Like a spouse, the best one is very specific to the needs and goals of a given athletes. Just cause someone is a perfect coach for another person may not make that person perfect for you.

Finally, I have to question any coach who coaches Ironmans and has never done one him/herself. I truly believe that someone cannot grasp all that Ironman entails from a mental perspective to really shed light and guidance on the event for actual race day execution. There are a few exceptions, who Ironman coach already successful pros, but it is easy to put the finishing paint on a Ferrari once the chassis and engine are already built. It is harder to work with the raw talent from the get go, especially if the genetics are not high end and you have to build up the engine, controls and computing systems from scratch.

That said, the role of a strength coach for this type of athlete is crucial in that a properly designed, periodized strength program can improve the efficiency and economy of the sport specific actions required in triathlon.