I know I post a lot about random things, and I want to say that I am more then thankful for the Texas Ags website on the collective advice.

My dilemma is this, I was laid off from my oil field job in April and just been taking a easy lately. I recently had an offer to go coach football and teach at middle school to start up my coaching career again. Not bad after 10 years of a coaching absence.

Usually Ill just wait to get another job in the oil field and hangout, but the constant fear of not knowing when I would get a job again is the problem each time I was laid off.

Salary is 55,700 per year, but would have to move and sell the house. Wife is going back school to gain another career. Is the drastic change worth it to have a little job stability and peace? Just need to talk about it more and get some outside opinions.

I know the horrors of teaching and problems, but it has to be better then oil field ups and downs. Never knowing when the next job will come back is scary, especially with kids to feed.

What drove you out of teaching the first time? There will ALWAYS be middle school football coaching/teaching opportunities...What do you want to do?

I'm sorry you've been laid off and have faced instability. It is frustrating. It is hard to give you advice given the circumstances, that said, I think you should pursue what you are really passionate about doing and where you can accept the downside consequences of your choice. It's not a mystery that a teaching job likely pays less than an oil field job, but there is strong stability and hopefully career growth plus job satisfaction. Now is the time to think about other options as well, and see if any of those line up better with where you want to land. I'll go out on a limb and say you're likely qualified to work for Amazon, so why not?

I was mainly in college football coaching gigs, like small and JC types. So I have never taught, but it seems fun and less stressful then oilfield as a LWD or DD. I am looking for stability, and eventually make my way as a Head Coach or OC. I have been given a chance to coach again with a big High School program and to rise in that program.

Mainly, I am thinking about the switch to give my family more unity and not away weeks at a time offshore or on rig site, and on call 24/7.

The money is great in the oil field don't get me wrong, but I feel less and less away from the family the more I have progressed with my oil career and older I get

AgOil55 said:

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older I get

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How old are we talking about?

Depending on whether you're closer to 35/45/55/65 will determine how much longer you plan to work and thus, how long you're going to need to do that new career.

If you're 45, you can probably cruise through teaching/coaching for the next 20 years until you retire.
If you're 55, you probably don't want to go back to the oilfield.
If you're 35, you've still got a long road ahead of you.

I'm 36 and just feel like time is closing. I guess I didn't mean that teaching wouldn't be stressful, because all jobs have their pros and cons that we have to deal with. My main goal is just to become a head coach or OC. Maybe even get into a D1 job, who knows I guess I can dream.

I would ask about the hours involved because I know football coaches are gone a lot. Even the middle school coaches around here are heavily involved helping at the high school level with their games, scouting, off season conditioning. Yes you would be home every night but during the season and spring ball etc. you will be very busy. Plus teaching a class ?

AgOil55 said:

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I know I post a lot about random things, and I want to say that I am more then thankful for the Texas Ags website on the collective advice.

My dilemma is this, I was laid off from my oil field job in April and just been taking a easy lately. I recently had an offer to go coach football and teach at middle school to start up my coaching career again. Not bad after 10 years of a coaching absence.

Usually Ill just wait to get another job in the oil field and hangout, but the constant fear of not knowing when I would get a job again is the problem each time I was laid off.

Salary is 55,700 per year, but would have to move and sell the house. Wife is going back school to gain another career. Is the drastic change worth it to have a little job stability and peace? Just need to talk about it more and get some outside opinions.

I know the horrors of teaching and problems, but it has to be better then oil field ups and downs. Never knowing when the next job will come back is scary, especially with kids to feed.

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I cannot tell you what YOU should do. But I can tell you that I was in laid off from Oil & Gas 4 years ago, along with most of my colleagues. I did NOT take it easy. I hit it hard looking for work for a couple of years and landed one contract job that lasted about a year. I had one other interview aside from that...in two entire years. We are selling our home and moving west of San Antonio. I am a roofing project manager now. The hours are what I decide they need to be. No benefits. Straight Commission. You may go months without an income, so you have to make all your money when you can. I get to meet some really cool people and work on some awesome projects because I WANT to, not because I HAVE to. It's a totally different game. But, my point is that I love what I do now WAY more than what I went to Texas A&M and University of Houston for. It took burning a lot of money with a Bachelor's and Master's degrees, as well as 11 years of my life to get where I am and realize I'm better off than I was.

I'd take the risk. Give it a shot. You won't know if you don't try.

I know there is alot more money to be made at my current age, but me and the wife keep going back and forth on the issue. I know teaching is going to be a pain alot of times, but what jobs aren't? Although I hated LWD in the oil field because of being away, and never being around for most major holidays or birthdays it all made it worth it because of the high pay.

Pros and Cons to everything, but at any rate I'm just seeking outside views about it all. Not that you all are going to make my decision, but I do want to see what the outside looking in has to say. The house we are selling I dont want to do that, but it is necessary if I want to get away from the life of oil field. I read a post around Texas ags once that said something to the tune of "when your deciding between work and family, pick family because companies will cut you lose when its necessary"

Sometime I feel like taking a teaching and coaching job will bring a more family orientated household, but the money will be tight. Other times, I feel like keeping my house and familiar city together and just wait for the next oil hiring frenzy. The question is, how long would that take to get another job in my desired area of expertise?

I have applied to 784 positions that are scattered through out my city and outside of it for positions, with only one interview. This is after being laid off in April, and hitting it hard! Maybe covid-19 is to blame and I have a legitimate excuse to just wait around. I do know that bills and kids dont wait when they are in want. Also, last layoff in 2016 I did some of the same things and applied everywhere with no job until oil picked back up.

Mainly, I was fighting the stigma from employers that I would leave once oil prices go back up. Overall just a tough decision all around for me. So its always great to hear opinions from outside the house hold.

I'm 41 and coached/taught for 10 years, before stepping down after serving three years as the Athletic Coordinator for my middle school. This is year 13 and I often get the itch to go back to coaching. I miss the relationships and the way games each week make the year fly by. I literally started over from a quasi-administrative role to a classroom teacher. I also miss the seat at the Leadership table and being in the loop.

I have two boys, 3 & 6, and being there every night has been a blessing.

I still miss coaching.

Thank you for the input and all the advice. I think about all the time I will miss with my kids when going into coaching, but I do have a passion for it. I read an article that currently the state of Texas is seeing a teacher shortage and Texas high school football coach shortage.

I figured this is my chance to get into the sport I loved and a steady job. Oil industry is to up and down, don't have enough connections to assure another spot from boom to bust every 4 years.

I'm wrapping up year 15 of teaching and 9 of those were in coaching. My wife is in administration so I'm fairly knowledgeable in knowing what you could see out there.

All of the football coaches that are any good work a ton and you will have a second sport unless you are at a really big school.
The amount of classroom aggravation you might encounter will vary considerably depending on what school district and your campus level admin. In a good situation you've got PE and admin leaves you alone. In a more challenging situation you're teaching a core class and admin expects you to be a good teacher.
If you do go that route then know that there is a lot of competition for jobs, both coordinators and even more for head jobs. The best thing that can happen is that you already know people and you get on with a successful head coach. It is a fraternity and networking huge if you want to move up.
Bottom line is if you take a leap, it could be great or terrible depending on several things beyond your control. Not all that different from O/G I'd imagine.

Good luck

Long time Oil and Gas automation here. I recently left Oil and Gas into another industry providing automation service. (Pre CoVID shutdown) Some years, I've made great money, other years it was looking for a job and taking $20k reduction in base pay, or employer kicking in the nutts with a pay reduction.

Keep in mind that Jan. 2020, WTI was at $60 / barrel and by April was negative. It is a ride that can and has proven to swing hard downward.

Advise: Don't underestimate what stability will do for your state of mind and togetherness.

Best of luck to you.

I usually get asked "why teach a bunch of snot nosed kids". Although I'm not sure how I'll like teaching but I know I'll like coaching football. So my end goal is to be a head coach one day. I can dream, but for the mean time I think teaching coaching bring a lot of benefits. Holidays off, summers off, get another crack at coaching football, and not being away from my family months at a time.

I know I'll be putting in hours Especially with coaching, but I'll hit my bed every night. Although I'll miss the money, I won't miss the busts!

If any teachers want to Come on and share their experiences please share.

I'm not really trying to be an ass, just want to share what know.

Coaching football

Most HS staffs start back the last week of July, and typically this means middle school coaches as well, as they are getting ready and organized for the start of preseason training. I know some staffs/coaches that won't have a single "day off" from the last week of July until Christmas break, including Saturday's and Sundays. Sure, you may only have to go in for a few hours on "days off" , but it certainly won't feel like a day off.

You're 36, assuming you start at a middle school, it may take you a few years to move up to the HS, and maybe even a few more before getting a coordinator role. Some coaches spends YEARS as an assistant before getting that elusive head job. At any given high school, there's probably 10 or so coaches that will have the same goal as you (head coach) so lots of competition. Now, there's always going down to a smaller school, but this will mean another payout (usually). Don't forget, you'll probably be forced to get your CDL!

Teaching

You'll start early, stay late for months coaching, and then there's the actual job, teaching. You get paid a few thousand dollars to coach, you get paid ever tens of thousand dollars to teach. You'll have several different people to report to like the department head, assistant principal, principal and your head coach, and maybe even athletic director.

You'll have 120+ students to teach, re-teach, grade, etc. You'll have SPED students that will require even more time/paperwork. You'll deal with kids not wanting to work, causing problems, or being absent. Then you'll have parents up your ass too, or in some cases no parents at all. Either way, you'll have to learn to accommodate each and every individual kid to ensure they are learning, and what not.
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I use to teach, and coach. The coaching part made it "worth it" , but once I had my own kids, I hated spending so much time with other people's kids and dealing with parents (students and athletes) I realized that with practice/games, coaching school, summer camps, etc...there's not a whole lot of time off. I never had a Thanksgiving break, or even a full Winter break, and rarely did I have a Spring break.

I know LOTS of coaches, and even more teachers. I know some that that's all they know, and others who started doing something else before (like me). The majority of the people I know in education/coaching would get out and do something else if they could. Most are in it too long, so they hold on, or some just don't believe (or want to try) they could start from the bottom doing something else. Teachers make good money starting out, but your salary is pretty stagnant for 20 years.

Again, I'm just sharing what I know about teaching/coaching.

Your not being an ass at all and just saying your truth. I really do get what you are saying, but what job doesn't have its draw backs? I rarely hear about any jobs that don't involve some type or aggravation or stress now a days.

In a world where automation is taking over and jobs are getting cut by the thousands every year by AI, more pressure is being applied to the jobs that are staying. Our technology is getting a choke hold on all of us, unless you are part of the 1% that holds the money to invest in these things to widen the wealth margin.

If your a sky high executive then you make a nice living and get all your holidays off. But for the rest of us who are not that lucky we won't because of one thing or another.

I am not naive to think that I will not have hardships or miss holidays or miss spring breaks. I'm just picking the lesser of the two evils, but Atleast I'll get a chance to be around sports. Maybe even get a coordinator job, or even HC one day if I work hard enough. Maybe I'll stay stuck in 8th grade and hate my life, but we all have to take a chance. It's not like careers are careers anymore, or jobs are jobs. Looks like it's slowly or rapidly become a full time gig economy depending on how you want to look at the evidence.

So I'm faced with waiting around for oil prices to come back around if I have enough money to wait around to get something similar to what I was doing. With a family, house payment , and car payment options are running low when unemployment runs out and savings from the oil field. Oh by the way, each down turn comes the cut of pay and perks that was once enjoyed before. This has been going on since the start of booms and busts. I hear now they have reduced much more in all kinds of pay and perks. Once prices do come back and are good it's doesn't mean they will give more money that is deserved. This is how big companies do it and many others, in times of down sizing they cut pay and set new standards of pay. So much so, that more money is getting kicked backed right that new hit shot executive who increased profits and cut down expenses. Expenses meaning fathers, mothers, and families that depend on jobs to survive and try to live this american dream.

Lol, so I guess my ranting comes down to this, Im just trying to give it another shot and love what I do before it is to late. Everyday AI and technology is threatening jobs everyday. Heck, even lawyers and CPAs are being threaten now a days with software that will do there jobs. Hell, even software is finding new ways to railroad truck drivers out of there jobs.

So I figured, what's safe now a days? Might as well shoot for the stars and Atleast try to help kids find there place in this new world of fast technology. Even if I will have lots of trouble, it's worth the shot.

I'll weigh in on this as I'm roughly the same age as OP and had been in teaching/coaching.

I taught/coached for about 7 years; the first 3 as GA/QC in D1, next four in Texas HS. I consider myself extremely lucky and aligned myself with the right people/mentors who helped guide me. Since you are considering MS/HS, I'll comment on that. From my experience, a lot of what people say above are true in terms of the number of hours required: for Friday game week, it was usually get in around 6 AM Mon-Sat and leave around 6 or 7 PM Mon-Thu, 3 PM Sat, and noon to 5 PM Sun. Occasionally, there would be scouting on Saturday nights and JV/F games on Thursday. I had two sports most years and one year when I had three. Even at the biggest schools, this is common for all football assistants below coordinators.

Depending on how big of a school and subject matter, the amount of work for teaching will vary. If you are teaching a core subject at a massive 6A school, most of the material is already done and it is more a matter of classroom management, grading, and administrative tasks than creating lesson plans/etc. At smaller schools, one is likely to have more preps, which eats up even more time.

To me, I was and still am a "coach's coach". I loved practice, even more than games. I'll drop in and watch film or practice on a regular basis with my friends who are still in the business and have zero idea what the score of their games are unless I check the Fox app. I miss teaching/coaching, but because I knew I could always get back in, I left for the business world.


Things I'd look out when getting started for:
- Know what you want: Good coaches/mentors will help you get to where you want, especially if they have been around for a long time. If you want to be a HC, see which programs around you have had success getting their assistants there.
- Understand unwritten practices: At the school district I was in, it was very difficult to move from MS to HS as there was not a direct feeder system, thus limited cooperation. In other places, the opposite was true. Almost all single HS districts fall into the latter.
- THSCA membership is a must. Job board there is huge, especially when trying to get your foot in the door. That is how I landed my HS job.

I could just stay put and not make the move and become a Sheriff County Detention Jailer. Could mean a long career vs. teacher/coach where I would be assured to move alot.

Lol, would anyone choose being a county jailer vs teacher/coach?

AgOil55 said:

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I could just stay put and not make the move and become a Sheriff County Detention Jailer. Could mean a long career vs. teacher/coach where I would be assured to move alot.

Lol, would anyone choose being a county jailer vs teacher/coach?

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What about going into law enforcement to become an officer?

Crazy idea but why not look into private coaching? I know how big of a business club teams for other sports are...why not start a club-like football training business?

Plenty of upside potential...

AgOil55 said:

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If your a sky high executive then you make a nice living and get all your holidays off. But for the rest of us who are not that lucky we won't because of one thing or another.

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I know this isn't the point of the thread, but that isn't really accurate. Most of the executives I know are still working when they are "gone". The money can be great, but the downside is often extremely long hours and never being able to leave work behind for more than a few hours at a time.

Every job has downsides. Find the job whose downsides you don't mind.

There's been alot of advice given both good and bad. I'll add my two cents. I'm currently an administrator at a High School that came to teaching as a second career and wanted to coach initially as a main reason for switching careers. I left a much higher paying career to pursue this.
As far as pursuing a teaching/coaching career, if you feel like this is something that you really in your heart want to do, go for it. Teaching is very stable and as long as you are competent you will have a teaching position somewhere. You will have more predictable hours, but your hours will be longer than you anticipate, especially the first few years. Coaching football in Texas means long hours and teaching, especially your first few years, will be a stressful job. It does get easier but I would be lying if I said it was easy.
Teachers enjoyment of their job usually comes down to whether they love mentoring students along with whether they have support from their leaders. One thing that I've noticed is that teachers that love their jobs tend to hang out and talk to one another and it becomes a positive feedback loop. On the other hand, those that are dissatisfied hang out together and become a negative feedback loop and usually leave the profession within a few years. If you have someone that left teaching, they probably have 10 friends that also left/want to leave. If you have someone that loves teaching, they probably have 10 friends that love it as well. Take advice and filter it as needed.
As far as coaching and being able to move up the ladder, my best advice to you is this: Become a good teacher and get as many certifications as possible. AD's have a huge voice in coaches hiring but the Principal makes the decision on hiring. Become a good teacher with multiple certification areas and you will move up quickly. Principals have to fill out a staff, PE certs are a dime a dozen and those jobs go to head coaches from other sports. My best friend was able to move up to a head Basketball Coach within 5 years because of this and I've personally seen this in action several times. If you are a good teacher and have a certification in other areas, the principal will hire you. If you are a good coach, the AD will try and get you hired. There is a big difference between those two situations.
If you have any questions or need to know anything else, I'd love to help.

Well since everyone is dropping pennies, here's my 2.

I did my student teaching in the Spring semester of 2005. I enjoyed the subject (ag) but found that the students for the most part could care less. They were overall rude, disorderly and had little to no respect for any kind of authority. And trying to be the authority in a classroom 15 years ago was pointless.

I distinctly remember being warned about one of the students. Stay far away from this student, keep in pair with another teacher to prevent an unfounded accusation. That really stuck with me. One high school kid could accuse me of doing something that could be completely unfounded and ruin my career.

Although I enjoyed ag, my level of enjoyment could not overcome the challenges. There was no way I could see myself doing this for 20 years.

I had a corporate internship Summer 2005, graduated Dec 2005 and never looked back.

Being a teacher is tough work. Sure, you might get the summer off, but I don't feel the challenges are worth it.