Perhaps the only job in sports that’s tougher than being a star player is being the coach who has to coax the best performance possible out of that athlete. While that sense of self-belief and confidence is an universal trait among those who are successful in sports, in many ways, being a star player requires a degree of selfishness that coaches always fight against.
It is not a huge shock, then, that in many sports the record of star players who go on to enjoy coaching success is a bit spotty. That’s not to say, however, that it is impossible to enjoy a long, fruitful career as both a pro athlete and pro coach. While basketball has produced the most success stories in this regard, every sport has its fair share. Here’s A Definitive Ranking of the Best Athletes Turned Coaches.