Coaching Interview Tips

You may think that knowing how a game is played and having a desire to win will cinch you a coaching job, but there is more to the interview process than that. Learning some tips before the interview will help you land the job.

  1. Leadership Qualities

    • An interviewer looking for a new coach will want to know what type of leadership skills you have, whether or not those skills were part of a previous coaching position. If you haven’t had previous coaching experience, explain other types of jobs you’ve done where being a leader was necessary. If you were a manager at a store or if you’ve led a protest, tell the interviewer if a question about leadership comes up.

    Experience with Children

    • If you’re applying for a school coaching position, the interviewer may ask what type of experience you’ve had working with children. If you have had no professional experience working with children, such as being a teacher, pull your experience from other aspects in your life. If you’ve baby-sat in the past, have younger siblings you’ve helped raise or have only just played catch with your neighbors’ children, explain this experience and compare it with how you would interact with the children you would be coaching. This will let the interviewer know that you like and respect kids and you won’t have a problem working with them.

    Sport Experience

    • If you haven’t coached before, an interviewer may want to know that you’ve at least had some experience with the sport in question, whether it be football, baseball or cheerleading. If you’ve only watched the sport on television, you’re not likely to get the job, so explain in detail how often you play and how much you know of the game and its rules.

    Passion and Pride

    • As a coach, you may not win every game, and an interviewer may need to know that you’re OK with that. However, an interviewer will also need to know you are driven to try to win, especially at a college or professional level. Show your interviewer you love what you do, win or lose, but you’ll try your best and you’ll always push your team to try its best to win.

    Anger Management

    • Sometimes, as a coach, you may get upset when a player mishandles the ball or a play doesn’t go as planned. If you’re working with children, getting angry is not an option. Your interviewer may ask how you will handle a situation that doesn’t go your way. Keep cool and explain you know how to manage your anger and will not blow up when things don’t go as planned on the field or elsewhere.