Athletic Director Mock Interview
Master 35 Athletic Director interview questions covering budget management, compliance, and program leadership.
Question 19 of 35
If a coach was loved by the students but under-performing on the field, what would you do?
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Example Answer
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Community Answers
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
This is a problem-solving question. Consider your experience from the past. If you have experienced this scenario, discuss how you handled it and what the positive outcome was. Share that you understand you would be responsible for resolving this situation, even though the coach is to be held accountable.
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"If I had a well-liked coach who was underperforming, I would discreetly put the coach on a performance plan. Most individuals perform better when their work is monitored, and it's a short-term requirement. I have found that performance plans are fast solutions for those motivated to keep their jobs."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"This situation has come up in my current role, and I think clear communication of expectations is key. By providing solid feedback to the coach while setting specific goals and guidelines, we can create a performance plan to measure success."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"If the coach cannot meet the needs and requirements of the school, there may be an opportunity to move them into another role. I would hope to keep the strong team dynamic in place while managing our team members appropriately."
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Anonymous Answer
I think it depends on what under-performing means to a point. A coach that is loved by the students but not winning is different than one that loved but not doing their job to live up to our standard. If they are not meeting our standard, I think you need to meet with them and discuss what the concerns are. Do your homework. Talk to parents and assistant coaches, see what the culture within the team looks like. If the culture is there, then a performance plan can help. Make sure they are still invested. If they are, they will be driven to improve.
Rachelle's Feedback
Great distinction between the two scenarios. Have you ever had to address a situation like this?
Anonymous Answer
I would confer with the coach to see if anything could be done to improve on-field performance and implement those solutions. If the team was underperforming because of the coach and he/she could not or would not affect the changes needed, then perhaps a change would be needed. Sometimes won/loss records are the fault of feeder programs or lack thereof, a culture of failure within the athletic community at large, the talent pool, etc. It is not always the coach.
Chad's Feedback
It's a great idea to provide a hypothetical response to the situation of an under-performing but well-loved, coach. This is especially a strong approach to take if you do not have the career experience to draw from, as of yet. However, ensure it is clear to the interviewer in your answer that you understand you would be responsible for resolving the situation and discuss the steps you would take to determine if the coach is at fault, or if other factors are to blame.
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