Regardless of the sport, a successful coach is characterized by two essential traits. The first is the knowledge to teach the fundamental skills and strategies that will lead to effective competition. The second is the ability to prepare his or her players both physically and mentally for the challenges of their contest; the latter includes their vital role of instilling confidence in those they coach.
The abusive coaching tactics uncovered at Rutgers University were thus both inappropriate and counterproductive, a fact evident in that coach's won-loss record. Unfortunately, as occurred at Penn State, administrators were reluctant to intervene, devoted more to the reputation of their institution and to the financial windfall of major sports than to the victims of abusive behavior; in both cases, this misguided approach magnified their losses. Of course, if the abusive coaching behavior had been associated with a minor, non-lucrative sport, the coach would have been fired long ago with little fanfare on campus or in the media.
As the Final Four gets underway in Atlanta, all of the teams have the talent and skills to be victorious. It is likely that the championship will hinge primarily on which coach was best able to motivate and instill confidence in his squad.
