There have been encyclopedias written about the philosophy of coaching. It can seem so complicated, so byzantine. But it was the great Chuck Daly who reduced the profession to its simplest terms, back when he was massaging egos on the Bad Boy Pistons, taking on the job of leading the original Dream Team through the 1992 Olympics.
“It’s a players’ league,” he said, referring specifically to the NBA but with the understanding he was talking about any sport, any game, any level. “They allow you to coach them or they don’t. Once they stop allowing you to coach, you’re on your way out.