As a coach, your job is about more than winning games and titles — it entails bringing athletes together for the love of the game to develop their character on and off the field. Your coaching resume should demonstrate this sentiment and prove your ability to create a positive team environment. This guide will provide expert tips to write a results-driven resume that scores you an interview.
For a well-structured, professional-looking resume, use a premade template. Be sure your coaching resume includes these sections:
Include your full name, phone number, email address, location, and links to your professional coaching profile in the header of your resume. Be sure all of your information is up-to-date so hiring managers can easily contact you for an interview.
Your Name
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
City, State Abbreviation Zip Code
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Your profile is a summary of your coaching philosophy and career highlights rolled into one brief paragraph. To make a strong first impression on the hiring committee, list your job title and those unique coaching skills that make you an excellent fit for the job. Consider mentioning relevant specializations, like experience with a specific age group or level of play.
Dynamic football coach with nearly eight years of success in a high school setting. Demonstrated expertise in player development, team building, and program management. Leverages a deep understanding of sports psychology to enhance player performance and team dynamics. Strives for continuous improvement in all facets of coaching and team management.
To demonstrate the range of coaching tools you have at your disposal, create a key skills list. You won’t have enough space to include every skill, so be intentional and look to the job posting for guidance on which ones to prioritize. Highlighting skills that directly respond to the job description shows that you’re not only a great coach, but the right one for this specific role.
Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
---|---|
Athletic conditioning | Active listening |
Budget management | Communication |
Compliance knowledge | Conflict resolution |
Data analysis | Decision making |
First aid and CPR | Encouraging and motivational |
Injury prevention | Leadership |
Program development | Patience |
Sport-specific expertise | Respect |
Strength and conditioning | Team building |
Youth development | Trustworthiness |
Action verbs command attention and emphasize the impact of your work. Use them in your professional experience section to show you’re not just sitting on the sidelines but taking initiative as a coach. Instead of saying something like “I was responsible for,” start bullet points with words like “developed” or “transformed” to clearly depict your past roles. Consider using some of the action verbs below to add a dynamic element to your coaching resume:
Action Verbs | |
---|---|
Analyzed | Coached |
Coordinated | Cultivated |
Developed | Directed |
Encouraged | Implemented |
Improved | Led |
Mentored | Motivated |
Strategized | Supervised |
Trained |
This is where you detail your coaching history, describing the strategic moves and key plays that have defined your career. Show what you were in charge of and how you approached your duties. In addition to responsibilities, be sure to highlight your major successes, like improving a team’s win rate or taking home championship trophies, using numbers when you can.
Head Football Coach, Pantano High School, Tucson, AZ
February 2019 – present
Assistant Football Coach, Hamilton High School, Chandler, AZ
July 2016 – January 2019
In the same way, stats and scores allow you to assess a team’s performance, quantified job descriptions give a factual, straightforward view of your impact as a coach. Numbers help provide a sense of the scope of your responsibilities and accomplishments. Use them to describe things like how many athletes you led, the number of wins your team had, or improvements you made.
Employment for coaches is expected to increase over the coming years, but you’ll still need a standout resume to land the best coaching jobs. To connect with hiring managers, you must tailor your resume for every role you apply for.
Each position has its own unique requirements and challenges, and your resume should prove you’re the right coach to tackle them. Carefully read the job posting and understand what the school or organization is looking for. Identify the skills and qualifications required and match them with your own abilities, incorporating those keywords throughout your resume.
You might not have a long list of coaching victories yet, but every currently employed coach has been in your position. So, start with your related experiences, even if they weren’t coaching jobs. Maybe you were a team captain, sports camp counselor, or cafe supervisor. These experiences can help you demonstrate important skills like leadership, passion, and team dynamics.
If you’ve done volunteer work related to sports or coaching, include this in your resume. This could be leading a local youth team, assisting at sports clinics, or helping organize co-ed leagues. Also, be sure to highlight postsecondary degrees in physical education, sports science, or other related fields along with relevant coursework.
For many coaching positions, especially at the high school or college level, a bachelor’s degree is often required or highly preferred. List your degree, the institution where you earned it, and the graduation year. Also, include relevant sport-specific, first aid, or specialization certifications. This additional training can differentiate you from other top coaches.
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Physical Education, September 2012 – May 2016
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
GPA: 3.8
Certifications
Mason Cruz
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
City, State Abbreviation zip code
LinkedIn | Portfolio
Dynamic football coach with nearly eight years of success in a high school setting. Demonstrated expertise in player development, team building, and program management. Leverages a deep understanding of sports psychology to enhance player performance and team dynamics. Strives for continuous improvement in all facets of coaching and team management.
Head Football Coach, Pantano High School, Tucson, AZ
February 2019 – present
Assistant Football Coach, Hamilton High School, Chandler, AZ
July 2016 – January 2019
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Physical Education, September 2012 – May 2016
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
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