ABSTRACT
Judgements are constantly made about coaches. Problematically these judgements come from numerous perspectives and are based on evidence of variable scope and credibility. The outcomes of these judgements influence perceptions as to whether or not a particular coach is deemed to be good and/or effective. While it could be argued that the current level of scrutiny is more immediate and intense than ever before, interest in coaches and coaching performance is not a new phenomenon. The historical and contemporary research on how judgements about coaches might be made are explored in this chapter. A central purpose is to shift the discussion towards the notion of quality through a consideration of the various ways it has been conceptualised (e.g., ‘good’ and ‘effective’) and how coaches might be evaluated with regard to their quality.
