Coaching Pay

[gatorman-uf]

Every other story on my social media feed is about the number of jobs that are available and that businesses are reducing hours/services in order to make due with the workers they have. Many people claim that the answer is pay those workers more and they will come back. Most bring the idea of the $15 minimum wage. 

I bring this up, because every year, we seem to lose coaches to other states or seem to lose coaches as they give up coaching. Even young promising coaches seem to give up on assistant coaching after 4-6 years because on some level the pay is not equal to the commitment. So my question is how do you keep coaches in your program?
There are two "types" of coaches:
School-Based coach... A coach who is at the high/middle/elementary school. They receive their pay based on being a teacher first and a coach second. If we go by the Governor's goal of 47.5K, how much more than that should a Head Coach receive in terms of a stipend? How much more than that should an assistant coach receive? Just as football coaches? We are not counting if they are the Weightlifting or Track Coach. 

The other type of coach is the community coach, who coaches, but has another job, not related to the school that provides for most of their bills. This could be construction, realtor, florist, landscaper, social worker. They are coaches (usually assistants, but not exclusively), how much should they be paid to be coaches?

 

[Perspective]

Great questions, Gatorman.  I'm not sure I can give you definitive answers, but I'll definitely join the conversation because it's an important topic.   While I believe that coaches should be paid more (as should teachers), the Adam Smith in me understands, generally, how a free market system works.   If there is always a new crop of "young promising coaches" willing to fill the void, either to make whatever [additional] money they can or in hopes of kick-starting a career in coaching, it's hard for the employer to justify paying more . . . unless the employer (i.e., the various school districts around the state) are willing to pay more for experience, commitment and quality. 

I've noticed the same thing you have.   The other/additional factor that you did not specifically mention has to do with where the coaches are in their life.   Coaches who start out single then get married.    A couple of years later, if that, their wives have babies.  Perhaps it's the pressure to bring home more money or the legitimate desire on the part of the coaches to spend more time with their own kids than somebody else's kids, but I've seen more than one or two coaches make the decision to 'go in a different direction' and give up the coaching.   

And then there's the handful of coaches that also have teaching jobs, who may be pulling down $50K if you combine their teacher's salary, their coaching stipend, and any extra money they may earn.  If they are successful (and don't wait too long), they may have the opportunity to step up to the collegiate ranks and easily double or triple their income.  Tough to say 'no' to those offers. 

Again, I don't have any immediate solutions - other than increase their pay across the board.  If you have kids who are playing (or who have played sports), you'd probably vote in favor of this proposal.   But, if you have kids who don't play sports, you may not be as inclined to support such a position. 

Again, great questions.