Format: Solicit ONLY Committed Coaches
As mentioned previously, a successful dynasty league will be consistently owned, year over year. This takes not only commitment on the part of all coaches involved, but also the understanding that this commitment could mean management of a poorly performing team, for many years. Committed coaches must be up for the challenge whether it means staying on top or working to get out of the cellar. In a dynasty league, a bad opening draft can take years to recover from. Good coaches will get enjoyment from even the challenge of getting out of the cellar.
While many factors will cause a coach to drop out of your league, ideally, you want to greatly minimize that form happening. Nothing will destroy league chemistry quicker than losing coaches. When determining the number of teams to have within your league, realize that more team equates to more coaches which, in turn, equates to greater likelihood of losing a coach.
Do not be afraid to say "no" when filling your dynasty league. The selection of your coaches is the most important factor when formatting your league. As a best case scenario, you should be familiar with all invited coaches. Know how they manage their teams, their tendencies when they are winning or losing, their ability to stay involved in your smack-talk forum and, most importantly, their level of commitment.
Once you fill your league with the desired number of coaches, keep searching until you find two alternates. These alternates will comprise your waiting list and potentially could fill-in during any in-season absences from another coach.
As an informal binding agreement, consider asking each coach to sign a commitment letter for a designated period of time, up to five years. Yes, this topic is THAT important.