Coaches Are Conservatives

I had dinner with an old coaching buddy last February and during the evening's meal he mentioned he was a liberal Democrat. I asked him, with incredulity, "how can that be". He laughed, responded with, "I know, I know" full well realizing that coaching and a liberal philosophy don't work well together.
The following article from Politico addresses the issue nicely.
"There’s something about football and the Grand Old Party, with a connection that dates back at least to President Richard Nixon famously drafting a trick play for the Washington Redskins under coach George Allen – who ran the commander-in-chief's trick play for a crucial 13-yard loss. Allen’s son, also George, later became a Republican governor and senator from Virginia.
During the Republican wave in 1994, Seahawks Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Steve Largent was swept into Congress, as was former University of Oklahoma quarterback J.C. Watts. Both men were elected in Oklahoma, where they grew up and played in college.
There's one notable exception to the Republican rule — Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), the 1993 Heisman Trophy runner-up for the University of Tennessee and former Washington Redskins quarterback, and the only Democratic pro football player ever to win a high-profile or national race. But Watts notes that even Shuler's plenty conservative, and argues there's a link between football and Republicanism.
"The values that Republicans espouse in terms of capitalism, free enterprise, responsibility, working hard, sacrifice and commitment – that message probably resonates with the majority of athletes a lot more,” said Watts, who retired in 2003 after eight years in Congress."