Aplayer–coach (alsoplaying coach,captain–coach, orplayer–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing andcoaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make changes to the squad and also play on the team.
Very few current major professional sports teams have head coaches who are also players, though it is common for senior players to take a role in managing more junior athletes. Historically, when professional sports had less money to pay players and coaches or managers, player–coaches were more common. Likewise, where player–coaches exist today, they are more common at, but not exclusive to, the lower levels where money is less available.
The player–coach was, for many decades, a long-time fixture in professionalbasketball. Many notable coaches in theNBA served as player–coaches, includingBill Russell andLenny Wilkens. This was especially true up through the 1970s, when the league was not as financially successful as it is today, and player–coaches were often used to save money. The practice fell out of favor in the 1980s (thoughMike Dunleavy Sr., while an assistant coach with theMilwaukee Bucks, once came out of retirement and played several games when a rash of injuries decimated the team). Today, thecollective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the players' union prohibits the use of player–coaches, in order to avoid circumventing the league'ssalary cap, as coaches' salaries are not counted under the cap. Therefore, if a player is to serve as a coach, he would have to receive commission from his contract as a player. The player, then, is not technically an official coach of his team but instead simply a coach in name. One example of a player in recent years who was groomed for eventual official coaching duties using this practice wasAvery Johnson. The last player to serve as an official assistant coach wasTree Rollins for theOrlando Magic during the 1994–1995 season, and the last player to serve as head coach wasDave Cowens for theBoston Celtics during the 1978–1979 season.
In the early days of professional American football, player–coaches were a necessity, as most leagues' rules prohibited coaching from the sidelines. TheNational Football League eventually allowed sideline coaches in the late 1920s, and they quickly became the norm. During the 1920s, legendary player–coaches in the NFL includeCurly Lambeau, who played for theGreen Bay Packers from 1919 to 1929 and served as their head coach from 1919 to 1949, andGeorge Halas, who held similar roles for theChicago Bears, a team for which he was also part-owner and business manager.Ernie Nevers held the positions of both fullback and head coach for theDuluth Eskimos in 1927 and theChicago Cardinals from 1929 to 1931.Jimmy Conzelman was player–coach for four teams during the 1920s. In the mid-1950s,Tom Landry played defensive back while serving asdefensive coordinator for theNew York Giants. In the early 1970s, when Landry was coach of theDallas Cowboys, he made running backDan Reeves a player–coach.
In the television era, pro football evolved into a higher-impact two-platoon game, so players serving as head coaches became impractical.
More modern players have acted as player–assistant coaches in an unofficial capacity, such as journeyman quarterbackSteve DeBerg, who served as an unofficial mentor for younger, more skilled arms while also serving as their backup.
In an official capacity, much like the NBA, the currentCBA between the NFL and theNFL Players Association prohibits official player–coaches due to teams using it to circumvent the salary cap. This was evident in2020 when theDenver Broncos were forced to startpractice squadwide receiverKendall Hinton at quarterback due to all of the Broncos regular quarterbacks being placed intoCOVID-19 protocols as a result of backup quarterbackJeff Driskel testing positive for COVID-19 and being around the remaining quarterbacks on the team without wearingface masks. Originally, the Broncos wanted to use offensive quality control coachRob Calabrese to play quarterback, but the NFL turned them down out of hand.[1] The Saints defeated the Broncos 31–3, with Hinton going 1 for 9 and twointerceptions.[2]
By the 21st century, on-field playcalling duties would often be split between the head coach or offensive coordinator and thequarterback.Peyton Manning,[3]Brett Favre,Tom Brady,Ben Roethlisberger andDrew Brees pioneered what would essentially become roles as on-field offensive coordinators by taking vocal leadership in playcalling and game management.
Player–coaches incricket are almost unheard of, although professional coaches are a relatively recent innovation and a similar role was generally filled by theteam captain; this may still be the case in amateur competition. Internationally,Shane Deitz was appointed non-playing coach ofVanuatu in 2014 and, after meeting the necessary residency qualifications, made his international playing debut in 2018, at the age of 42.[4] Similarly, former Australian internationalRyan Campbell was appointed as a non-playingbatting coach ofHong Kong in 2013,[5] and after meeting the residency qualifications made his playing debut for Hong Kong in 2016, at the age of 44.[6]
More recently theICC full-member team ofIndia had a spell in following the resignation of head coachAnil Kumble where the team played without a coach. In this instance, team captainVirat Kohli was given the nickname 'Koach' (Kohli + Coach) as he served as player–coach for the tour of theWest Indies in 2017.[7]
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Inassociation football, this situation usually arises when amanager leaves a team suddenly, and thechairman has to make a quick decision to appoint someone new as acaretaker manager. The chairman will usually either ask acoach to take temporary charge or turn to one of the club's most senior players. If this particular player gains good results for the team during his time in charge, he may be appointed full-time manager, which leaves him a player–manager. However, there are instances when afree agent is appointed by a new team as a manager and offers his playing abilities.
Notable football player–managers include:Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool),Graeme Souness (Rangers),Glenn Hoddle (Swindon Town andChelsea),Bryan Robson (Middlesbrough),Peter Reid (Manchester City),Ruud Gullit,Gianluca Vialli (both Chelsea).[8][9] Dalglish wona double of the league title andFA Cup in his first season as player–manager and continued to win two more league titles and an FA Cup before retiring from playing completely five years after becoming manager. Souness won three Scottish league titles and several cup competitions when he was player–manager of Rangers. He then succeeded Dalglish as Liverpool manager just before Rangers won another Scottish league title, but at the age of 38 he did not register himself as a player for Liverpool. In 1997, Ruud Gullit won the FA Cup with Chelsea in his first season as player–manager, also making history by being the first foreign and non-white manager to win a major trophy in English football. He was sacked nine months later, and Chelsea appointed another player–manager (Gianluca Vialli) in his place. Within weeks of taking over, Vialli guided Chelsea to victory in theLeague Cup, and two months after that, they won theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup.[8][9]
A number of bigger clubs have appointed player–managers on a temporary basis but not given them permanent contracts. Notable cases includeOssie Ardiles (Tottenham Hotspur) in 1987 andDave Watson (Everton) a decade later, although Ardiles later returned to Tottenham as manager in 1993 after managing three other clubs. During the first decade of the 21st century, however, the concept gradually fell into almost total disuse and was normally only practiced by smaller clubs.[10] In March 2013, aBBC Sport article suggested that the concept of having a player–manager had gone out of fashion, with only two clubs in the English professional leagues using player–managers at that time.[10]
There have been five player–managers in thePremier League since 2000:
Chelsea L.F.C. defenderCasey Stoney served a six-month spell as player–manager from January to June 2009 after the mid-season resignation of manager Steve Jones, and guided the club to a third-place finish in the2008–09 FA Women's Premier League National Division.[11]
InSlovakia, comparably to surrounding countries, player–coaches and player–managers are most common in semi-professional or amateur clubs, with sides being led by formerly professional players on the brink of retirement or in early stages of their managerial careers. Frequently, such player–managers are linked with clubs from their native areas. Examples includeMilan Jambor playing and managingFK Svit,Stanislav Šesták playing for and managing a club from his native village ofDemjata orPeter Petráš's tenure inTatran Prešov during their years in crisis in3. Liga.[12][13][14] In professional football (top two leagues) such cases are rarer but have occurred in the past, especially in smaller and financially struggling clubs, such asSenica, which has cooperated withJuraj Piroska simultaneously in a role of a players and assistant manager.[15]
In 2019,Vincent Kompany served as player–manager forRSC Anderlecht before retiring.[8][9]
In September 2021,Ferencvárosi TC appointed forwardFanny Vágó as player–manager, who then led the team to twoNői NB I championships in 2021–22 and 2022–23 while also continuing as the league's leading goalscorer in both seasons.[16] When prompted to choose between managing her club and continuing to play for theHungary women's national football team by its managerMargret Kratz, Fanny chose club management and ended her international career.[17]
Brazilian world-cup winnerRomário was also a player–coach forVasco da Gama in 2007.[18] He was appointed in November 2006 when Celso Roth was sacked after a loss and debuted in a 1–0 win againstClub América in the quarterfinals of theCopa Sudamericana. Despite the victory, Vasco was eliminated because of a 2–0 loss in the first leg. He continued as a coach until early February when he decided to go against Vasco's presidentEurico Miranda forced him to use the then youth playerAlan Kardec in a match forCampeonato Carioca. Romário left Vasco both as a coach and player.[19]
In 2009,Sky Blue FC defenderChristie Rampone took on her team's player–manager role after the resignation ofKelly Lindsey, herself the caretaker manager after the earlier resignation ofIan Sawyers.[20] She led Sky Blue from the lowest seed in the2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs to the league's inaugural championship match, which Sky Blue won.[21] Rampone later revealed that she was also more than two months' pregnant during her championship run as player–manager.[22]
The chief executive of theLeague Managers Association stated his belief that the increased workload for managers made combining the two roles difficult. The last permanent player–manager in the top flight of English football wasGianluca Vialli, who retired from playing in 1999 when he was the manager of Chelsea.[10] The governing bodies have also imposed requirements for managers to hold professional coaching qualifications, which few players obtain before retiring.[10]
Inbaseball, themanager selects thelineup andstarting pitcher before each game, and makes substitutions throughout the game. In earlybaseball history, it was not uncommon for players to serve as player–managers; that is, they managed the team while still being signed to play for the club. One reason for this is that by hiring a player as a manager, the team could save money by paying only one salary.[23][24]: 4 Also, popular players were named player–managers in an effort to boost game attendance.[24]: 4–5 The early history of player–managers in baseball is also responsible for the unique quirk in modern baseball of a team's non-playing staff to continue to wear the sameuniform as its players.[25][26]
While noMajor League Baseball (MLB) team has been led by a player–manager since 1986, they were once common. In 1934, five of the eightNational League managers were also players.[24]: 10 Notable players who spent time as player–managers includeCap Anson,Lou Boudreau,Fred Clarke,Ty Cobb,Mickey Cochrane,Frankie Frisch,Joe Cronin,Connie Mack,John McGraw,Frank Robinson,Tris Speaker, andJoe Torre, each of whom is an inductee of theNational Baseball Hall of Fame. Clarke spent the longest time as a major league player–manager, serving as such for theLouisville Colonels from 1897 to 1899 and thePittsburgh Pirates from 1900 to 1915. Robinson became the first African-American manager in MLB history, breaking anotherbaseball color line, when he was named theCleveland Indians' player–manager in 1975.
The most recent player–manager in MLB wasPete Rose, who, upon being traded from theMontreal Expos to theCincinnati Reds in August 1984, was immediately named the Reds' manager.[27] Rose managed and served as a backup infielder until the end of the 1986 season, when he retired as a player. Rose continued to manage the Reds until 1989, when he was given a lifetime ban by MLB for gambling on baseball.
During the 1999 SeasonWebster Garrison served as a player–coach for theMidland Rockhounds of theTexas League, (AA). Garrison played in 43 games while acting as the hitting coach for the team.
In their final game of the 2016 season, theMiami Marlins allowedMartin Prado to serve as player–manager. Prado started the game at third base and played for three innings before taking himself out of the game.[28]
Captain–coaches used to be a relatively common occurrence inAustralian rules football, even at thehighest level of play; in fact, for thefirst nine years of the VFL (1897–1905), thepremiership-winning team was coached by a player in every instance. However, the increasing professionalism and complications of the game late into the 20th century meant that the efficacy of captain–coaching was becoming increasingly unviable. The last captain–coach to win the premiership at the top level wasCarlton'sAlex Jesaulenko, who managed to secure a 5-point victory in the1979 VFL Grand Final againstCollingwood. Jesaulenko was also the final captain–coach in the VFL/AFL, serving as captain–coach until Round 8 on 16 May 1981.[29] However,Malcolm Blight was a non-captaining player–coach atNorth Melbourne until Round 16 of the same season but was not captain during this time.[30]
Doug Harvey has the distinction of being theNHL's last player to simultaneously hold the role of permanent head coach, i.e., not in anacting capacity.[31] He held the dual roles with theNew York Rangers during the1961–62 season—a year in which he led the team to thesemi-finals and was awarded his seventhNorris Trophy for bestdefenceman in the league.[32] He again served as a player–coach for theKansas City Blues of theCentral Professional Hockey League in1967.[33]
FormerPhiladelphia Flyersteam captain,Bobby Clarke, was appointed as a playing assistant coach in1979 and served five years in the role.[34][35] League rules required that he give up his role asteam captain while coaching.[36]
Bobby Hull served as a player–coach for theWinnipeg Jets of the now-defunctWorld Hockey Association from1972 to1974.[37][38]
FormerNHL player,Charlie Burns, played for, and coached, the1969–70 Minnesota North Stars when he was asked to fill in for coachWren Blair, who had fallen ill.[39][40] He had previously served as a player–coach for the1965–66 and1966–67San Francisco Seals of the now-defunctWestern Hockey League (1952–1974), leading the team to the semi-final round of theplayoffs both years.[39]
Hockey Hall of Fame builder,Harry Sinden, was a player–coach with theKingston Frontenacs when he was named bestdefenseman in theEastern Professional Hockey League (1959–1963) for the 1961–62 season.[41] He again served as a player–coach when he led theOklahoma City Blazers (1965–1977) to theCentral Professional Hockey League championship in the1965–66 CPHL season.[42][43]
Hockey Hall of Famer,Cy Denneny, played for the 1929Boston Bruins while coaching the team to its firstStanley Cup championship.[39][44]
Esa Tikkanen, a five-timeStanley Cup winner as a player, played for, and coached, theAnyang Halla of theAsia League Ice Hockey during the2004–05 season.[45][46]
In 2014,Buffalo Sabres goalie coach,Artūrs Irbe, was enlisted mid-match to dress as anemergency back–up goaltender; however, he did not play.[47][48][49]
There have been quarterbacks who called their own plays, but it was nowhere near the same as what he did. He basically called every play by adjusting and/or changing the play once he saw what the defense was doing.