by Mandy Green, Busy Coach
If you’re like most coaches, you’re juggling it all—practice plans, recruiting, travel, budgets—and probably feeling stuck in the daily grind. I get it. I’ve been there.
Over my career coaching at Utah, Minnesota State, Xavier, LMU, and South Dakota, I learned one critical skill that changed everything: delegation.
When I stopped trying to do it all myself and started empowering my staff, we saw results. At Utah, we moved from a Top 50 program to a Top 30. At Minnesota State, we went from Top 25 to Top 5. At USD, we went from the very bottom up towards the middle of the pack. These leaps didn’t happen because I worked harder—they happened because I learned to lead better.
There are two common mistakes I’ve seen (and made myself) when it comes to delegation that might be keeping you stuck:
- Over-controlling:
“If I don’t do it, it won’t get done right.” Sound familiar? I used to micromanage everything—travel, practice planning, even T-shirt orders. Not only did this exhaust me, but it kept my assistants from growing and contributing. Once I trusted them, gave them tools, and let them own tasks, they thrived—and so did our program. - Abdicating:
On the flip side, dumping tasks on your staff without guidance doesn’t work either. One year, I asked an assistant to handle an ID camp without clear expectations. Months later, it was all wrong. My fault. Delegation isn’t “set it and forget it”—it’s about clear communication and checking in.
To lead effectively, you need to know what to delegate, how much guidance to give, and what to keep for yourself. Here’s a framework that’s worked for me called the Four Zones of Delegation:
1. Zone 1: “Done or Deleted”
These are low-importance tasks anyone can handle:
- Updating the recruiting database
- Ordering snacks for road games
Delegate these fully—no overthinking. Free up your time for bigger priorities.
2. Zone 2: Informed Progress
Important but straightforward tasks where you guide the process:
- Putting together scouting reports
- Planning travel itineraries
Stay involved with check-ins and feedback to avoid rework. For example, I had an assistant create a recruiting newsletter. I provided a template and regular input. The result? A polished product that saved me hours.
3. Zone 3: Informed Results
Tasks that require skill but aren’t critical to your role:
- Organizing a camp
- Running social media accounts
Trust your staff but monitor outcomes. I let my staff own social media while reviewing posts occasionally to ensure consistency. It worked, and it freed me up to think more about strategy or to spend time with top recruits.
4. Zone 4: Don’t Delegate
These are high-skill, high-impact tasks that belong to you:
- Setting team culture
- Scholarship decisions
- Big-picture strategy
Early in my career, I mistakenly delegated scholarships. Big mistake! These tasks define your program and need your expertise.
The Bottom Line
Delegating isn’t about dumping tasks or micromanaging. It’s about empowering and leveraging your staff’s time and skill to multiply results and impact.
When you lead your assistants effectively, your program thrives, your staff grows, and you free up time to focus on the big picture—and get home to your family sooner.
For today: pick one Zone 1 task and delegate it. You’ll be amazed at how much it helps to get some time back.
Let me know how it goes—I’d love to hear your success stories!
Mandy Green has a program coming out soon to help you master the skills you need to lead a high-performing staff. Email her at mandy@busy.coach if you want more information when it comes out.