How to Become a College or Pro Football Coach

Coaching college and professional football is one of the toughest professions to break into. There are only a little more than 1,000 full-time jobs in this profession, and people rarely leave them voluntarily. While there are no set criteria for becoming a coach, many coaches follow a similar career path.

Things You'll Need

  • College degree
  • Internship experience
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Instructions

  1. Getting a Coaching Job

    • 1

      Start small with an internship in college. Try to get a job helping a high school team or a recreation-league team. The goal would be to get experience with the fundamentals of organization and running a team.

    • 2

      Earn a college degree. The vast majority of coaches have a four-year degree from an accredited university, and some have master's degrees as well. There is no specific major needed in order to get a coaching job.

    • 3

      Get a paid internship with a college or a pro team. Many college internships will be given to students seeking post-secondary degrees. These are "graduate assistant" positions that allow a person to get needed experience. Many pro teams will hire young assistants as interns to do things such as scout players and edit film.

    • 4

      Build relationships with other coaches. The majority of coaches will get their breaks by developing relationships with older coaches. For example, a graduate assistant may build a strong relationship with the school's offensive coordinator. If that coordinator were then to move on to a head coaching job, he would need to build a staff and may hire the grad assistant for a position.

    • 5

      Know the rules. Many schools and pro teams will look for candidates who know all the intricate rules of the sport.