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Originally Posted by SMEngmann
The one thing I take away from this, and granted I wasn't there to hear the exact words used (thus I won't question JRut's judgement), is that the vast majority of the board is willing to treat the assistant coaches like dirt. In fact, many seem to take pride in their less than zero tolerance approach to assistant coaches, and for me at least, this approach is counterproductive.
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You would be very wrong. I work 2 other sports. It is the very same expectation to not tolerate questioning of officials by assistants in those coaches. When I worked my very first D1 Plate Game of my career in baseball last year, I had a play at the plate and the team at bat AC came out to complain and I did not eject them. After the game I was told that I should have ejected him, because he had no right as an AC to question the umpires. At the time I did not realize this was an assistant coach complaining (my mistake), but I was told by a veteran that at that level that was not at all accepted. Even if you watch a D1 Basketball game, you do not see AC getting up in the faces of the officials ever.
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Originally Posted by SMEngmann
My opinion is that people who immediately treat assistant coaches with disdain, and giving them the "Mt. Rushmore" are doing themselves a disservice in managing the game. Granted, we can't have multiple voices speaking for a team or disputing calls vocally from the bench, but if an assistant has a respectful question here or there, even about a call I made, I am willing to respectfully answer that question. I won't do it often, but I don't believe in ignoring the assistant or being rude to him (not that I'm saying JRut was in the OP). If I treat the assistants with respect, then I may be able to get a favor from them in terms of helping the team out of a timeout, passing a message or whatever. Plus, it helps to foster a relationship, if I have a tough call and I've been respectful with assistants the assistant could vouch for me with the head coach and help head off a confrontation.
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Once again I disagree with you. If the HC had nothing to say or ask, I really do not need to be answering a lot of questions from an AC. Now having said that, if an assistant has a question that is related to helping the HC that is different. Usually you might have an AC ask about where the ball will be put in after a timeout and that is OK as long as it is not a debate to why it is put there (which happen this year in a game and my partner let him know very quickly to go back to his bench). I also did not disrespect this AC in my story. I let him know that the HC will be talking for his team. Just like some guys want to only hear from the captain, I only want to talk to the HC. Since the HC has all the pressure and responsibility of the program, I do not want to hear from someone other than that person. The rules also pretty much backs that up.
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Originally Posted by SMEngmann
I had one scenario where this helped me earlier this year, and it was with a team I'd never seen before. The assistant had asked me something simple early in the game, I responded politely. Toward the end of the 1st half I had a backcourt call right in front of the bench (near the C, I was T) involving an airborne player leaving FC catching and landing in BC. Coach started to go nuts, assistant calmed him down, and then at halftime the HC came up to me and apologized for his reaction and said the assistant said I got the play right. Assistants can influence the HC, so anything you can do IMO to foster those relationships without any effect on the control of the game can help you during the games.
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Here is another aspect you are missing in this argument from my point of view. You make it sound like every AC is just calm and cordial when they comment to the officials. Often times the AC is yelling and screaming, standing up and yelling about a minor call and saying things like, "You need to call that!!!" These confrontations are not as simple as what you have stated. What I did not say earlier in my post is this was about the 3rd time I was being questioned by an assistant and I was right next to the bench. It did not get out of hand and did not happen where that could be addressed, but I wanted that AC to know that the HC can talk to me. Later in that game when I T'd up one of his players for mouthing off, it was the HC that I wanted to give my explanation and the HC even joked with me about that player. It is not as simple as you want to make it. But I can tell you at all levels and sports I officiate, AC are there to assist the HC, not to tell the officials/umpires what to call or not call. The coaches that have been around for a long time know this very well, because they will tell their assistants to "shut up" (which happen to me this season) when they cross a line.
Peace