Having specialists in schools providing guidance for classroom teachers and addressing students' literacy issues is widely accepted. The roles these educators fulfill have changed over the years and the expectations of the role differ among professionals providing and receiving services. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of principals, teachers, and school-based literacy specialists on how literacy coaching can be effectively used and to consider the implications of these perceptions and expectations in terms of the potential for coaching to contribute to the development and implementation of effective literacy programs. We found few differences in responses among the professionals we surveyed; however, outcomes from interviews presented a somewhat different picture. Responses to interview questions indicate that the role of the literacy coach is currently open to much interpretation on the part of principals, teachers, and the coaches themselves. Participants consistently expressed the desire to establish and clearly communicate the literacy coach's schedule of activities, and to offer opportunities for coaches to apply and enhance their specialized training. (Contains 2 tables.)