I'm with KnightBridge on this one. Great players -- say Ted Williams -- see the game in ways that potentially great players cannot. They can give pointers (as Williams did for years), but for say-in and day-out coaching, most would be miserable, because their players -- even the good ones -- will never be able to see the game the way the greats do and do the things they did, and n amount of frustrated wishing on the part of the great-player-now-coach will make it so. The ones who do better are ones who have played enough to know the game but acquire the wisdom (and observe good coaching long enough) to make C players into B players, and B players into A players.
Hey, Whalers fans! Remember Joel Quenneville Great guy, solid defensive defenseman, but not a star. Pretty damn decent coach, though. Dave Tippett is another example from the same team, though he has not had the same success. You did not see Bobby Hull coaching, or Dan Marino or Reggie Williams. Bob Cousy was a fine college coach but a mediocre pro coach. Bill Russell has an undistinguished coaching record.
Among Huskie alums, Jen Rizzotti already is proving herself. Mel Thomas might have what it takes. Jamelle would seem likely, but we'll never know with her light hidden under the bushel basket that is Cincinnati basketball.
Heaven knows we have the talent to do so.
