CAITLIN BASSETT: Justin Langer could fit as West Coast coach and Eagles can ‘take a leaf’ from Sam Mitchell

First Dean Cox, now Josh Carr. As more potential head coaches back away from the job at West Coast, should the club entertain the idea of bringing in a coach who has been successful in another code?

It worked in Ted Lasso when an American football coach is hired to manage a British soccer club. Now I know that’s a TV show, but hear me out.

The role of a senior coach has moved well beyond simply teaching the tactical aspect of the game and requires a range of skills to achieve success.

Swans premiership coach Paul Roos said leaders who are able to get the best out of people should also be able to transfer those skills between codes.

“We just happen to be coaching football. And coaching, after all, is about getting the best out of people,” he said.

“It’s for this reason I believe a good coach — either from the AFL, NFL or NBA — would have something to offer any other professional sporting organisation anywhere in the world.

They would rely on the expertise of coaching staff who have played AFL and have extensive knowledge of the game, but a suitably-qualified coach who has achieved success in any professional sporting organisation would have no trouble adapting their skills in a similar environment.

As the sporting landscape continues to evolve, clubs looking for the edge over their rivals have always looked to other sports for ideas that can be transferred.

Advantages off the field can have a direct impact on performance on the field.

Let’s have a look at some people who have done it.

Ric Charlesworth played first-class cricket for Western Australia before switching to hockey and becoming an Olympian. He then very successfully coached the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos, but also spent time at the Fremantle Dockers.

Former Australian Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander was knocked back after applying for the North Melbourne head coach role which was eventually filled by David Noble, who ironically, is now the chief executive of a V8 Supercars team.

Alexander, who coached me for many years, explained good coaches can transcend sports.

The Dockers and Justin Longmuir have also welcomed former Perth Wildcats champion-turned-San Antonio Spurs assistant Matt Nielsen to the club.

What could someone like Justin Langer, who is already on the club’s board, or legendary Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson be able to offer, either as a coach, or as part of the football department?

It’s also important to understood that different generations work differently and want to be treated differently. Sam Mitchell has moved away from the approach of his own coach Alastair Clarkson and is embracing the fun his Hawthorn players are bringing. There are times to be hard and times to offer a long leash.

A good coach is a good coach. Chris Fagan didn’t play at the highest level and neither did many of the general managers of football in the AFL.

The current Diamonds coach, Stacey Marinkovich, didn’t play for Australia either yet has orchestrated World Cup and Commonwealth games wins in the last cycle.

Playing success is not a direct indicator of coaching success.

Are we ready for a club to shake things up and be open-minded to someone from outside the sport?

Maybe it’s a way to bring in an experienced coach without having to prise someone out of a contract elsewhere.