Coach conflict with senior management

This chapter provides a fictional case study of a coach’s (Elliott) conflict with senior management within a professional soccer club. After describing Elliott’s story using diary entry vignettes, a number of reflective questions are posed to the reader to assist with case conceptualization, including obstacles to communications, impact of the conflict on the club, and the underlying organizational factors contributing to the conflict. We then “unpack” the key aspects of the case study in relation to the relevant body of scientific literature including leadership succession, interpersonal conflict, and organizational functioning. Practical implications are then discussed for those working within sports teams and organizations and seeking to support the management of change and, specifically, succession events. The chapter concludes by offering the reader further reflective questions to consider the balancing between theory and practice.