Coaching Resume Examples and Expert Writing Guide
Whether coaching middle school, high school, college, the minors or the majors, a strong coaching resume acts as the “scorecard” of your career. These resume writing tips and coach resume examples will help you get noticed in the job search game.
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Featured coaching resume example
Use this coaching resume sample and the writing and formatting tips on this page to make the strongest coaching resume that you ever submitted to a prospective employer.
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Coaching resume example (text version)
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Four keys to a winning coach resume
While you’re measured by your on-field results , your resume needs to show that you’ll make a valuable contribution off the field as well. Here are ways to show you’re the ideal candidate for a coaching job.
Feature the right qualifications and skills
When it comes to submitting job applications for coaching, it’s important to tailor your coaching resume to the specific job description for the role you’re applying to. In other words, don’t just send the same resume to every open coaching job. Instead, select keywords (typically in the form of required skills and experience) from the job posting that make the role unique. If it’s a baseball coach position, be sure to mention your best baseball coaching accomplishments such as the high number of wins in a season, championship visits, or any district coach awards received. Since most hiring managers discover good candidates through applicant tracking systems (ATS) that select only the most qualified job candidates, matching keywords is crucial to advancing to the next round of the job hiring process.
Emphasize your achievements
It’s no secret that many coaches will have similar experiences. To show you have something special to offer the prospective employer, dig deep and feature your most impressive accomplishments from on and off the playing field. Mention quantifiable accomplishments, like saying how the college baseball team “improved to an undefeated 12-0 season during your first season as coach.” Give the recruiter a reason to want to learn more about you and invite you to a job interview. Including a coaching cover letter along with your resume and job application will also give you the chance to explain your accomplishments in more detail.
Show you have strong leadership abilities
The fact that you chose coaching as a profession means you possess strong leadership skills. Demonstrate your leadership abilities to a hiring manager through your resume skills and resume work history sections. Include hard skills like athletic development, film review, talent scouting and other abilities related to effective coaching. It's also important to demonstrate soft skills like strong communication, presentation, critical thinking, multitasking skills and organization. Soft skills give a glimpse into your coaching style, work ethic and personality traits. Show qualifications that highlight your ability to get the most out of players, be a good listener and be adaptable to ever-changing situations in sports.
Show off any extra recognitions and credentials you have
As most people say, an athletic game is not all about winning. However, when it comes to dozens and dozens of coaching candidates all wanting to land the same coaching job, it’s the extra credentials that will “win” you a job interview. Don’t be shy. List your “Best District Coach” award that you won for three consecutive seasons, or recognition you received for helping your players excel academically as well as athletically. Perhaps you took your college baseball team from California to a spring break tournament in Puerto Rico and your team won the “Sportsmanship Award for exemplary teamwork.” Recognition does not have to be just about wins or losses.
Action words for a compelling coaching resume
To bring your experience and skills to life, use as many action words as possible to make your experience jump off your coaching resume. As a coach, what actions do you perform to get the job done? In your resume summary and work experience sections, use appropriate action words to spell out your qualifications.
For example, a resume summary may say, “High school assistant baseball coach with five years of experience looking for a lead high school baseball coach position in the Mineola school district. Proven successful training, mentoring and managing up to thirty-player roster including game planning, administering drills and moderating bus rides to away games.”
Action words in a coaching resume work experience section may say, “Developed player position strengths while providing individualized pitching, catching and hitting instructions” or “Led team to four straight sectional title games.”
Action words to feature in a coaching resume:
- Coached
- Instructed
- Recruited
- Evaluated
- Trained
- Reviewed
- Managed
- Led
- Analyzed
- Critiqued
- Advised
- Guided
- Motivated
- Encouraged
- Coordinated
- Scheduled
- Planned
- Developed
- Created
- Educated
- Improved
- Prepared
- Collaborated
- Conducted
Choose the right format for your resume
There are three different resume formats that job candidates will select from based on their level of experience. The chronological resume emphasizes work history, the functional resume highlights skills and the combination resume focuses on both work experience and skills. Choose the best coaching resume format that suits your coaching history.
Experienced coaches: The most popular resume, reverse-chronological resume format, highlights years of work experience (in chronological order) and also lists relevant skills as bullet points.
Coaches with less experience: the functional resume format focuses on your relevant or transferable skills instead of focusing on work history (or lack thereof).
Some experience, career changes or having employment history gaps: The combination resume format, also known as a hybrid resume, focuses on both skills and work experience, best when used for experienced coaches who also have an impressive skill set and coaching history.
25 key skills for your coaching resume
The specific hard skills and soft skills featured in coaching resumes will depend on the type of team you’re trying to coach and the required skills specifically noted in the job description of the job posting. Here are some skills for a coaching resume:
- Athlete development
- Mentorship
- Film review
- Strategic thinking/game strategy
- Physical education
- Leadership
- Talent scouting/recruiting
- Team management
- Strength training and conditioning
- Strong communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Relationship-building skills
- Active listening
- Conflict-resolution skills
- Project management
- Presentation skills
- Analytical thinking
- Detail-oriented
- Teamwork
- Decision-making skills
- Delegation
- Time management
- Adaptability
- Computer skills
<p>Hiring managers have only a few minutes to scan through each resume so you need to make your skills stand out. To ensure your resume is a show-stopper, use our Resume Builder to make a powerful resume in minutes. We will provide you with a coaching resume template, appropriate skills and other specific wording to include in your coaching resumes.</p>
Build my resumeHow to write a coaching resume
Whether you select a chronological, functional or combination resume format, your resume will always include a header, a resume summary or resume objective, skills, work experience and education. The position (and length) of those sections will vary depending on your format. Here are helpful tips for putting together each major section of your resume.
Include the following sections in your resume:
- A professional header
- A short but sweet resume summary or objective
- Skills, certifications and work experience sections
- Education section
Header
The header is fairly simple to write. All you need to include in it is the following contact information:
- Your full name
- Your phone number
- Your email address
- (If applicable) LinkedIn profile link
Resume summary or objective
The resume summary tells recruiters who you are at a glance. It should go over your coaching skills, relevant work experience and volunteer experience in just a few sentences. How to write a summary for a resume? Be as succinct as you can, targeting specific skills and qualifications mentioned in the employer’s job description.
Example:
Dedicated and disciplined assistant coach looking to move up to a head coach position. Managed both junior varsity and varsity teams, developed efficient training strategies suitable for every member of these teams and organized a master calendar for all games, sports events and after school practices.
A resume objective is also a brief summation of your skills and qualifications, but unlike the resume summary, the objective also states your industry passion and career goals. Candidates with an entry-level coaching resume or less than two years of experience should consider writing one.
Here’s an example of how a good objective in a resume should be:
Motivated volunteer youth football coach with a college football background eager to apply football instruction skills, quarterback expertise, analytical game plans and creating innovative, strategic plays in a challenging middle school assistant football coach role. A quick learner with a proactive approach, excited to gain hands-on experience on and off the football field.
Skills and certifications
Professional coaches should have a varied mix of hard skills and soft skills on their resumes. Here is a quick list of relevant skills coaching resumes should contain:
- Teamwork/teamwork building
- Communication skills
- Time management
- Knowledge of the fundamentals of one or more sports
- Quick decision-making
Depending on the type of coaching jobs you apply for, you may also need specific certifications to apply as well. If you plan to also teach within the K-12 public or private school sphere, then many schools will also need you to have a teaching license.
Some states might also require other certifications. In California, for instance, the California Interscholastic Federation’s Coaching Education Program assures California high schools that certified coaches from their program have received enough training for the role.
Examples:
Skills
- Innovative coaching strategies
- Organizational skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Time management
- Fundraising and marketing
- Mentoring student athletes and monitoring progress
- First aid
Certifications
- California Interscholastic Federation Coaching Orientation certified, January 2020
- National Federation of State High School Associations Coach Level 2 National Certification, May 2020
Work experience
Your professional experience should reflect the required qualifications from the job description. Higher-level coaching positions will require more experience or higher degrees of education. Even if you don’t have much experience in this field yet, having certain certifications and volunteer experience can boost your chances of landing at least an assistant coaching job.
Example:
Assistant Coach, Valley High School, Los Angeles, CA, September 2021-Present
- Organized and supervised well-executed practice programs to prepare for upcoming games.
- Coached games and directed practices to hone team abilities and win two championships.
- Inventoried equipment to keep gear and equipment available for practices and events.
- Managed workout sessions and practice drills to keep players in physical shape.
- Scheduled transportation, food and lodging to facilitate team travel.
- Organized fundraisers to increase budget for better tools and equipment.
Education
Most professional coach positions will require you to have at least a Bachelor’s degree in physical education, kinesiology, sports management or sports medicine, or nutrition and fitness. This degree proves that you are not only dedicated to health and fitness but that you have studied how to help student athletes reach their best physical potential.
Example:
- California State University, Los Angeles, CA
- Bachelor of Science, Nutrition and Fitness
- Graduated with distinction
- Graduated with honors
Do’s and don’ts for a coaching resume
- Tailor your coaching resume for the specific coach job description. Show you match the requirements for the role and highlight accomplishments that make you outshine other candidates.
- Demonstrate your experience is well-rounded so you can assist players on and off the field. Make it known if you’ve coached teams to playoffs, championships or mentored players to the next level.
- Proofread your coaching resume before submitting it along with your coaching cover letter and job application. Whether creating winning rosters or gameday strategy, attention to detail is essential.
- Write a resume with non-relevant experience. Include job roles where you can demonstrate transferable skills such as volunteer coaching or offering private athletic training.
- Make false statements about any work history or qualifications. It’s better to show your passion and skills than make up fictitious coaching roles
- Write your coaching resume from scratch. Resume Help has all the resources you need and our Resume Builder helps you create a resume in minutes.
FAQs: Coaching resume
Have questions? We’re here to help.
What should I put on my coaching resume?
Just as the players on your team need to impress athletic recruiters, coaching resumes need to impress the prospective employer to invite you for a job interview. Focus on coaching experiences, whether a paid job or volunteer work, with the emphasis on achievements that demonstrate particular skills, plus any coaching or team awards. Tailor the wording on your resume to match the coaching job description of the specific job you’re applying for. Don’t just send a generic coach resume that doesn’t address the specific demands of the position. The coaching resume samples and templates on this page can provide you with a base for writing your own strong resume.
What is the job description of a coach on a resume?
A sample job description for a coaching position will include a summary of the employer, specific responsibilities of the job role along with desired qualifications. Here is a sample job description for a coach:
Responsibilities:
- Lead, mentor, problem solve, plan activities and have a flexible schedule
- Edit and review practice and game videos
- On court instruction
- Record statistics and make game plan
- Run practices and games
- Hands-on equipment management
- Arrange transportation to games
- Handle daily operations
- Gear ordering for the program
Qualifications:
- Three years of experience in coaching or a related role
- Athletic Coaching Certification from the State of Montana
- Strong proficiency in on-court training
- Statistics utilization and record keeping
- Excellent communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Knowledge of the rules and regulations of the University and the NCAA
- Detail-oriented with a high level of accuracy
- Advanced in public speaking with the media with response to related questions.
- Ability to make travel arrangements and other administrative functions.
- Flexible schedule
Of course, this is just a sample. Be sure to read the job description for the actual coaching job that you’re applying for. Then, do your best to match your qualifications and experiences to the required skills, qualifications and coaching experience the job requires.
What are some objective examples for coaches on a resume?
“Enthusiastic former physical education teacher with seven years of experience at Vienna Preparatory School and four years playing “A” level college baseball for Florida State looking to join the baseball coaching staff at Millenia College with a recent Athletic Coaching Certification from the State of Florida. Eager to apply my baseball ability, physical training and health knowledge to contribute to instructing, mentoring and managing a collegiate baseball team to gain practical experience and grow within the coaching field.”
In the coach resume objective example shown above, the candidate is looking to change careers from a physical education teacher to an assistant coach of baseball. Notice how the resume objective strongly demonstrates transferable experience from the candidate’s history.
“Recent college graduate and former college volleyball player seeking an assistant coach of volleyball position at the high school level. As volleyball captain, I assisted team practices by helping to instruct fundamental volleyball mechanics and techniques, in addition to managing skill drills for the team. Excited to grow coaching skills and help lead a team to the district championship.”
In the resume objective above, the entry-level job candidate expresses her experience as a volleyball player, along with her intent to start out as an assistant in order to gain coaching skills, conveying enthusiasm as well as a desire to learn and achieve success.
How much experience does a coach need?
This will depend on the type of coaching position you are applying to. Assistant coaches typically don’t have many years of experience, but a head coach or athletic director should. Usually, the job description will tell you how many years of relevant experience is preferred (or required) for any given coaching position.
Is a cover letter necessary for a coaching position?
Most jobs require a cover letter to accompany a resume, and a cover letter is further ammunition for you to tell hiring managers why you are the perfect fit for the job. Even if the cover letter is listed as optional, you should still write one anyway. Doing so will make you stand out even more. For help assembling your cover letter, use our Cover Letter Builder.
Where can I find free resume templates?
ResumeHelp has plenty of resume templates, resume samples and articles, each written by a certified professional resume writer. You can also check out our Resume Builder to help you craft a great coaching resume in minutes.
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