Is Coaching Overrated? I say no

In the latest Tuesday Morning Quarterback, Gregg Easterbrook writes in his column about coaching. He first mentions that play calling is overrated and then he says the following.

One factor here is the Illusion of Coaching. We want to believe that coaches are super-ultra-masterminds in control of events, and coaches do not mind encouraging that belief. But coaching is a secondary force in sports; the athletes themselves are always more important. TMQ's immutable Law of 10 Percent holds that good coaching can improve a team by 10 percent, bad coaching can subtract from performance by 10 percent -- but the rest will always be on the players themselves, their athletic ability and level of devotion, plus luck. If the players are no good or out of sync, it won't matter what plays are called; if the players are talented and dedicated, they will succeed no matter what the sideline signals in. Unless they have bad luck, which no one can control.

Based on my experiences in coaching I am going to disagree with this author. I have seen many coaching staffs not utilize their talent to the best of their ability. I have seen play calling that is costing their team the ability to be successful. Now this is more so at the high school level, it could be different for the NFL but coaching is not overrated. Coaching is like teaching, you have to teach them and correct the right technique. We play teams where are technique is better and we win. We have played teams that have a lot of athletes and beat them cause we have coached our kids better.

I would look at our team as a good example of what has happened this year. Injuries have occurred and yet cause of what we do as a staff we have adapted and now are hitting on all strides. Is coaching overrated? I say no, a lot has to be taken into account the work done during the week preparing our kids. But that is my opinion, what are your thoughts?