Why Coaches Earn More Money Than I Do

Throughout my career of both part time jobs and full-time career stops, I have generally been in control of my destiny. Oh, I've had foremen, program directors, principals and bosses of all types, but my success generally hinged on how well I was able to motivate myself to do a quality job. Even as a high school coach, as long as I didn't hurt some student-athlete, I was probably not going to get fired. Losing was considered a learning experience, and, though we tried our best not to learn to much in that way, I never felt insecure about being asked to leave the premises.Still, I and the rest of us in white, blue and pink collar jobs probably wonder why college coaches make what might be considered extravagant money for doing what we might consider "fun." Here is my analysis based on a lifetime of learning and some up close and personal experiences lately.
As I have observed the coaches on the road this week, several things have become apparent in trying to decide why I was paid far less than a coach:
1. Coaches work for hours after everyone has gone to bed and before anyone is up in the morning. Honestly, I don't know why they even bother to get a room while on the road. So...they work more than eight hours a day; many people do that ALL the time and DON'T get to eat on the company like coaches do, if ever. So the fact that they work long hours is not valid.
2. They are separated from their families for days, and sometimes weeks at a time; that's an issue, to be sure, but everyone who works overtime loses family time as well. It's just not that they have to spend so much time in hotels, airports and buses. While seeing different parts of the country/world is a nice perk, after a few consecutive days on the road, that gets old, too. Yes, this is a hard part, but most people wouldn't mind taking a week and staying at the Hilton, basking on the beach (though I have yet to observe a coach basking on the beach here in Daytona; heck, even I got to spend only about two hours outside during the last four days. So,that leaves me with the most likely reasons that coaches make a good deal more than I ever did...the players
3. Following our disheartening loss yesterday to a team that we should have beaten, I have never seen a more dispirited, angry group of coaches. Of course, they could yell at the players, and they did, but they also had to prepare them for a game today. Imagine how hard it would be to get motivated after being bitterly disappointed. As I watched our coaches put on the "that one's over fellas; let's get ready for tomorrow" face, I could hardly believe it. I'm not sure I could do it. I'd be looking for a bridge on A1A probably. The ability to shift gears and leave terrible stuff behind is a gift, I think. Having spent literally hours preparing kids to play the game and see them "forget" everything has to be the most frustrating experience.
In a nutshell, coaches make more money because their careers depend on the success of a diverse group of kids, none of them more than 21. They survive in a pressure-cooker environment, knowing their next season and group of players could be their last. Not for me, thanks.