NFL head coaches as sensegiving change agents

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to suggest that a key role of the professional US NFL head coach is as a sensemaker, sensegiver, and driver of intentional change.Design/methodology/approachIntentional change theory and sensemaking are used to explore NFL head coaches' roles as sense‐givers of intentional change during their pre‐game and post‐game press conferences.FindingsThis paper presents propositions that if substantiated demonstrate that examining professional head coaches' behavior during pre‐ and post‐game press conferences will yield insight into the coaches' skills as sensemakers, sensegivers, and agents of the intentional change process.Research limitations/implicationsIn addition to this paper being conceptual, not empirical, other limitations exist. There may be gender differences in coaching behavior; however, since there are no female NFL head coaches, gender‐related patterns can not be observed in this context. Since this study only addresses one sport, there may be differences in how coaches manage change in different sports. Future research will test these hypotheses empirically, distinguish these behaviors with respect to team performance, study different sports, and examine similarities and differences of male and female coaches in the same sport.Practical implicationsIf the propositions in this paper are supported by future empirical work, this paper gives coaches (and those who evaluate them) additional insight into their behavior. It also will give another view into what makes for a successful coach.Originality/valueWhile research inspired by athletic coaches influences organizational development research, few studies examine athletic coaches as organizational change agents. This paper conceptualizes coaches beyond their technical roles; it focuses on their sensegiving about the team's progress along the intentional change trajectory that they have set.