By: Gage Miskimen [Staff Writer]

With the firing of Rutgers University’s men’s basketball coach, Mike Rice, people should really ask the question, “What makes a good coach?”. Rice was fired for treating his players poorly, examples being: calling them foul names, pushing them, kicking them, and even chucking basketballs at them at “point blank” range. Hours of practice footage show all of this and more.

So what does make a good coach? A coach, whether in sports or music or drama related activities should be somebody who is there to teach their students and players and help them excel in their certain activity. A coach is a mentor who should be trusted and coaches should care for their players and influence them in a positive way. In sports, coaches can get frustrated and try to push their athletes to achieve, but this should also be done in a positive, but still critical way. Verbal and physical abuse will never make a coach successful with his or her team. It will only add more pressure to the team, which in turn will lead to a disastrous season or performance.

Coaches are supposed to be role models for kids, athletes, and students. They are supposed to be somebody to look up to and respect. People are more likely to respect a friendly, responsible coach than they are to respect a bully. Coaching can be hard with all the responsibility that they hold, but coaching is only for those who are strong enough to be able to handle it and make their teams successful on and off the court, the field, or the stage. Coaches have a lot on their plates and they should be respected for what they do.