Job Hunting Season: An Opportunity of a Lifetime or a Gateway to Getting Fired.

5 Signs The Job is a Career Minefield:

1. The AD is forever interviewing for head coaching positions in the key sports. (Do the research)

~An AD who fires like Dirty Harry is likely to tell you one thing today and something very different the first time your program confronts a little adversity. Listen to him or her when you interview. It will be in his language. If it feels like he is blaming all of the programs struggles on the former coach, he will be blaming you in about 18 months. If you here this, and you still really want the opportunity, make sure there is enough talent in the upper classes RIGHT NOW to impact the record at the varsity level. If there's not, keep hunting!

2. High administrative turnover rate.

~The people who hire you are the only ones who have any stake in you. If you know the AD, principal, etc, are highly likely to be gone in a year or two, you're playing Russian roulette with your career by accepting the job.

3. Lack of essential facilities---like a locker room area.

~No locker room means there was absolutely no culture under the previous head coach. In and of itself, this isn't a deal breaker. But I'd strongly urge any candidate to ask if building a locker room would be possible, and anything short of a resounding "yes" would be a deal breaker. It's very tough to build culture--I'd say impossible--without a place the players and staff can call home.

4. Too many "experts" in the interview.

~If there's more than 4 people in the interview, there's no way they will all agree on the hire--especially if every one of them reveals a different opinion about what needs to be addressed to "fix" the program.

5. Very poor sub-varsity teams, grades 8-9-JV.

~In today's climate, you're getting 3 years tops to show progress; 2 is more likely. So, I'd say it's probably even more important that the sophomores and freshmen have a reasonable level of talent because two bad years means you're highly unlikely to get a third. Research this vigilantly!

Looking forward to seeing comments, additions to the list, and anything else that goes along with the job hunting season from The 98% Club!