out of the restroom to make sure my suit was nice.

I came back to the hallway to see my new boss, Coach Tom Herman standing down the hall with a student-athlete.

“Yes Coach.” I responded.

“Take him to your office now.” Coach Herman says.

The player development role allows for a lot of support for many in the football program. The biggest group I supported in my time in the role was the coaching staff. You spend as much time with them as you do with the players, and you can build many beneficial moments and relationships with coaches. When I mentor those who are in the role and interested in the role, I remind them one of the best ways to show their impact is supporting the coaches on staff. With that said, I am going to share the four ways you can support coaches you work with or will work with in the role.

I recently had a conversation with someone in the player development space and we talked about how as the need for support of athletes is glaring their department was being trimmed down. It is an honest situation that many in this space have seen. When the work that is done by the many in the athlete development is needed the most, the support doesn’t meet the demand, more importantly the NEED.

You read the title right, I had five player development interviews at three universities. This math may get you a low grade in a math class, but it was a learning experience that I must share.

Week One of college football is over and there were over 100 games played at this point of the season. With all of these games there are winners and losers. No one wants to be on the losing side to start off the season. With that said here are three things you can do to impact your program in the player development role after a loss:

In the player development role, the first day/week of school provided incredible opportunities for deep relationship building. In my experience the players get a little nervous not knowing what to expect from their coming fall semester experience. Some athletes are excited about the new opportunities to grow or graduate and are already looking at the finish line.

Fall camp is finished or ending. You have seen players compete daily for the last four weeks. The depth charts are set, and it is now time for the regular season.

With the regular season coming this means school will be in session as well. The fall semester is about to begin and the student will be added back to the athlete.

In the Player Development role, you can create a great start to the semester for your athletes.

The season and school year are walking in as fall camp is walking out. To be best prepared for the coming requirements you need to set up a system of checks while you are still in camp. Below are the top three check areas you need.

This schedule is like nothing you first-year football players have ever experienced. Some of your junior college newcomers may be new to this as well. With that being a reality, it is important for you to check on the newcomers constantly. When I was in the role, I was checking on my young’uns every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Any time I got a chance to see them during transitions I checked on them as well. You do not want to assume they are used to it.

FALL CAMP.

The time is here. Recruiting visits are over. Football camps are over. The vacations are over. The staff retreat is over. It is time for football.

My first year in player development at the University of Houston was the first fall camp in my career where I was not a Coach. I did not know what to expect. I even had a conversation with a Coach, in which he told me to buckle up and be ready. I told him I was not a Coach anymore and he laughed and said you are going to find out. By the end of day two I had a greater understanding.

Over the past two plus years I have made it my mission for Beyond The Field to educate, enlighten and empower those in the player development position and those looking to get into the role. I have highlighted a lot, given tips and perspectives on how to get things done and create impact, BUT I do not think I have spent a lot of time talking about what not to do in the role, so here are the FIVE Don’ts of Player Development.