First of all I agree to most of the other posts about this subject. We all sort of seem to agree that this is not an easy answer. Similar to the field of strength and conditioning there seems to be definitive wrong answers/paths to take but more than one right way to go! This is why our field is constantly changing and challenging what we do on a daily basis.
Two key characteristics of a great coach (in any sport) would be committed and driven. “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” is a famous quote that I have taken with me through my coaching expiriences thus far. People are not machines. If a coach has the science behind a theory or activity and they can not communicate it effectively to a group of athletes the outcome almost seems pointless. Being able to demo, speak the language of your audience and know how to use appropiate cues are all qualities a coach needs to constantly be perfecting. This is why the art of coaching is a daily challenge. If a coach is not committed to this challenge they should not be in this field.
Because science and technology are constantly changing a coach needs to be driven enough to never stop learning. There is always something to be read or written about in this field. As soon as a coach loses the drive to stop and just sit back, I think they should reconsider. Of course, have a concrete philosophy and grow from there, but do not repeat something merely because “it’s just always been that way.” At NU we have the opportunity to work with heart rate monitors, tendo’s and opto technology. This type of training allows the staff to track and record numbers to create a data base. Numbers do not lie’; so there is now concrete evidence of what is being successful and what is not. This makes the NU Strength staff extremely credible. A good coach is always searching and thinking of ways to justify what and why they are doing what they are. It is this constant drive that will give coaches an extra edge.
I could continue talking about this subject for a very long time, but this is just a blog post. In summary I think dedication and intrinsic motivation are the two essential personality traits of a great coach. “Motivation through education” is a phrase I take to heart. If a coach can get their staff and athletes to understand why they are doing things a certain way, communicate it effectively and justify their reasoning with science then they have a successful program!