Why was Wayne Gretzky such a bad coach?

[FiveTacos]

I've heard it said that he wasn't effective because no one else could see the game the way he saw it.

Jerry West in basketball had that problem. He hated and later quit coaching, because he just couldn't understand why his players couldn't easily do the things he once did, and he'd get frustrated and eventually furious with his guys because of it. Magic kind of had the same issue. I'm surprised that Bird didn't.

There's a reason why many good coaches in sports were the workmanlike types as opposed to the savants.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

most great coaches were fringe NHLrs, or didnt even quite make it.

Id say that those guys would likely largely be star centers as kids, 2nd liners as juniors, and role players in the league they got to. They would have run the gamut, able to relate to any player.

Superstars only ever do superstar things. And they cant relate to what normal people struggle with.

Gretzky isnt the only example of a superstar player who didnt make it as a coach

in fact.... i cant think of one.

Toe Blake is probably the best example of an exceptionally talented player that also found success as a coach.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

A lot of elite athletes in sports probably have a top end “instinctual” IQ, which can’t be taught. It’s the guys that have to make the most out of minimal abilities that can be a good coach. Like backup QB’s in football becoming coaches because they had to study a lot on the sideline

 

[Three On Zero]

Not all good players are good management, not all management were good players.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

Gretz is an alcoholic? I had no idea

 

[HockeyVirus]

Imagine trying to keep your spot in the NHL, f***ing up, getting back to the bench and Greztky taps your shoulder. "I would have just stripped him of the puck and went wide with speed and drive the net".

f*** Wayne why didn't I think about doing that. Oh right I suck ass now tell me how a mortal does it

 

[Summer Rose]

Imagine trying to keep your spot in the NHL, f***ing up, getting back to the bench and Greztky taps your shoulder. "I would have just stripped him of the puck and went wide with speed and drive the net".

f*** Wayne why didn't I think about doing that. Oh right I suck ass now tell me how a mortal does it

There was a close-up photograph I saw once that might sum up this situation. Wayne Gretzky had his hand on Paul Mara’s shoulder on the bench and looked extremely pissed off. Paul Mara looked like he was doing his best to ignore him.

 

[JackSlater]

There's a reason why many good coaches in sports were the workmanlike types as opposed to the savants.

It's probably mostly that the workmanlike types outnumber the savants by more than a thousand times over.

Keep in mind that Gretzky was a coach with no experience taking over a bad roster. Even if he was naturally a very good coach, which he probably wasn't but who knows, his odds of success were very low. I wouldn't say that Gretzky had a lot of great coaches to learn from in his NHL career either, so it's not like he was going to roll in like Al Arbour and build something great from the ashes in Phoenix.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

Jerry West in basketball had that problem. He hated and later quit coaching, because he just couldn't understand why his players couldn't easily do the things he once did, and he'd get frustrated and eventually furious with his guys because of it. Magic kind of had the same issue. I'm surprised that Bird didn't.

There's a reason why many good coaches in sports were the workmanlike types as opposed to the savants.

I think where Bird was different is that he didn't have all the physical gifts and famously "couldn't run or jump". He wasn't able to just go out and beat guys with his athleticism, which forced him to be a little more workmanlike, and really learn and understand the game. That translates well to coaching.

 

[Number8]

Didn't know how to explain his otherworldly hockey iq and vision to others

This is the answer.

Seems like kind of a surly f***er too. Bet he got frustrated as shit that others couldn’t just do what he told them to do.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Lol

This thread has legs!

 

[Esq]

most great coaches were fringe NHLrs, or didnt even quite make it.

Id say that those guys would likely largely be star centers as kids, 2nd liners as juniors, and role players in the league they got to. They would have run the gamut, able to relate to any player.

Superstars only ever do superstar things. And they cant relate to what normal people struggle with.

Gretzky isnt the only example of a superstar player who didnt make it as a coach

in fact.... i cant think of one.

Across the four major sports, the best players I can think of who are / were good coaches are

Larry Bird
Don Mattingly
Doc Rivers
Rick Tocchet
Larry Robinson

 

[Sasha Orlov]

It’s like asking Pavarotti “teach me to sing like you”

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Because the thing he was good at isn't teachable.

 

[Master P]

I wonder if people were afraid to challenge his coaching because of who he is and he never got any valid criticism for his style.

 

[Bozo Nicholson]

He has a wooden personality.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

2005 38 W 39 L OTL 5
2006 31W 46 L OTL 5
2007 38W 37 L OTL 7
2008 36W 39L OTL 7

Hardly ever getting above .500.

Did he always have terrible players?

Could he not manage the room?

Why did this become such a difficult thing for him?

Great players in just about every sport make terrible coaches. How many truly great players were the same as coaches. I think one thing is after players have long careers they no longer have the energy/passion to be a manager or coach. I am sure there are exceptions but most guys seem to slide into a front office position instead

 

[fahad203]

He was the Maradona of hockey
What was easy for him on the ice, he thought it would be easy for everyone else

 

[daver]

He spent too much time being a shill for online betting companies.

 

[Bondurant]

How many elite players in any sport became good coaches? Off the top of my head, only two come to mind.

 

[HockeyFan100]

One reason that hasn't been mentioned yet is that he had no prior coaching experience. Great One or not, it's a tough task to go straight into being a head coach in the NHL.

 

[dirtydanglez]

its rare to get a player that excels both on the ice and in the front office. for every joe sakic, there is a gretzky, yzerman, blake, st. louis and roy.

 

[Terry Yake]

too busy gambling

 

[zimmy61]

Because he's useless without Dave Semenko or Marty McSorley by his side? Or perhaps because he's an alcoholic, treacherous asshole who can't make even the simplest of decisions without his botox-filled, z-list wife's approval? I'm just spitballing here.

 

[CascadiaPuck]

Because the guy’s true usefulness in any way is firmly rooted in the 20th C.