A Coach That Is A Coach

If thou cannot play
Why not coach?
If thou once played
Then why not spread the wealth of knowledge
And coach
Young men and women to be champions
As well as perfect students of the game
And model citizens, most definitely that
But how many coaches really get it in America?
Really want to produce fine young men and women as well as win games?
Uh, let’s see
Coach K at Duke? Yeah, he’s got a clue.
Roy Williams at UNC? Yeah, he’s a players coach, respected and revered around the country
Probably the world ‘cause UNC, wearing that baby blue outfits, has a name
Has long had great coaches, mostly on the hardwood from the great Dean Smith to now Roy
Who battles year after year with Coach K, Tobacco Road Classics
From great players and two A plus coaches, total class acts
Which is what every coach should be
Which is what the legendary Bob Knight was at Indiana
When he was not throwing chairs or choking players
But his players were winners, graduated, became model citizens
So coach Knight, you were Da Man
Never mind your rants and raves, foot stomps and mean looks
And the purpose of all this as you read and read along?
Well, I’m here to grade coaches, those of which the majority may know
Like, oh USC football coach Pete Carroll at USC – simply great, always fields national championship contenders, A-plus
Like, oh college basketball coach John Thompson III at Georgetown – composed, smart, players coach, winner, A-plus
Like, well, say a high school coach you do not know, say Liberty High (Pa.) coach Tim Moncman – former hard-hitting linebacker in high school and college, two-time PIAA state runner-up coach …
Uh, A-minus ‘cause he has yet to win the big one
But he’s a coach who played, who knows his x’s and o’s, how to motivate as well as how to discipline
And, of course, how to spread the wealth of his knowledge
Which is why year-after-year Liberty High in Lehigh Valley, Pa. is a state title contender
Which does not always identify a great coach
But when player after player graduates and goes to college on scholarship
Then, well, there’s a coach doing something right
Which you’d hope all coaches would do
Graduate, educate, elevate.