Why dont we merge the GM and Head Coach Position?

[SenzZen]

Why don't the players sell beer after their shift is finished?

I mean, they're just going to sit around for a couple of minutes anyway...

 

[Anglesmith]

I think if you're trying to compare hockey to football/soccer, the biggest difference which is immediate is how much time there is between games. Hockey coaches do the same amount of film review and gameplanning, but compressed from a week into a day.

In addition, there are factors individual to each other sport. In soccer, the GM position really only exists in January and in August (during the transfer window) so there is nowhere near the same amount of time spent negotiating with other teams and trying to improve your club that way. In football, the offensive, defensive and special teams coordinators have much more responsibility than assistant coaches in hockey, and lessen the amount of actual coaching that a football coach is required to do.

So it really is a different balance in hockey, and there's a reason that people can't hold both positions for very long. (Darryl Sutter is another example, by the way).

 

[DyerMaker66*]

Around here, we call that the "Doug MacLean approach".

He actually also added Head Coach to his job responsibilities at one point, but gave up after about a year or so.

O I C.

 

[Doctyl]

The jobs require separate skill sets.

To be a good NHL head coach, you need to be one of the best head coaches in the world.

To be a good NHL general manager, you need to be one of the best general managers in the world.

Although possible, what's the likelihood that a single man in one of the best in the world at two separate (albeit related) types of skills?

Dallas Eakins and Craig MacTavish beg to differ that you need to be one of the best at anything

 

[mikethelegacy]

Just because a person knows the game, doesn't mean they can scout talent, or negotiate deals, or plan for the future.

 

[MessierII]

Glen Sather dynasty Oilers style? With the cap and what not it's way too difficult to pull it off now.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think it's helpful to have a complete understanding of what the GM does, beyond signing players and hiring coaches.

The Calgary Flames website gives a brief job description:

In his position with Calgary, Treliving reports directly to President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke. He is responsible for all team personnel decisions, both players and staff; manage the amateur and pro scouting staffs; as well as other administrative duties required of the general manager. He is also responsible for all player personnel assignments with Flames’ minor league affiliates.

That's a lot of administrative duties. Think of all the time that he must spend in scouting, recruiting, negotiating, and managing every single player AND staff person on the payroll of the organization. It's a lot more than a nine-to-five type of job; he probably shows up earlier and leaves later than anyone else in the arena, just to keep his head above water.

Just to provide a sense of what GMs go through in order to prove themselves at a lower level and actually be qualified for an NHL position, here's an actual job description from a women's pro league:

Communication

• ensures conflicts and concerns between players, coaches,
  and managerial staff is addressed.

• Communication between the league and team, meaning the General Manager must act as the main point of contact for all matters and transactions

• Communication between team and association, in cases where the Team is affiliated with a girl’s hockey association

Team Selection

• recruitment and selection of all team personnel

• Coaches should be selected by a committee within the team personnel that is then mediated by the General Manager.

• ensure that all rules & regulations that govern the recruitment of players will be followed as to the CWHLs policies.

• recruit and select staff members such as Equipment Manager
  and Team Trainers.

• recruit and train Game Ticket Sellers, Time Keepers, Announcers and so forth including both game day staff and event promotion.

Team Rules

• CWHL Code of Conduct must be ensured by the General Manager

• The General Manager must develop a team Code of Conduct

Team Eligibility

• being aware of special conditions within eligibility is crucial such as substitute goaltenders, USA/International player transfers/tryout etc.

• Roster submission to the OWHA and CWHL and reporting of all Roster changes to the OWHA and CWHL.

Team Records

• The General Manager must ensure that the team records are adequately maintained.

• This information should consist of roster list, contact lists, medical information, schedules, game reports, and financials.

Team Financials

• The General Manager is responsible for their team’s finances and must ensure that they adhere to all of the policies and procedures of the CWHL this includes budget development and financial records.

• The General Manager is responsible for ensuring that their teams practice and game ice is confirmed and booked

Game Day Operations

• The General Manager is responsible for ensuring that the games run smoothly and the necessary protocols are followed.

Travel Organization

• The General Manager must coordinate all travel arrangements through CWHL-approved service providers.

Media & Marketing

• The General Manager will serve as the point of contact for media and marketing- related issues surrounding the team. Media and marketing includes the General Managers responsibility to promotion of games and community involvement that their team
  participate in locally.

Fundamentally, the expectations of an NHL GM are the same as in this lower league. Of course the stakes are MUCH higher in the NHL, the issues are MUCH more complicated, and the staff and resources available to the manager are MUCH greater. So he has to have the organizational knowhow to put together a staff that can make all of these things run properly, then delegate responsibilities and manage the staff as necessary.

There was a good Hockey Writers article a couple of years ago that described the specific skillset that's required to do that job successfully:

http://thehockeywriters.com/overtime/winning-nhl-general-managers/


Now... imagine doing that AND coaching the team at the same time. Not gonna happen. GM'ing is a hell of a job unto itself.

 

[hockeydoug]

And Mike Keenan.

Holding both positions for some reason makes the person lose their minds.

Mike Keenan was going to be my answer
Mike Keenan is my top reason NOT to let coaches do quite a few things besides coach.

 

[Retire91]

I think the demands of each position would make the other position suffer in quality. Coaching and GM are both full time jobs. I don't think you could do either well without dedicating yourself to that position 100%.

I also agree with the previous poster. The odds of someone being both a good coach and a good GM are very slim because they are such different jobs. There are only a handful of great GM's and a handful of great coaches. The odds of someone being great at both are very low.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Isn't Roy basically GM and coach in Colorado?

 

[torlev*]

First, I doubt all good coaches have the skillset necessary to be a good GM.

Second, I'd worry that a coaches job, to win games, might cause for some conflict with a GMs job, to win seasons. I'd worry that a GM that is coaching the team might make trades and moves in order to win games now, more readily than a GM who might have a longer term view in mind.

 

[Sleepy]

Why have assistant coaches?
Why have trainers?
Why have presidents and guys to negotiate TV deals?
Why have PR guys, can't the coach just tell'em what not to say?

Because they are all full time jobs, require different skillets, and require different levels of compensation.

 

[WaveRaven]

Why not just get rid of the coach and only have a GM.

Todays players run the room anyhow and just go to the GM to whine anyhow ..... Like we aren't having any fun ! He's too hard on us !!!! Pretty hard to respect todays players.

 

[who_me?]

what we need are player-coaches. that would be awesome.

 

[DyerMaker66*]

Why not just get rid of the coach and only have a GM.

Todays players run the room anyhow and just go to the GM to whine anyhow ..... Like we aren't having any fun ! He's too hard on us !!!! Pretty hard to respect todays players.

The game is overcoached anyway. Coaches are ruining the NHL.

 

[BonMorrison]

I'm the coach and GM on NHL 14 so I'm not sure why this would be such a hard issue.

 

[SenzZen]

Why have assistant coaches?
Why have trainers?
Why have presidents and guys to negotiate TV deals?
Why have PR guys, can't the coach just tell'em what not to say?

Because they are all full time jobs, require different skillets, and require different levels of compensation.

 

[Bolt32]

A good coach will actually be emotionally invested in their players. To know how best to motivate them and to use them.

A good GM will remained emotionally distant from his team to have an unbiased look at his roster and how to best fix it.

The two aren't compatible to be merged into one job.

 

[Sleepy]

You are now my favorite person. Autocorrect is the devil.

 

[Sanderson]

It's not like football only knows a manager who does both jobs at once either. It's common in England, but pretty much non-existant in Germany, where you usually have a manager and a head coach, and at times an additional director of sports and whatever else the team deems necessary.

The benefit of a head coach who is also manager of the team is obviously that there won't be any disagreements about which players to buy or to sell, or in hockey to sign or trade for. This can also be a disadvantage though, because if the person in charge is wrong, there is no real way to prevent him from making the mistake. It's also quite a lot of work for one person. Now, that might not be much of a problem, because you have plenty of assistants who help you, but it could take away attention from pressing needs if you are currently occupied with issues of the other job.

 

[torlev*]

It's not like football only knows a manager who does both jobs at once either. It's common in England, but pretty much non-existant in Germany, where you usually have a manager and a head coach, and at times an additional director of sports and whatever else the team deems necessary.

The benefit of a head coach who is also manager of the team is obviously that there won't be any disagreements about which players to buy or to sell, or in hockey to sign or trade for. This can also be a disadvantage though, because if the person in charge is wrong, there is no real way to prevent him from making the mistake. It's also quite a lot of work for one person. Now, that might not be much of a problem, because you have plenty of assistants who help you, but it could take away attention from pressing needs if you are currently occupied with issues of the other job.

I think it could help the Ottawa Senators. Every penny saved on a coach/GM can go to another player.