Bruce Arians: If you miss your child’s event, I’ll fire you
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians leaves no room for gray area in his approach to a healthy work-life balance for coaches on his staff.
In a recent interview with SiriusXM, Arians made it clear that coaches on his staff need to prioritize their family—or face stiff consequences.
"For our coaches, I tell them, if you miss a recital or a football game or a basketball game, I'll fire you," Arians told SiriusXM NFL radio, via TheScore. "You can always come back and work. Those kids are not going to be there forever. They're going to grow up and be gone."
Arians’ policy was shaped by an experience he had as an assistant coach under Marty Schottenheimer, who had a strict policy on coaches being present in the office.
Offensive coordinator Joe Pendry helped develop a creative workaround to help Arians leave the office to see his son Jake’s game.
“He said, 'Well, I'll tell him you went jogging. Just, when you get back, throw some water on your face,” Arians said.
Arians’ words resonate beyond the NFL. If a head coach of a professional football team can deliver such a strong message on the importance of making time for family, shouldn’t college and high school head coaches be able to do the same?
There’s no question that coaching is a very demanding profession and often requires an understanding and flexible family. But as Arians recognizes, finding time for family is critical—and it’s up to the head coach to establish that expectation for the coaching staff.
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