Coach education as ‘leading out with an experienced other’

Mentoring to support coach development has gained traction over the past decade or so. A common criticism in this area is the shortage of research that captures the complex reality of interactions between mentees and mentors. In this critical commentary, we conceptualise this complexity, weaving together the authors’ lived experiences as mentors and mentees, framed by an ecological dynamics perspective. Here, the mentoring relational process will be explored through the framework of education as educere (Latin: “to lead out”) and the role of the “experienced other”. An ecological dynamics rationale is centred on using “guidance without specification” and “attentive dwelling”, fostering an evolving correspondence between coach and coach developer. As the mentoring relationship deepens, mentors can assist coaches in the ongoing search and exploration of their coaching landscape wit h a “knowing as we go” ethos.