What role must principals play in order to effectively support literacy coaching efforts? This is a question that many educators have begun to ask (Burkins, 2007; Casey, 2006; Kral, 2007; Shanklin, 2007; Steiner & Kowal, 2007; Toll, 2008). Some suggest that principals can establish close relationships with literacy coaches by offering a number of structural supports (e.g., clear job descriptions, regular professional development, common planning times, and a school literacy team), as well as a number of relational supports (e.g., modeling collaboration and participation for teachers) (Kral, 2007; Shanklin, 2007). Others suggest that principals must participate actively in coaching work to better understand literacy professional development and increase teachers' sense of accountability for instructional improvement (Burkins, 2007; Casey, 2006; Kral, 2007; Steiner & Kowal, 2007; Toll, 2008). However, few research-based accounts of coach-principal relationships exist. In response, this Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse brief presents three research-based vignettes of coaches working with principals who form a continuum of behaviors ranging from neglect to partnership to interference. The vignettes have been drawn from a recent mixed-methods study of coaches' roles and relationships in a mid-sized, urban, East Coast district (Ippolito, 2008, 2009). Each vignette features a coach working at a different school and grade level; however, the three schools have similar performance profiles in terms of state test scores and annual yearly progress (AYP) measures. The brief concludes with questions meant to spark conversation between coaches and principals.