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What is a head basketball coach and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

The head basketball coach is responsible for creating plays and schemes useful in competitive arenas such as college, league games, and professional basketball leagues. He/She directs the team during competition and practices, conducts team meetings, implements schedules, and evaluates the performance of players. He/She helps prepare the team physically and mentally for competition.

Also, he/she oversees the recruitment and retention of players. Additionally, he/she supervises and leads assistant coaches, team managers, and other staff. Aside from that, he/she manages the team budget and ensures it is not exceeded.

For this position, candidates are required to have at least a bachelor's degree in physical education or any related field with a minimum of three years of successful coaching experience. You must have a current CPR/AED certification. You must possess organization, communication, problem-solving, leadership, and multitasking skills. Head basketball coaches earn an average salary of 40,584 per annum. It varies from $23,000 and $73,000.

ScoreHead Basketball CoachUS Average
Salary
3.5

Avg. Salary $44,688

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.0

Growth rate 20%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 5.47%

Black or African American 8.99%

Hispanic or Latino 13.38%

Unknown 5.98%

White 65.95%

Gender

female 16.65%

male 83.35%

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

Head basketball coach career paths

Key steps to become a head basketball coach

  1. Explore head basketball coach education requirements

    Most common head basketball coach degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.1 %

    Master's

    13.4 %

    Associate

    8.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific head basketball coach skills

    SkillsPercentages
    CPR22.47%
    Basketball Program10.55%
    NCAA6.81%
    Player Development6.59%
    Athletic Program4.93%
  3. Complete relevant head basketball coach training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New head 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 head basketball coach based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real head basketball coach resumes.
  4. Research head basketball coach duties and responsibilities

    • Manage staff and monitor practice plans and game tactics for JV , 10th grade and 9th grade teams.
    • Lead a group of young teenagers to a championship season, making tough decisions regarding playing time while maintaining team chemistry.
    • Provide leadership in helping each participating student achieve a high level of skill necessary for successful performance.
    • Assess all freshman athletes and community college transfers.
  5. Prepare your head basketball coach resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your head 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 head 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 head basketball coach resume templates

    Build a professional head 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 head basketball coach resume.
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    Head Basketball Coach Resume
    Head Basketball Coach Resume
    Head Basketball Coach Resume
    Head Basketball Coach Resume
  6. Apply for head basketball coach jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a head basketball 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 head basketball coach job

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Average head basketball coach salary

The average head basketball coach salary in the United States is $44,688 per year or $21 per hour. Head basketball coach salaries range between $29,000 and $68,000 per year.

Average head basketball coach salary
$44,688 Yearly
$21.48 hourly

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Head basketball coach reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
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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A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

I like to motivate kids into becoming acting and follow their dreams on sports they love to do. I'm always encourage kids they can do anything they want if they try hard enough and would most likely succeed in athletic activity if I'm there coaching for them. Want them to have fun and experience how fun it is being the best team in school.

Cons

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


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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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