View source for Player-coach

{{short description|Condition where a team player is also coach}}
[[File:Kenny Dalglish 2011.jpg|thumb|right|180px|After the [[Heysel Stadium disaster]] in 1985 and [[Joe Fagan]]'s subsequent resignation as manager, [[Kenny Dalglish]] served as the player-manager of [[Liverpool Football Club|Liverpool]] from 1985 to 1990.]]
A '''player-coach''' (also '''playing coach''', '''captain-coach''', or '''player-manager''') is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and [[coach (sport)|coaching]] duties. Player-coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make changes to the squad and also play on the team.

Very few current major professional sports teams have head coaches who are also players, though it is common for senior players to take a role in managing more junior athletes. Historically, when professional sports had less money to pay players and coaches or managers, player-coaches were more common. Likewise, where player-coaches exist today, they are more common at, but not exclusive to, the lower levels where money is less available.

== Player-coaches in basketball ==
{{further|List of National Basketball Association player-coaches}}
[[File:Bill Russell in the Green Room.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[Bill Russell]] served as the player-coach of the [[Boston Celtics]] from 1966 to 1969, winning 2 NBA championships in that timespan.]]

The player-coach was, for many decades, a long-time fixture in professional [[basketball]]. Many notable coaches in the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] served as player-coaches, including [[Bill Russell (basketball)|Bill Russell]] and [[Lenny Wilkens]]. This was especially true up through the 1970s, when the league was not as financially successful as it is today, and player-coaches were often used to save money. The practice fell out of favor in the 1980s (though [[Mike Dunleavy Sr.]], while an assistant coach with the [[Milwaukee Bucks]], once came out of retirement and played several games when a rash of injuries decimated the team). Today, the [[collective bargaining agreement]] between the NBA and the players' union prohibits the use of player-coaches, in order to avoid circumventing the league's [[salary cap]], as coaches' salaries are not counted under the cap. Therefore, if a player is to serve as a coach, he would have to receive commission from his contract as a player. The player, then, is not technically an official coach of his team but instead simply a coach in name. One example of a player in recent years who was groomed for eventual official coaching duties using this practice was [[Avery Johnson]]. The last player to serve as an official assistant coach was [[Tree Rollins]] for the [[Orlando Magic]] during the 1994-1995 season, and the last player to serve as head coach was [[Dave Cowens]] for the [[Boston Celtics]] during the 1978-1979 season.

== Player-coaches in American football ==
In the early days of professional American football, player-coaches were a necessity, as most leagues' rules prohibited coaching from the sidelines. The [[National Football League]] eventually allowed sideline coaches in the late 1920s, and they quickly became the norm. During the 1920s, legendary player-coaches in the NFL include [[Curly Lambeau]], who played for the [[Green Bay Packers]] from 1919 to 1929 and served as their head coach from 1919 to 1949, and [[George Halas]], who held similar roles for the [[Chicago Bears]], a team for which he was also part-owner and business manager. [[Ernie Nevers]] held the positions of both fullback and head coach for the [[Duluth Eskimos]] in 1927 and the [[Chicago Cardinals]] from 1929 to 1931. [[Jimmy Conzelman]] was player-coach for four teams during the 1920s. In the mid-1950s, [[Tom Landry]] played defensive back while serving as [[defensive coordinator]] for the [[New York Giants]]. In the early 1970s, when Landry was coach of the [[Dallas Cowboys]], he made running back [[Dan Reeves]] a player-coach.

In the television era, pro football evolved into a higher-impact two-platoon game, so players serving as head coaches became impractical.

More modern players have acted as player-assistant coaches in an unofficial capacity, such as journeyman quarterback [[Steve DeBerg]], who served as an unofficial mentor for younger, more skilled arms while also serving as their backup.

In an official capacity, much like the NBA, the current [[NFL collective bargaining agreement|CBA]] between the NFL and the [[NFL Players Association]] prohibits official player-coaches due to teams using it to circumvent the salary cap. This was evident in [[2020 NFL season|2020]] when the [[Denver Broncos]] were forced to start [[practice squad]] [[wide receiver]] [[Kendall Hinton]] at quarterback due to all of the Broncos regular quarterbacks being placed into [[COVID-19]] protocols as a result of backup quarterback [[Jeff Driskel]] testing positive for COVID-19 and being around the remaining quarterbacks on the team without wearing [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|face masks]]. Originally, the Broncos wanted to use offensive quality control coach [[Rob Calabrese]] to play quarterback, but the NFL turned them down out of hand.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30413697/sources-denver-broncos-bid-start-assistant-coach-qb-denied-league?platform=amp|title=Sources: Broncos' bid to start coach at QB nixed|date=29 November 2020}}</ref> The Saints defeated the Broncos 31–3, with Hinton going 1 for 9 and two [[Interception (American football)|interceptions]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/6459666002|title=Broncos WR-turned-QB Kendall Hinton goes 1-for-9 with two interceptions in loss to Saints}}</ref>

By the 21st century, on-field playcalling duties would often be split between the head coach or offensive coordinator and the [[quarterback]]. [[Peyton Manning]], [[Brett Favre]], [[Tom Brady]], [[Ben Roethlisberger]] and [[Drew Brees]] pioneered what would essentially become roles as on-field offensive coordinators by taking vocal leadership in playcalling and game management.

==Player-coaches in cricket==
Player-coaches in [[cricket]] are almost unheard of, although professional coaches are a relatively recent innovation and a similar role was generally filled by the [[Captain (cricket)|team captain]]; this may still be the case in amateur competition. Internationally, [[Shane Deitz]] was appointed non-playing coach of [[Vanuatu cricket team|Vanuatu]] in 2014 and, after meeting the necessary residency qualifications, made his international playing debut in 2018, at the age of 42.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/1144689.html |title=At 42, Deitz set for hip return to cricket after 10-year hiatus |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=30 April 2018}}</ref> Similarly, former Australian international [[Ryan Campbell]] was appointed as a non-playing [[batting coach]] of [[Hong Kong cricket team|Hong Kong]] in 2013,<ref>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/hkg/content/story/637439.html "HKCA appoints Ryan Campbell as Specialist Batting Coach"] – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 January 2016.</ref> and after meeting the residency qualifications made his playing debut for Hong Kong in 2016, at the age of 44.<ref>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/hkg/content/story/966333.html "Hong Kong pick ex-Australia keeper Campbell for WT20"] – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 January 2016.</ref>

More recently the [[International Cricket Council|ICC]] full-member team of [[India national cricket team|India]] had a spell in following the resignation of head coach [[Anil Kumble]] where the team played without a coach. In this instance, team captain [[Virat Kohli]] was given the nickname 'Koach' (Kohli + Coach) as he served as player coach for the tour of the [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]] in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kumble resigns as partnership with Kohli becomes 'untenable'|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/anil-kumble-resigns-as-partnership-with-virat-kohli-becomes-untenable-1104895|access-date=2021-11-13|website=ESPNcricinfo|date=20 June 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

== Player-managers in association football ==
{{globalize|date=January 2016}} <!-- examples are all from British football.  Are there none from elsewhere? -->
{{see also|:Category:Association football player-managers}}
In [[association football]], this situation usually arises when a [[Manager (football)|manager]] leaves a team suddenly, and the [[chairman]] has to make a quick decision to appoint someone new as a [[caretaker manager]]. The chairman will usually either ask a [[Coach (sport)|coach]] to take temporary charge or turn to one of the club's most senior players. If this particular player gains good results for the team during his time in charge, he may be appointed full-time manager, which leaves him a player–manager. However, there are instances when a [[free agent]] is appointed by a new team as a manager and offers his playing abilities.

=== In British men's football ===
Notable football player-managers include: [[Kenny Dalglish]] ([[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]), [[Graeme Souness]] ([[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]), [[Glenn Hoddle]] ([[Swindon Town F.C.|Swindon Town]] and [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]), [[Bryan Robson]] ([[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]]), [[Peter Reid]] ([[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]), [[Ruud Gullit]], [[Gianluca Vialli]] (both Chelsea).<ref name=fft/><ref name=talk/> Dalglish won [[double (association football)|a double]] of the league title and [[FA Cup]] in his first season as player-manager and continued to win two more league titles and an FA Cup before retiring from playing completely five years after becoming manager. Souness won three Scottish league titles and several cup competitions when he was player-manager of Rangers. He then succeeded Dalglish as Liverpool manager just before Rangers won another Scottish league title, but at the age of 38 he did not register himself as a player for Liverpool. In 1997, Ruud Gullit won the FA Cup with Chelsea in his first season as player-manager, also making history by being the first foreign and non-white manager to win a major trophy in English football. He was sacked nine months later, and Chelsea appointed another player-manager (Gianluca Vialli) in his place. Within weeks of taking over, Vialli guided Chelsea to victory in the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]], and two months after that, they won the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|European Cup Winners' Cup]].<ref name=fft>[https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-so-few-player-managers-vincent-kompany-anderlecht One's Kompany: just where have all the player-managers gone?], [[FourFourTwo]], 22 May 2019</ref><ref name=talk>[https://talksport.com/football/546090/top-10-player-managers-vincent-kompany-kenny-dalglish-ruud-gullit-graeme-souness/amp Balancing Act: Top 10 player-managers in English football include legends from Chelsea, Liverpool and Rangers as Vincent Kompany takes up new role at Anderlecht], [[TalkSport]], 21 May 2019</ref>

A number of bigger clubs have appointed player-managers on a temporary basis but not given them permanent contracts. Notable cases include [[Ossie Ardiles]] ([[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]) in 1987 and [[Dave Watson]] ([[Everton F.C.|Everton]]) a decade later, although Ardiles later returned to Tottenham as manager in 1993 after managing three other clubs. During the first decade of the 21st century, however, the concept gradually fell into almost total disuse and was normally only practiced by smaller clubs.<ref name="player manager">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21928791 |title=Where have football's player-managers gone? |first=Simon |last=Austin |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=28 March 2013 |access-date=29 March 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328150158/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21928791 |archive-date=28 March 2013 }}</ref> In March 2013, a ''[[BBC Sport]]'' article suggested that the concept of having a player-manager had gone out of fashion, with only two clubs in the English professional leagues using player-managers at that time.<ref name = "player manager"/>

There have been four player-managers in the [[Premier League]] since 2000:
*[[Stuart McCall]], who managed two [[Bradford City A.F.C.|Bradford City]] games on an interim basis in late 2000
*[[Garry Monk]], who was appointed interim player-manager of Swansea City in February 2014, after their manager, [[Michael Laudrup]], was sacked
*[[Leon Britton]], who also became player-manager of Swansea City after the sacking of [[Paul Clement (football manager)|Paul Clement]]<ref name = "player manager"/>
*[[Ryan Giggs]] was appointed player-coach at [[Manchester United]] by [[David Moyes]] on 4 July 2013 and Giggs served as interim player-manager until the appointment of [[Louis van Gaal]] on 9 May 2014 as [[manager (association football)|manager]] following Moyes' dismissal<ref name=talk/>

=== In English women's football ===
[[Chelsea L.F.C.]] defender [[Casey Stoney]] served a six-month spell as player-manager from January to June 2009 after the mid-season resignation of manager Steve Jones, and guided the club to a third-place finish in the [[2008–09 FA Women's Premier League]] National Division.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/ive-always-wanted-to-do-this---stoney-unfazed-by-pressure-of-managing-man-utd-alone/ruenljf5qsbe15upjzcwqze1n |title='I've always wanted to do this' - Stoney unfazed by pressure of managing Man Utd |date=24 August 2018 |access-date=28 April 2023 |work=[[Goal (website)|Goal]] |first=Kris |last=Voakes]]}}</ref>

=== In Slovak men's football ===
In [[Slovakia]], comparably to surrounding countries, player-coaches and player-managers are most common in semi-professional or amateur clubs with sides being led by formerly professional players on the brink of retirement or in early stages of their managerial careers. Frequently, such player-managers are linked with clubs from their native areas. Examples include [[Milan Jambor]] playing and managing [[FK Svit]], [[Stanislav Šesták]] playing for and managing a club from his native village of [[Demjata]] or [[Peter Petráš]]'s tenure in [[1. FC Tatran Prešov|Tatran Prešov]] during their years in crisis in [[3. Liga (Slovakia)|3. Liga]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=TJ Sokol Ľubotice |url=http://sokollubotice.sk/rs/190/trenerskelavicky/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=sokollubotice.sk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rezerva MFK Zemplín zdemolovala Svit- Noviny Zemplína |url=http://www.novinyzemplina.sk/clanky.php?id=5363 |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=www.novinyzemplina.sk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Petráš chcel ušetriť hráčov. Po piatich rokoch nastúpil za Prešov |url=https://sportnet.sme.sk/spravy/petras-chcel-usetrit-hracov-po-piatich-rokoch-nastupil-za-presov/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=sportnet.sme.sk |language=sk}}</ref> In professional football (top two leagues) such cases are rarer but have occurred in the past, especially in smaller and financially struggling clubs, such as [[FK Senica|Senica]], which has cooperated with [[Juraj Piroska]] simultaneously in a role of a players and assistant manager.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Piroska tvárou Senice! Nový káder, nové ambície |url=https://www.fortunaliga.sk:443/clanok/2050-piroska-tvarou-senice-novy-kader-nove-ambicie |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=Fortuna liga}}</ref>

=== In other European football ===
In 2019, [[Vincent Kompany]] served as player-manager for [[RSC Anderlecht]] before retiring.<ref name=fft/><ref name=talk/>

In September 2021, [[Ferencvárosi TC (women's football)|Ferencvárosi TC]] appointed forward [[Fanny Vágó]] as player-manager, who then led the team to two [[Női NB I]] championships in 2021–22 and 2022–23 while also continuing as the league's leading goalscorer in both seasons.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://sportal.blikk.hu/video/vago-fanny-vesziteni-is-tudni-kell-es-talan-peldat-kellene-mutatni/iLHfN7lz |title=Vágó Fanny: "Veszíteni is tudni kell, és talán példát kellene mutatni" |trans-title=Fanny Vágó: "You have to know how to lose, and maybe you should set an example" |date=2 June 2023 |access-date=21 July 2023 |work=Sportal |language=hu}}</ref> When prompted to choose between managing her club and continuing to play for the [[Hungary women's national football team]] by its manager [[Margret Kratz]], Fanny <!-- intentional; eastern name order --> chose club management and ended her international career.<ref name="m4-202303">{{cite news |url=https://m4sport.hu/magyar-foci/cikk/2023/03/22/a-ferencvaros-vagy-a-cimeres-mez-vago-fanny-szerint-megalazo-modon-kerult-ki-a-noi-labdarugo-valogatottbol/ |title= Ferencváros vagy címeres mez |trans-title=Ferencváros or jersey with a crest |date=22 March 2023 |access-date=21 July 2023 |work=M4 Sport |language=hu}}</ref>

=== In Brazilian men's football ===
Brazilian world-cup winner [[Romário]] was also a player-coach for [[CR Vasco da Gama|Vasco da Gama]] in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GloboEsporte.com > Futebol > Vasco - NOTÍCIAS - Romário vai treinar o Vasco|url=http://globoesporte.globo.com/ESP/Noticia/Futebol/Vasco/0,,MUL154745-4283,00.html|access-date=2021-12-20|website=globoesporte.globo.com}}</ref> He was appointed in November 2006 when Celso Roth was sacked after a loss and debuted in a 1–0 win against [[Club América]] in the quarterfinals of the [[Copa Sudamericana]]. Despite the victory, Vasco was eliminated because of a 2–0 loss in the first leg. He continued as a coach until early February when he decided to go against Vasco's president [[Eurico Miranda]] forced him to use the then youth player [[Alan Kardec]] in a match for [[2008 Campeonato Carioca|Campeonato Carioca]]. Romário left Vasco both as a coach and player.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GloboEsporte.com > Futebol > Flamengo - NOTÍCIAS - Kléber Leite abre as portas para Romário|url=http://globoesporte.globo.com/ESP/Noticia/Futebol/Flamengo/0,,MUL289487-4282,00.html|access-date=2021-12-20|website=globoesporte.globo.com}}</ref>

=== In American women's football ===
In 2009, [[Sky Blue FC]] defender [[Christie Rampone]] took on her team's player-manager role after the resignation of [[Kelly Lindsey]], herself the caretaker manager after the earlier resignation of [[Ian Sawyers]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/2009/07/sky_blue_fc_coach_quits_abrupt.html |title=Sky Blue FC coach quits abruptly; Christie Rampone to serve as player-coach |date=July 30, 2009 |access-date=April 29, 2023 |work=[[The Star-Ledger]] |first=Frank |last=Giase}}</ref> She led Sky Blue from the lowest seed in the [[2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs]] to the league's inaugural championship match, which Sky Blue won.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.allforxi.com/2020/5/19/21262531/sky-blue-fc-surprise-wps-champions-2009-underdog-rise |title=Sky Blue FC's surprise 2009 championship run is an all-time underdog story |date=May 19, 2020 |access-date=April 29, 2023 |work=All For XI |first=Kim |last=McCauley}}</ref> Rampone later revealed that she was also more than two months' pregnant during her championship run as player-manager.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/rampone-expecting-second-child |title=Rampone expecting second child |date=August 25, 2009 |access-date=April 29, 2023 |work=[[Fox Sports]]}}</ref>

=== Challenges ===
The chief executive of the [[League Managers Association]] stated his belief that the increased workload for managers made combining the two roles difficult. The last permanent player-manager in the top flight of English football was [[Gianluca Vialli]], who retired from playing in 1999 when he was the manager of Chelsea.<ref name = "player manager"/> The governing bodies have also imposed requirements for managers to hold professional coaching qualifications, which few players obtain before retiring.<ref name="player manager"/>

==Player-managers in baseball==
{{further|List of Major League Baseball player-managers}}
[[File:Jimmy Carter with Pete Rose and family - NARA - 181552 (cropped).tif|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Pete Rose]] is the most recent player-manager in Major League Baseball]]

In [[baseball]], the [[manager (baseball)|manager]] selects the [[batting order (baseball)|lineup]] and [[starting pitcher]] before each game, and makes substitutions throughout the game. In early [[History of baseball|baseball history]], it was not uncommon for players to serve as player-managers; that is, they managed the team while still being signed to play for the club. One reason for this is that by hiring a player as a manager, the team could save money by paying only one salary.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OstPAAAAIBAJ&pg=4975,1065614 |title=Bush May Take Bancroft's Post as Pilot |newspaper=[[The Evening Independent]] |date=November 25, 1933 |page=6A |access-date=April 16, 2012 |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref><ref name=stein/>{{rp|4}} Also, popular players were named player-managers in an effort to boost game attendance.<ref name=stein>{{cite book|last=Stein|first=Fred|title=And the Skipper Bats Cleanup: A History of the Baseball player–manager, with 42 Biographies of Men Who Filled the Dual Role|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VQFPr7UyEvMC&q=And+the+Skipper+Bats+Cleanup:+A+History+of+the+Baseball+player–manager,+with+42+Biographies+of+Men+Who+Filled+the+Dual+Role|isbn=0-7864-1228-3|year=2002}}</ref>{{rp|4–5}} The early history of player-managers in baseball is also responsible for the unique quirk in modern baseball of a team's non-playing staff to continue to wear the same [[Baseball uniform|uniform]] as its players.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/why-do-mlb-managers-wear-uniforms|title=Why exactly do managers wear uniforms in the dugout?|publisher=Major League Baseball|date=January 22, 2020|first=Chris|last=Landers}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/30076/why-do-baseball-managers-wear-uniforms|publisher=Mental Floss|first=Matt|last=Soniak|date=July 5, 2019|title=Why Do Baseball Managers Wear the Same Uniforms as Their Players?}}</ref>

While no [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) team has been led by a player-manager since 1986, they were once common. In 1934, five of the eight [[National League (baseball)|National League]] managers were also players.<ref name=stein/>{{rp|10}} Notable players who spent time as player-managers include [[Cap Anson]], [[Lou Boudreau]], [[Fred Clarke]], [[Ty Cobb]], [[Mickey Cochrane]], [[Joe Cronin]], [[Connie Mack]], [[John McGraw]], [[Frank Robinson]], [[Tris Speaker]], and [[Joe Torre]], each of whom is an inductee of the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]]. Clarke spent the longest time as a major league player-manager, serving as such for the [[Louisville Colonels]] from 1897 to 1899 and the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] from 1900 to 1915. Robinson became the first African-American manager in MLB history, breaking another [[baseball color line]], when he was named the [[Cleveland Indians]]' player-manager in 1975.

The most recent player-manager in MLB was [[Pete Rose]], who, upon being traded from the [[Montreal Expos]] to the [[Cincinnati Reds]] in August 1984, was immediately named the Reds' manager.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122453/index.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130710161417/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122453/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 10, 2013|title=Pete Rose's return as manager-player wowed the media, – 08.27.84 – SI Vault|website=cnn.com|access-date=29 April 2018}}</ref> Rose managed and served as a backup infielder until the end of the 1986 season, when he retired as a player. Rose continued to manage the Reds until 1989, when he was given a lifetime ban by MLB for gambling on baseball.

During the 1999 Season [[Webster Garrison]] served as a player/coach for the [[Midland Rockhounds]] of the [[Texas League]], (AA). Garrison played in 43 games while acting as the hitting coach for the team.

In their final game of the 2016 season, the [[Miami Marlins]] allowed [[Martin Prado]] to serve as player-manager. Prado started the game at third base and played for three innings before taking himself out of the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/10/03/martin-prado-serves-as-marlins-player-manager-in-season-finale/|title=Martin Prado Serves As Marlins' Player-Manager In Season Finale|date=3 October 2016|website=cbslocal.com|access-date=29 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161004152332/http://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/10/03/martin-prado-serves-as-marlins-player-manager-in-season-finale/|archive-date=4 October 2016}}</ref>

== Australian rules football ==
Captain-coaches used to be a relatively common occurrence in [[Australian rules football]], even at the [[Australian Football League|highest level of play]]; in fact, for the [[History of the Australian Football League|first nine years of the VFL]] (1897–1905), the [[AFL Grand Final|premiership]]-winning team was coached by a player in every instance. However, the increasing professionalism and complications of the game late into the 20th century meant that the efficacy of captain-coaching was becoming increasingly unviable. The last captain-coach to win the premiership at the top level was [[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]]'s [[Alex Jesaulenko]], who managed to secure a 5-point victory in the [[1979 VFL grand final|1979 VFL Grand Final]] against [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]]. Jesaulenko was also the final captain-coach in the VFL/AFL, serving as captain-coach until Round 8 on 16 May 1981.<ref>{{cite web |date=16 May 1981 |title=St Kilda v North Melbourne – Match Stats |url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1981/121519810516.html |work=afltables.com}}</ref> However, [[Malcolm Blight]] was a non-captaining player-coach at [[North Melbourne Football Club|North Melbourne]] until Round 16 of the same season but was not captain during this time.<ref>{{cite web |title=The North Story: Malcolm Blight profile |url=http://www.kangaroos.com.au/History/PlayerHistory/MalcolmBlight/tabid/14471/Default.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120182806/http://www.kangaroos.com.au/History/PlayerHistory/MalcolmBlight/tabid/14471/Default.aspx |archive-date=20 November 2012 |access-date=15 August 2012 |work=kangaroos.com.au}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Ryder Cup#Captains]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* Wulf, Steve. [https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/9407299/the-evolution-player-coaches "The evolution of player-coaches"] ESPN.com, 21 June 2013

[[Category:Player-coaches| ]]
[[Category:Sports coaches]]
[[Category:Basketball personnel]]