25 Coach Interview Questions and Answers

So you want to get a job as a coach?

Maybe you want to get your first coaching job. Or maybe you want to move to a bigger, better team.

Whether you coach kids or a professional team, this is how you ace your interview and get the coaching job of your dreams.

What’s your experience as a coach?

If you have experience as a coach, detail what teams you worked for and for how long you coached them.

If you have a good track record, mention the trophies you won or the percentage of wins you had.

If you have no coaching experience, talk about your love for sports.

Mention any other professional experience ‌relevant to the job. Especially if it involved leadership or organizational skills.

Why do you want to coach our team?

The best answer depends on what type of team you're coaching. Choose one or more of the following options:

If you're a fan of the team, say it. If it's your hometown, mention your connection to the local community.

What do you know about our team?

Make sure you do your research before going to an interview.

Read about the team's history, how long they have existed, and their ups and downs.

Showing interest will help you get the job.

Why did you become a coach?

What qualities do you have that will help you be successful?

It's best if you give specific examples for each quality you mention.

What adversities have you faced as a coach? How do you deal with them?

They want to know how you deal with adversity, stress and setbacks. These are common in coaching, especially because so many things are out of your control.

Mention how you overcame those critical moments and how it made you a better and more experienced coach.

What was your most successful moment as a coach?

If you won a big trophy, that's an obvious answer. A victory against a strong opposing team is also a significant moment to remember.

If you've won nothing, talk about how you helped structure a team from scratch. Or how you helped a player going through a bad moment.

It doesn't have to be about actual victories. Anything that shows you overcoming tough challenges is good enough.

Will you change the team's culture?

Some teams are looking for continuity, others are looking for a break with the past. Research the team before your interview.

An obvious answer would be:

What's your leadership and coaching philosophy?

Are you a disciplinarian? Are you authoritarian or permissive? Or maybe somewhere in the middle?

Do you believe in pushing athletes to their limits or do you have a more balanced approach? How much do you focus on fitness? What about tactics?

The middle ground is the safest bet. Once again, researching the team beforehand will help you ace this question.

What is your playing style?

They want to know how you approach the game from a tactical and/or strategic perspective.

This is an important question and an opportunity to show off your knowledge of the game.

However, a suitable answer depends on the sport and the person who is doing the interview.

How do you improve an underperforming team?

Once again, this depends on the sport and the particular needs of the team. A valid answer would be:

How do you keep updated on new tactical and training methods?

Be prepared to give some examples.

What will you say to players in the first meeting?

How do you coach an athlete who is struggling to improve?

How do you discipline players who get in trouble outside sports?

What would you do if an athlete challenges your authority?

How do you keep players motivated and group morale high?

How would you help an athlete recover from an injury?

How do you recruit high-quality athletes?

Will you keep existing staff? How will you build your staff?

You don't want to appear like you need too many resources or be insensitive to existing staff.

What is your plan for the first 30 days?

How would you handle an angry parent wanting to see their child get more playing time?

How would you handle fan and parent pressure if the team is not doing well?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Answer this one with care. While everyone has ambitions, you don't want to make it seem like you will leave as soon as a better opportunity comes:

Why should we hire you?