Former Colts Linebacker Cato June Finds New Stride in Coaching

Coaching is a solid career option for leaders who are knowledgeable about the game of football, passionate about team sports and possess a winning attitude on and off the field. However, a successful coach isn’t one who is simply an expert at teaching the rudiments of the game, but also one who is always learning, is adaptable and continuously stretching themselves to achieve new heights with each matchup, each play and each score regardless of the game results.

For many former players, a second career in coaching is a dream role to earn after leaving the NFL. For Cato June, the 8-year veteran, Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion, the opportunity to impact young men in the sport of football has been another career milestone.

“When I left the game, I had the opportunity to go back to my high school, become the athletic director and also the head football coach. It was a great opportunity! But, it was therapeutic at the same time. Many guys get in that ‘lost land’ when you leave the game and don’t know what you want to do, you’re unsure and you’ve only done one thing for the most part on terms of putting all of your goals and energy into one thing [football] and now that it's over, the question is asked, ‘What do I do?’.”

“I’ve seen a lot of guys go through that and my biggest concern was, “Hey, you gotta do something.” I like to coach, I like being around the kids, I like being able to impact young kids’ lives and the decisions that they make. It is very rewarding to give back and see the next generation thrive," says June.

After spending four years at Anacostia High School, June is now coaching at C. H. Flowers High School; a 4-A football program -- meaning more players, more talent and increased competition. Making steady progress into youth coaching, June is passing each test and growing daily into a well-rounded coach; but not without learning a few things along the way, including the importance of developing a coaching philosophy.

June shares, “Your coaching philosophy is influenced by your coaching experience. I’ve had the opportunity to have been around amazing coaches from Coach Willie Stewart (Flowers HS), Coach Lloyd Carr (University of Michigan), Tony Dungy (Indianapolis Colts), Jon Gruden (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)... so I’ve been blessed to have been around some champions. You take a piece from everyone that you’ve been around and decide your own way to do things.”

5 Ways To Prepare For a Career in Coaching

However, before deciding your own way to do things, getting a spot on the sideline is the first step. Next, June shares 5 things any former or active player can do to prepare himself for a career in coaching:

1 - Network | “Understand that your network is bigger than you think it is. A coach once told me, write down every coach that you played for, where they are now at every level and start to build your resume and connections.”

2 - Be Productive | “...Then act on it. Reach out to those coaches and let them know what you are interested in. For example, if you played in college, look at your eight coaches, and pinpoint where they are now. At Michigan, there was a graduate assistant at the time (Scot Loeffler) who is now the offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech. The ball boy in Indianapolis, is now an upper level executive for the Colts. You just never know who is going to be where.”

3 - Smile | “Always be nice to people because you never know where people are going to end up.”

4 - Use Your Resources | “Take advantage of what you have in front of you. Build a coaching philosophy. In every training camp binder at Michigan, Coach Carr had a section full of quotes to live by, inspiration; just small yet thoughtful things for us to be mindful of. He had a theme each year and always imparted history. I found myself not only just repeating the things I learned, but also going back to them myself, not just the football content, but also the philosophy stuff.”

5 - Explore | “In addition to tapping into your network, it is also about exploring. It is wise to attend the clinics, the coaching symposiums, going to every opportunity you have to be around guys who want to coach, are coaching and have coached; who get together to talk football and talk life and that's just how it happens. Coaching is about relationships and keeping those relationships open to expand your functional knowledge and ability."

###

Considering your second career? Learn more about our upcoming NFLPA Coaching Symposium to be held in San Antonio, TX on January 11-12, 2016. Join us to network, learn and grow with coaching professionals from around the country. The NFLPA Coaching Symposium takes place during the annual American Football Coaches (AFCA) Convention. This event is vitally important and appropriate for coaches at any stage of their career. If you would like more information, contact Connor.Ford@NFLPA.com.