What is Player-coach?
{{Refimprove|date=September 2009}} A '''player-coach''', in [[sports]], is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both [[playing]] and [[coach (sport)|coaching]] duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as [[head coach]]es, or as [[assistant coach]]es. == Player-manager == '''Player/manager''' is a sports term used to described a manager of a team who is also [[wikt:registered|registered]] to play for the team. 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 the club's most senior player. 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 signed by a new team as a manager and offers his playing abilities. In the [[United States]], player/managers and player-coaches were once common, especially in the early days of [[baseball]]. The last player-manager in [[Major League Baseball]] was [[Pete Rose]], who began managing the [[Cincinnati Reds]] in 1985, the second-to-last season of his playing career. [[Fred Clarke]] spent the longest time as a player-manager. [[Category:Sports words]]