By Athletes spend their whole lives dedicating themselves to their craft. It consumes all their time to the point that they may not consider other options outside of sports. Because of this, a lot of athletes choose to stay within the sports world.
From front office jobs in organizations to player consultants and even coaching and managing. The ex-players can make the best coaches because they know what it takes to play the sport and win. They have been in the shoes of the younger athletes they are guiding. An athlete turned coach can be characterized as hard working, a players coach, and well versed in the sport.
Here is a list of four athletes turned coaches.
Doc Rivers (NBA)
Doc Rivers played in the NBA for 13 seasons. The teams he played for include the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers New York Knicks, and San Antonia Spurs. There was only a three-year gap between the time he stopped playing and when he began coaching in 1999 for the Orlando Magic.
Along with the Orlando Magic, he has coached the Boston Celtics (2004-2013), Los Angeles Clippers (2013-2020), and currently the Philadelphia 76ers.
His accomplishments as a coach includes NBA championship in 2008 with Celtics and being a 3x NBA All Star Coach in 2008, 2011, and 2012.
He is one of the more popular examples in modern sports of athlete turned coach.
Jacques Lemaire (NHL)
Montréal Canadiens icon turned one of the best coaches the New Jersey Devils ever had. Lemaire won eight Stanley Cups with the Canadiens as a center. His 12 seasons of play led him to accumulating 336 goals and 496 assist. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.
His coaching career starting in the NHL in 1983 when he went to coach the team, he spent his whole career with. But his real success came when he went to coach in the New Jersey Devils (1993-1998).
He led the team to a Stanley Cup win in 1995 and won the Jack Adams Award. He also coached the Minnesota Wild in the early 2000s.
Athletes turned coaches is very common in hockey. Hockey players tend to stay within the sport somehow.
Mike Ditka (NFL)
Football legend, coach, and television commentator, Mike Ditka has done it all in the NFL. His playing career starts in 1961 with the Chicago Bears. He later goes on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles (1967-1968) and the Dallas Cowboys (1969-1972).
He has a stacked accomplishment list as a player and coach. As a player he was a Super Bowl Champion, an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, an 2x First team All Pro, 3x Second team All pro, and a 5x Pro Bowl attendee.
As a coach he won a Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears in 1986. He won NFL Coach of the Year in 1985 and 1988.
Joe Torre (MLB)
The man who led the charge in for the New York Yankee dynasty in the 1990s as a manager. Between 1996-2003, the Yankee team he was on won four World Series Championships.
His managing career took a bit of time to reach its height. He started with the Mets (a team he played for in the 70s), then later the Atlanta Braves. Both teams had mediocre seasons. It wasn’t until he got to the Yankees. His success led to years of winning in New York.
Managing is a bit different from coaching but the idea of a ex player knowing exactly what a team needs is the same. Athletes turned coaches is the best example of how insular sports can be.
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