"What kind of job is it?"

"Can you win there?"

These are some of the most common questions college coaches ask themselves whenever a new head-coaching job becomes available.

Essentially, what they are really asking is, “Is it a good job?”

Some coaches would say any job is a good job, but those coaches are typically either naive or just a master of their craft, so they can win anywhere.

For most people in the profession, the quality of a job correlates with the opportunity to win. There are a number of factors that contribute to the level of opportunity, not the least of which includes tradition, fan support, facilities, location and administrative support.

Most coaches in the profession also recognize that while winning is about more than just talent, talent is an absolute requirement, so it’s no coincidence that many of the aforementioned variables are also critical when it comes to recruiting.

To put it plainly, the “good jobs” are the ones that attract the biggest names in the coaching business and are annually able to effectively recruit the highest-caliber prospects.

So what if you’re a head coach and you don’t have a “good job?” If you’re not a big-name coach and don’t have the biggest budget or best fan support or most resources, what do you do to try to win?

Here are a few of the most successful strategies: