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Well, they are paid that much because that money is coming in and they sure as hell aren't going to give it to the athletes. So the coach is next in line. Thing
by JamesSwift 5y ago
Well, they are paid that much because that money is coming in and they sure as hell aren't going to give it to the athletes. So the coach is next in line. Things would look quite different if athletes were able to negotiate salary.
- ralph84 5y agoIndeed, in pro sports even average players earn more than their head coaches/managers.
- JamesSwift 5y agoRight. I was interested about it so looked up both NBA and NFL. Both are ~3:1 difference between highest paid players and highest paid coaches.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- philwelch 5y agoCoaches also make a much bigger difference in college sports, because the athletes only have four years of eligibility, and you're lucky to get that much. The best basketball players all leave college after 1-2 years (closer to 0-1 for the very best) while football players usually need more time to develop. The best coaches can build a system that different players can slot into year after year and also recruit the best prospects coming out of high school. Meanwhile in the professional leagues, you have a decent chance of holding onto the best players for much longer than 4 years.
- JamesSwift 5y agoWell yes and no. I think college sports is much more athlete-centric because players still haven't reached the limit of their abilities. So you end up with very large disparities between the great players and the average players, and single great players are much more likely to be able to dominate the game.
- philwelch 5y agoBut from the perspective of an individual program, that’s only going to make a difference for a couple years at most. Being able to consistently recruit great players and set them up to succeed is more valuable.