Coach education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a coach?

You typically need a bachelor's degree to be a coach. Generally, the degree can be in any subject, but some coaches may find it beneficial to study exercise and sports science, physiology, sports medicine, or a related field. More often than not, coaches have previous experience playing the sport that they coach, and often at a high level. This gives coaches necessary experience that they can use to advise their team. Many high school coaches are primarily educators, so along with a bachelor's degree, they will need to hold an active teaching license. They will also be required to teach full-time while supplementing their income by coaching part-time.

Q: What degree do you need to be a college coach?

You need a bachelor's degree to be a college coach. Most college coaches have a degree in something related to physical and nutritional sciences. Ideal degrees would be in sports management or something similar. Other common degrees would be kinesiology, sports nutrition, and physical education. Certifications can help build your coaching portfolio. You can become a Certified Interscholastic Coach (CIC) through NFHS. You can also complete the National Coaching Certification program offered through the U.S. Sports Academy. Show commitment by attending camps, clinics, and scouting trips. Coaches need to be aware of fitness, strength, and nutrition practices. The knowledge necessary to keep athletes at their healthiest and top performance can be obtained by pursuing the appropriate degrees and certifications.

Q: What degree do you need to be a football coach?

You typically need a bachelor's degree to be a football coach. Generally, the degree can be in any subject, but some coaches may find it beneficial to study exercise and sports science, physiology, sports medicine, or a related field. More often than not, coaches have previous experience playing the sport that they coach, and often at a high level. This gives coaches necessary experience that they can use to advise their team. To become a head football coach, you must have previous experience coaching. Many high school football coaches will have positions teaching at the school they work for, so an active teaching license may be necessary as well. However, there are some schools with large football programs that hire full-time football coaches. These positions are highly competitive, and previous experience with a solid winning streak is necessary.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a coach. Coaches usually study business, psychology, or kinesiology. 62% of coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 75,892 real coach resumes to see exactly what coach education sections show.

The most common colleges for coaches are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online coach courses to help get the education required to be a coach.

There are certain coach certifications that you should consider. These coach certifications include Certified Personal Trainer and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

What education do you need to become a coach?

What degree do you need to be a coach?

The most common degree for coaches is bachelor's degree, with 62% of coaches earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 12% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Associate, 12%

Master's, 12%

High School Diploma, 9%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a coach?

You should major in business to become a coach. 17% of coaches major in business. Other common majors for a coach include psychology and kinesiology.

Business, 17%

Psychology, 12%

Kinesiology, 11%

Education, 6%

Other Majors, 54%

Most common colleges for coaches

Coaches often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Arizona State University, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for coaches in the US based on their resumes.

Coach common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.10%
Arizona State University	6.98%
Florida State University	5.81%
Pennsylvania State University	5.81%
California State University - San Bernardino	5.59%

Show more common coach colleges

Best majors for coaches

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	16.9%
2	Psychology	11.5%
3	Kinesiology	10.5%
4	Education	6.0%
5	Communication	5.5%

Show more common coach majors

Best colleges for coaches

The best colleges for coaches are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

A coach with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for coaches. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become coaches.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for coaches

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Top 10 most affordable universities for coaches

The most affordable schools for coaches are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for coaches are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for coaches.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for coaches

The hardest universities for coaches to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for coaches are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for coaches based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

7. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for coaches

The easiest schools for coaches to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a coach without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for coaches.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average coach salary by education level

According to our data, coaches with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $46,352 annually. Coaches with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $46,103.

Coach education level	Coach salary
Master's Degree	$46,103
High School Diploma or Less	$39,456
Bachelor's Degree	$46,352
Some College/ Associate Degree	$41,300

Coach education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a coach?

What degree do you need to be a college coach?

What degree do you need to be a football coach?

What is the best college for Coaches?

Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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