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Lead coach vs head coach

The differences between lead coaches and head coaches can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a lead coach and a head coach. Additionally, a lead coach has an average salary of $53,811, which is higher than the $44,062 average annual salary of a head coach.

The top three skills for a lead coach include phone calls, professional development and direct reports. The most important skills for a head coach are CPR, NCAA, and athletic program.

Lead coach vs head coach overview

Lead CoachHead Coach
Yearly salary$53,811$44,062
Hourly rate$25.87$21.18
Growth rate20%20%
Number of jobs16,04722,027
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age3636
Years of experience66

What does a lead coach do?

Lead Coaches are responsible for training athletes in the fundamentals of a sport and managing subordinates coaches. Their duties include conducting tryouts, recruiting new players, designing training programs, developing game strategies, and scheduling roster training. They facilitate logistical arrangements of equipment, uniforms, and transportation. They also act as a referee for sports matches and employ sporting techniques in their training program.

What does a head coach do?

A head coach is responsible for managing teams, monitoring each player's performance, conditioning the team's skills by conducting training sessions, and encouraging the trainees to reach their full potential. Head coaches assess the team's coordination during training or a game, adjusting strategies and improving techniques as needed. A head coach evaluates the team's strengths and weaknesses while educating them on the proper sports ethic. A head coach must have strong leadership and organizational skills to develop plans and reach set goals.

Lead coach vs head coach salary

Lead coaches and head coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.

Lead CoachHead Coach
Average salary$53,811$44,062
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $92,000Between $30,000 And $63,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MANew York, NY
Highest paying stateMassachusettsNew York
Best paying companyJPMorgan Chase & Co.Kern Community College District
Best paying industryTechnologyEducation

Differences between lead coach and head coach education

There are a few differences between a lead coach and a head coach in terms of educational background:

Lead CoachHead Coach
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorBusinessKinesiology
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Lead coach vs head coach demographics

Here are the differences between lead coaches' and head coaches' demographics:

Lead CoachHead Coach
Average age3636
Gender ratioMale, 43.2% Female, 56.8%Male, 66.3% Female, 33.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 5.5% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between lead coach and head coach duties and responsibilities

Lead coach example responsibilities.

  • Perform additional responsibilities as deemed appropriate by school and district supervisors such as organizing and managing elementary school mathematics information nights.
  • Administer payroll functions and leaves of absence.
  • Correspond to SITEL and operations deliverables in a timely manner.
  • Offer expansion ideas on future warehouse layouts, and conveyor systems.
  • Promote to regular trainer who run more sessions as well as programs.
  • Process, review, and approve daily payroll and attendance of employees.
  • Show more

Head coach example responsibilities.

  • Coach and lead a group of 50 kids between 10 and 12 years old.
  • Manage JV squad during practice and games, preparing them to move to the varsity level.
  • Lead a professional hockey player camp during the summer consisting of NHL, AHL, NCAA hockey players.
  • Teach young student-athletes to relentlessly pursue their goals and achieve academic success while establishing an exemplary foundation of leadership.
  • Serve in a primary leadership role to manage training academy program logistics and to coordinate team participation in national tournaments.
  • Certify in CPR to ensure the safety of athletes.
  • Show more

Lead coach vs head coach skills

Common lead coach skills
  • Phone Calls, 30%
  • Professional Development, 29%
  • Direct Reports, 14%
  • Customer Issues, 4%
  • Leadership, 4%
  • Training Programs, 3%
Common head coach skills
  • CPR, 31%
  • NCAA, 7%
  • Athletic Program, 5%
  • Player Development, 4%
  • Softball, 4%
  • Leadership, 4%

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