NBA coaches Need Support from On High

You don’t need credentials as a former NBA player in order to coach in the league.
But it seems to help.
Of the league’s 30 head coaches, only seven haven’t played in the league. The prevailing thought is that former players relate better to today’s athletes.
Frank Layden, no NBA player himself, survived as a coach. He was the second head coach after the Jazz moved to Utah. But, he said this week, ex-players have some advantages.
“I think nowadays it helps, with the high salaries and things like that,” he said.
Among the NBA coaches who used to play are Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. But as Layden pointed out, it’s hard to say whether players relate to someone whose last game as a player was 32 years ago.
“I don’t know how today’s players relate to Jerry — he hasn’t played in 25 (sic) years — with the salaries and unions and agents and everything else. But Jerry has done a very, very good job of coaching,” said Layden.
Layden said he was asked often about whether coaches need to be former players, back when he was coaching the Jazz.
“I don’t think you can fake it,” said Layden. “I don’t care whether you’re a ex-player or whatever. I don’t think (Florida football coach) Urban Meyer played college football, but he sure can coach. So I think the thing is, if you know what you’re doing and what you’re talking about and have confidence in yourself, that’s what counts.”
With more coaches being fired quickly — four have been canned already this year — support from management seems to be eroding.
“You have to give (Jazz owner) Larry Miller a lot of credit,” continued Layden. “I think most coaches fail not because they don’t know the game, but they don’t get the support from above. If you don’t have the authority, you can’t be sergeant in the army. You need the support of the people above you. When you’re a school teacher, you need the principal or the students and parents will eat you alive. You need 110 percent support from the ownership down.”