What is an assistant coach and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

Many stories of head coaches often rise to the top of a news feed. Such is the case of Steve Kerr. Don't get me wrong. Steve Kerr is, by far, one of the best, most consistent basketball head coaches having brought multiple victories for the Golden State Warriors. But his/her assistant, Luke Walton, was just as competent and played a vital role in maintaining the team performance and defending the title during the period when Steve suffered a back injury. Now, Luke is the head coach of the L.A. Lakers, one of the top basketball teams behind top talents like Lebron James and Lonzo Ball.

An assistant coach is involved in activities such as organizing practice sessions, conducting student recruitments, managing training equipment, and implementing training strategies. Besides that, they help facilitate individual workouts, maintain performance records, and coordinate logistics such as accommodation and transportation.

Some employers prefer assistant coaches have a bachelor's degree, but most only require them to demonstrate at least three years of direct experience in the sport, either through coaching or participation. This role earns, on average, $19 per hour and suits someone with a strategic mindset and athletic background.

ScoreAssistant CoachUS Average
Salary
3.4

Avg. Salary $43,838

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.0

Growth Rate 20%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.22%

Asian 5.41%

Black or African American 8.78%

Hispanic or Latino 13.10%

Unknown 5.75%

White 66.73%

Gender

female 37.51%

male 62.49%

Age - 34
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34
Stress Level
8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.3

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Assistant Coach career paths

Key steps to become an assistant coach

  1. Explore assistant coach education requirements

    Most common assistant coach degrees

    Bachelor's

    73.3 %

    Associate

    8.9 %

    Master's

    8.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific assistant coach skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    CPR14.51%
    NCAA13.00%
    Player Development7.27%
    Assist Head6.34%
    Soccer5.80%
  3. Complete relevant assistant coach training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant coaches learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant coach based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant coach resumes.
  4. Research assistant coach duties and responsibilities

    • Plan practices, lead JV games and practices, assist with varsity practices and workouts
    • Lead the boys and girls teams to strong sectional outcomes, which lead their qualification for the state championship meet.
    • Instruct competitive youth soccer players in basic skill development
    • Train to use see CPR certify
  5. Prepare your assistant coach resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant coach resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant coach resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Assistant Coach Resume templates

    Build a professional Assistant Coach resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Assistant Coach resume.
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  6. Apply for assistant coach jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an assistant coach job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Assistant Coach Job

Zippi

Are you an Assistant Coach?

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Average assistant coach salary

The average Assistant Coach salary in the United States is $43,838 per year or $21 per hour. Assistant coach salaries range between $30,000 and $63,000 per year.

Average Assistant Coach Salary
$43,838 Yearly
$21.08 hourly

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How do assistant coaches rate their job?

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Assistant Coach reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Pros

Teaching the swing from the ground up. Doing video analysis. The satisfaction I get when it clicks for the hitter.

Cons

People who think hitting is easy, see ball hit ball. Parents who want instant gratification.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

I am extremely happy to correct, guide and to motivate the younger generation always.

Cons

Punishing children for negligible reasons


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A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

The best thing is Developing and making them great players and giving confidence and motivation.

Cons

I hate having bad attitude on the field and off the field.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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