How Long Can Geno Be a Great Coach? A New Perspective ...

[Tonyc]

When Geno retires it will be a huge loss for UConn and CT as well as WCBB. Geno is a legend. He and his teams are a huge draw anywhere they go. The revenues brought in by the UConn WCBB team are huge. UConn fans follow UConn near and far. Geno's name in Italy and Europe is a symbol of the greatest teacher and coach in the game. I believe UConn has a plan for Geno when he retires. I believe it will be semi retirement and he will still be around part time/spare time working with the team and coaches assisting. He is a huge commidity and the day that he is no longer the coach at UConn..well there better be someone who can step in and continue the dominance and tradition.

 

[UcMiami]

I have a hard time relating this sort of theory to almost any professional career. There are few areas of accomplishment beyond the absolute cutting edge of theoretical science/math, grand master chess, and athletics that skew toward 30 and under age range. Athletics is about physical capabilities more than mental and the other areas are represent such an infinitesimal percentage of the population that they represent more freak ability than reliable statistical data. Einstein may have developed his most important work under 30, but at the end of his life he still exhibited skills in his field in advance of 99.9999...% of the world population.

More important than mental power seems to me to be motivation and distraction - what keeps the drive for continued leadership in a field when you have already arrived at the top, have achieved career goals, have earned enough, and have accumulated 40 years of diversionary interests. For Geno, kids/grandkids, food, wine, restaurants, travel, seashore, and unmatched success in his profession are more likely to end his career than mental capacity. Likewise, love of teaching and coaching great players is more likely to move him to continue his career than continued mental capacity.

 

[eebmg]

I have a hard time relating this sort of theory to almost any professional career. There are few areas of accomplishment beyond the absolute cutting edge of theoretical science/math, grand master chess, and athletics that skew toward 30 and under age range. Athletics is about physical capabilities more than mental and the other areas are represent such an infinitesimal percentage of the population that they represent more freak ability than reliable statistical data. Einstein may have developed his most important work under 30, but at the end of his life he still exhibited skills in his field in advance of 99.9999...% of the world population.

More important than mental power seems to me to be motivation and distraction - what keeps the drive for continued leadership in a field when you have already arrived at the top, have achieved career goals, have earned enough, and have accumulated 40 years of diversionary interests. For Geno, kids/grandkids, food, wine, restaurants, travel, seashore, and unmatched success in his profession are more likely to end his career than mental capacity. Likewise, love of teaching and coaching great players is more likely to move him to continue his career than continued mental capacity.

and Paige.