As we all prepare for the upcoming season now is a great time to go over duties and responsibilities for each member of the staff. It is important that every Coach knows their duty and expectations. By taking time to evaluate and assign roles for the staff, you will find that there are aspects of the game and the program that y will be improved by having one member focus and accept responsibility for it.
All of our staff situations are different. Some of the folks reading this are in the college game and have obvious advantages versus those of us in the high school game strictly on the size of their staffs and resources. Some high schools have multiple coaches, some will have a "part-time" coach on loan from another sport. My first job I didn't have an assistant so I actually kept a notebook with ideas and plays to glance at. I also kept a pen to write down when something worked, didn't work or something worked against us. In a sense I was taking notes. (Its not a bad idea to take notes in a game. Use them for halftime adjustment or steal a set.) Regardless of your situation, you have a job to accomplish.
The biggest concern when dividing up responsibilities is trust. That goes for care of equipment to calling BLOBs (BaseLine Out of Bounds). This is a great way to increase the way your staff works together and also for Head Coaches to help promote their assistants.
I've attached a checklist for you to look over with your staff. Again, this is just a template that I've had success with, both as a Head Coach and as an Assistant. One relationship I didn't include is that with your Athletic Trainer. A working relationship with your trainer is simple: Treat them like a coach and they'll think like a coach. Listen to them about rest and recovery for players. You're not asking them to diagram plays. Some may have that ability, some may not. Trust them.
Success is found in Trust.
Coach White's Checklist for Staff Responsibilities
Coach White's Checklist for Staff Responsibilities (older excel version)
Thoughts about the game of basketball and life from Coach Greg White.
