Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
What is a basketball coach and how to become one
Basketball coaches prepare a team of basketball players to compete in a basketball game. The game could be a college game, a league game, or a professional basketball game depending on where and who you're working with. As a basketball coach, it is your responsibility to recruit players, train them, prepare strategies for the game, and get your players ready for the game. You will also be managing all administrative activities of the job, and it is your responsibility to make sure your team understands the game and the rules of the game. As you will have assistant(s), you are to supervise them.
You must have leadership skills, you must be detail-oriented, and you must be able to focus for a long period. You must also be self-motivated, be physically fit, and should have a solid understanding of the game. Most basketball coaches have a bachelor's degree in health education, kinesiology, and other related courses, but experience with basketball is highly required. You will earn an average of $40,645 per year.
Avg. Salary $44,858
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 20%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%
Asian 5.40%
Black or African American 8.73%
Hispanic or Latino 13.02%
Unknown 6.01%
White 66.63%
Genderfemale 23.52%
male 76.48%
Age - 34American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 34Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Basketball Coach career paths
Key steps to become a basketball coach
Explore basketball coach education requirements
Start to develop specific basketball coach skills
Skills 
Percentages CPR 23.09% Student Athletes 16.03% Role Model 6.31% Teamwork 6.03% Basketball Program 5.07% Complete relevant basketball coach training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New basketball 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 a basketball coach based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real basketball coach resumes.Research basketball coach duties and responsibilities
- Develop on of the top academic programs at the high school, achieving a team GPA of 3.62.
- Lead a team of twelve to win the 13-15 year old league championship; act as mentor and teacher.
- Lead team to consecutive championship victories
- Teach the fundamentals of basketball, football, track, soccer, volleyball and baseball.
Prepare your basketball coach resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your basketball 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 a basketball 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 Basketball Coach Resume templates
Build a professional Basketball 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 Basketball Coach resume.
Apply for basketball coach jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a basketball coach job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Basketball Coach Job
Are you a Basketball Coach?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average basketball coach salary
The average Basketball Coach salary in the United States is $44,858 per year or $22 per hour. Basketball coach salaries range between $29,000 and $68,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do basketball coaches rate their job?
Basketball Coach reviews
I am extremely happy to correct, guide and to motivate the younger generation always.
Punishing children for negligible reasons
Not much I don't like but if I have to decide then I would say my dislike would be kids who don't think qualified or not good enough for sports since parents don't encourage them enough, which I would help them see how much fun and talented they can be not matter what anyone says
Working with individual players in one on one lessons. That's when I get a real chance to find out what knowledge the athlete is bringing to practice, who taught him that, and how and why it may work or not be the best technique available. I am about as nuanced a coach as you could get. The game of football is one of mental fortitude, discipline, and preparation. Raw athleticism, circus catches and big hits or helmet to helmet collisions.
I don't like parents getting involved or attempting to persuade coaching decisions such as play playing time and depth chart seeding. What I would allow for is any of my concerned parents (at any potential public school) who wouldn't ordinarily come watch practice and see the way the coaching staff interacts with your student athlete as we will go through a proper tackling methods clinic for LB/defensive backs, different types of blocking for the offensive and even the multiple defensive pash rush techniques that are now able to be implemented by a modern football coach.
Updated January 8, 2025
