Awhile back, I had a post about former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson. Like Coach Richardson, former Minnesota coach Clem Haskins would be a terrific mentor for a young college coach.It's been 10 years since Coach Haskins has been involved in basketball and, from reading this article, it doesn't sound like he'd be interested in counseling a young coach, but the point still stands: Finding a veteran coach who is willing to serve as a mentor can give a young coach a big edge.
Like it or not, ours is a society that values youth over age. That's unfortunate because, as we've seen with coaches like Hubie Brown, who was almost 70 when he took over the Grizzlies in 2002, veteran (i.e., 50-, 60-, or 70-something) coaches have a lot to offer.
Thankfully, many in the coaching profession recognize what older veteran coaches can contribute.
What if a young (i.e., 30-something) coach brought in Coach Haskins or Coach Richardson or another retired veteran coach to observe his team's practices for a week or a month?
Regardless of what sport you coach or at what level, there's likely a retired coach who would welcome the opportunity to get involved with your program.
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