The influence of coaching experience length and the continuous management of the coaching staff on success in the Euroleague

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of selected attributes, such as the length of coaching experience and the continuity of leading a single club in the Euroleague (EL), on achieved results, specifically on placement in the EL finals (Top 8). For the purposes of this non-experimental observation, selected parameters of 23 coaches (53.2 ± 7.5 years old) who led teams in the Euroleague during the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 seasons were analyzed. The participation of coaches in leading clubs was analyzed up to the start of the 2017/2018 season (for the 2017/2018 season) and the 2018/2019 season (for the 2018/2019 season), and it is presented as their "unique professional experience" related to the competition in question. The observed variables pertain to the length of coaching experience with previous clubs and the current club, as well as the success in leading those clubs. The obtained results show that the length of experience alone does not play a significant role in success in this competition, but the continuity of leading a particular club is highly correlated with the same success. Both variables related to the length of experience with the current club, the number of seasons, and the number of matches with the current club, indicated significant differences between the two groups of coaches (p = 0.004 for the 2017/18 season and p = 0.011 for the 2018/19 season). Regarding success, it has been shown that significant influence on the placement of teams in the Top 8 phase of the EL in the observed seasons is the success in variables related to the current club (number of wins in the EL with the current club, number of losses in the EL with the current club, win-loss ratio in the EL with the current club), all showing high statistical significance in both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons. The conclusion is that the length of coaching experience is important, but the continuity of leading a single club is an even more important factor in the success of clubs in the EL. The results of this research can assist in the selection of coaches for clubs competing in the EL.