A cornerstone of McElroy\u2019s philosophy is simple; surround yourself with great people and trust them. As head coach, your main responsibility is the overall success of the program, and that can\u2019t happen if you\u2019re micromanaging every detail. Trust in your staff is essential. McElroy says, “I had so much freedom when I was just the defensive coordinator because my head coach trusted me.” Now in his new role, he\u2019s passing that same trust to his offensive coordinator and other assistants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coaches juggling multiple roles must delegate effectively. Identify your assistants’ strengths, assign them specific areas, and empower them to make decisions. This frees up your mental bandwidth to focus on the big picture while maintaining the detail needed for your coordinator duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Simplicity is Power<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n McElroy emphasizes the importance of keeping things simple. When you’re wearing multiple hats, complexity can become your enemy. “We\u2019ve landed on the philosophy of being really simple and really good teachers,\u201d he says. Whether you\u2019re managing game plans, practices, or player development, the simpler you can keep your systems, the more effective they\u2019ll be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This applies especially to your coordinator duties. Don\u2019t overwhelm your players with intricate schemes. Instead, focus on a few core concepts that you can teach exceptionally well. When your players understand their roles with clarity, you\u2019ll have more success on the field, allowing you to manage the dual demands of head coach and coordinator more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Structure Your Week for Success<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Effective time management is key for balancing head coaching and coordinating. McElroy builds his weekly schedule around efficiency and recovery, giving players Sunday and Monday off to recharge physically and mentally. Monday is a heavy game-planning day for the staff, with only a light meeting and lift for the players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe want to be the freshest team on Saturday,\u201d McElroy notes. He structures practices with shorter, more efficient sessions\u2014focusing on walkthroughs and minimizing full-contact\u2014to ensure his players are at their best. This approach also gives him time to handle head coaching duties while focusing on defensive game planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For coaches juggling both roles, it\u2019s essential to carve out specific time for each responsibility. Designate certain days or blocks of time for your head coaching duties, and others for your coordinator work. This compartmentalization helps you stay focused on the task at hand without feeling overwhelmed by the competing demands of both roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adaptability on Game Day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Game day presents unique challenges for head coaches who are also coordinators. As McElroy points out, \u201cThere\u2019s no perfect plan.\u201d While you can prepare for countless scenarios, in-game decisions often require quick thinking and adaptability. You can\u2019t be buried in your call sheet as a coordinator while also needing to manage overall game flow, timeouts, and improtant decisions like whether to go for it on fourth down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key here is building a strong line of communication with your staff. McElroy makes sure he\u2019s connected with his offensive coordinator and special teams coach throughout the game. This allows him to stay informed and ready to make the necessary decisions without feeling pulled away from his defensive duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For coaches in this dual role, having a trusted team that can offer quick feedback and make recommendations is essential. This communication allows you to stay ahead of the game while ensuring both your overall strategy and specific unit adjustments are on point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Importance of Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After the game, the reflection process begins. As a head coach and coordinator, your post-game duties are twofold. You must assess the performance of the entire team and your specific unit. For McElroy, this comes down to continually refining the process. \u201cIt\u2019s an ongoing experiment,\u201d he says of his approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking time to review both the big picture and the details is the challenge. Look at what worked and what didn\u2019t, not only from a team perspective but also in terms of your ability to manage both roles. Were there moments where you felt spread too thin? What adjustments can you make to avoid that in future games?<\/p>\n\n\n\n For coaches trying to balance both positions, self-reflection is invaluable. The more you analyze and adjust your approach, the more effective you\u2019ll become at handling the dual roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being both a head coach and a coordinator is no easy task. It requires a delicate balance of leadership, trust, time management, and adaptability. While he is learning the process himself, Mike McElroy\u2019s journey offers valuable insights into how to succeed in both roles. By trusting your staff, simplifying your systems, structuring your week effectively, maintaining adaptability on game day, and continually reflecting on your approach, you can thrive as both a head coach and coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, it\u2019s not about being perfect. It\u2019s about being prepared, adaptable, and willing to learn from each experience. The balancing act may be challenging, but with the right mindset and strategies, it can also be incredibly rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For their efforts in a win over on October 5, 2024, Coach McElroy and his staff wear recognized as the Hansen Ratings Head Coach and Staff of the Week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Coach McElroy is assisted by Coling Duling, Kyle Kilgore, Tavian Swanson, Mathias Durie, Tyler Krebs, Brooks Byrd, Matt Houston, Brady Bomsta, Tim Carlson, Jaran Roste,, and Eric Tulberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notable Stats<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mike McElroy | Bethel | 43-0 vs. Gustavus Adolphus<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1215],"tags":[1302,1256,147,453],"class_list":["post-9341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-head-coach","tag-balancing-multiple-roles","tag-d3-football","tag-defensive-coordinator","tag-head-coach"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWearing Multiple Hats Effectively<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
D3 Head Coach & Staff of the Week<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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