Coaching Resume Example—Guide for Sports Coaches

You are, or used to be, a great athlete yourself. And now you want to help others pursue their dreams of standing on the podium.

And to do that, you need to write a resume that lands a home run. In just a couple of minutes, we’ll coach you to write a professional coaching resume. One that would make even John Wooden jealous.

In this guide, you’ll find:

• An Olympics-grade coach resume example.
• How to write a resume for coaching jobs, even with no experience.
• How to present your skills and job description on a coaching resume.
• Expert strategies to make your coach resume shine bright like a gold medal.

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Considering other job opportunities in sports or wellness? Check out our other guides:

• Lifeguard Resume Sample
• Massage Therapist Resume
• Military-to-Civilian Resume
• Personal Trainer Resume
• Physical Therapy Resume Samples
• Resume for a Career Change
• Resume for a College Student
• Resume for Consulting Jobs
• Resume with No Experience

You may also check our collection of 280+ resume examples for various jobs.

Coaching Resume Example 

Coaches are responsible for guiding and training individual athletes or teams in a specific sport to help them improve their skills and performance. Coaches must plan and organize training regimens and develop various tactics and techniques.

Now, here’s how to write a winning coach resume:

1. Strategize a Flawless Coach Resume Format

In sports, a well-laid-out plan is necessary to achieve victory.

And it’s the same in job searching!

Improve your chances of landing your next coaching job by applying the right resume format to your application. Here’s how to format a coaching resume:

• Apply the chronological resume style to your coaching resume.
• Write your application using a readable resume font, like Calibri, in 10-12pt.

• Don’t exceed the preferred resume length. One page is ideal, but you can add a second page if needed.

• Set 1-inch margins on the resume. Leave some white space so you don’t crowd the page.

• Use these resume sections: Header, Summary, Experience, Education & Skills. Increase your chances by adding bonus sections to your coach resume.

• Should your coaching resume be in a PDF or DOC? Use PDF unless you’re told to do otherwise.

2. Score With a Great Coach Resume Objective or Summary

When introducing an excellent athlete, you’d typically add their greatest achievement. For example, you wouldn’t call Chris Bumstead just a “bodybuilder” but a “4 time Mr. Olympia Champion.”

Now, let’s apply the same logic to your coaching resume. You’re not just “a coach.” You’ve “coached athletes to win state championships.”

And you can show that with a resume summary!

Use:

1. One adjective (efficient, dedicated, motivated)
2. Job title (Swimming coach, Baseball coach)
3. Years of experience (2+, 5+)
4. How you’ll help (coach the Van Horn High School swimming club to win the state championship)
5. Nicest 2–3 achievements (Led three swimmers to qualify for the state championships, Coached a swimming relay team to break the school record)

These coaching resume examples show how:

Sports Coach Resume Sample—Summary

Dedicated swimming coach with 5+ years of experience. Seeking to coach the Van Horn High School swimming club to win the state championship. At Rock Bridge High, led three swimmers to qualify for the state championships, with two achieving top-three finishes in their respective events. Coached a swimming relay team to break the school record, achieving a time that had stood for over a decade.

Highly experienced and dedicated swimming coach with a proven track record of developing athletes and fostering team success. Seeking to leverage my expertise and passion for swimming to impact the performance and growth of athletes positively.

That second example is a nothing burger. And we all know that burgers shouldn’t be a staple food in an athlete’s or a coach’s diet.

Meanwhile, the first example has all the micronutrients a coaching resume profile needs. It shows quantified credentials and your motivation to coach at the specific place.

But what if you don’t have experience as a sports coach just yet? How can your coaching resume persuade anyone?

Don’t worry.

Write a resume objective and talk up achievements from non-coaching jobs that prove your skills.

Sample Coaching Resume Objective

Dedicated physical education teacher looking for the opportunity to coach Rock Bridge High’s tennis team. As a P.E. teacher at Columbia Independent School, achieved a 95% student pass rate in state-mandated fitness assessments, surpassing the school district's average. Implemented a new physical education curriculum, resulting in a 20% increase in student engagement and participation. Certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED.

Highly motivated and enthusiastic teacher with a passion for tennis and a background in physical education. Seeking a tennis coach position to leverage my knowledge, dedication, and leadership skills to develop athletes and foster a love for the sport.

That first coaching resume with no experience sample is a game-set match. Despite any real coaching experience, it showcases your skills in training others.

Unlike the second coaching resume objective, which could’ve been written by anyone.

And here’s a pro tactic—Start writing your coaching resume with a different section, not the resume profile. This will make it much easier to choose the most impressive achievements and skills from all your other sections.

Expert Hint: Resume profiles are often considered the toughest part of the resume to write. So it may be tempting to have AI write your resume. But just like steroids aren’t the super soldier serum for athletes, AI won’t fix all of your coaching resume worries. It’s much better to write a targeted resume by yourself.

 

3. Write a Winning Coach Resume Job Description

Every team wants to have the best coach. This is why recruitment processes for coaches can be so difficult. To make your time that much easier, use your coaching resume work experience section to show the recruiter you’re already an accomplished sports coach.

Here’s how to write a coach job description for a resume:

1. Read through the job ad carefully.
2. Locate specific resume keywords that tell you what skills and qualities the team or athletes want to see in a coach.
3. Think of times you’ve used those skills to achieve great results.
4. Write resume bullets that show those things, and quantify them whenever possible.

These sports coach resume examples show you how:

Coaching Resume Description Sample

High School Swimming Coach

Rock Bridge High School, Columbia, MO

November 2019–present

• Developed and implemented a specialized training program that improved swimmers' personal best times by an average of 10%.
• Developed an innovative dryland training program that enhanced swimmers' strength and flexibility, resulting in improved performance in the water.
• Coached a relay team to break the school record, achieving a time that had stood for over a decade.
• Led three swimmers to qualify for the state championships, with two achieving top-three finishes in their respective events.
• Coached a team of 30+ swimmers, resulting in a 35% increase in overall team performance over a three-year period.

Grade School Swimming Coach

North Kansas Grade School, Kansas City, MO

September 2017–November 2019

• Provided individualized coaching and support to a swimmer with special needs, enabling them to achieve personal best times and develop self-confidence.
• Mentored and guided a novice swimmer to win their first-ever gold medal at a regional competition.
• Secured a state grant of $2,000 for equipment purchases.

High School Swimming Coach

Rock Bridge High School, Columbia, MO

November 2019–Current

• Developed personalized training programs and implemented effective strategies to improve swimmers' technique, speed, and endurance.
• Organized and executed regular practice sessions, drills, and competitions to enhance swimmers' skills and performance.
• Ensured a safe and supportive training environment.
• Monitored and evaluated swimmers' progress, providing constructive feedback and implementing targeted improvement plans.

The latter example feels like a participation award. You tried, but not good enough.

Meanwhile, the first coaching resume sample shows your skills & professional work accomplishments and backs them up with numbers. But that works for experienced coaches. What if you want to make a coaching resume without actual coaching experience?

No worries!

Use relevant accomplishments from non-coaching jobs. Take a look at the example below:

Coaching Resume With No Experience—Job Description

Grade School P.E. Teacher

Columbia Independent Grade School, Columbia, MO

November 2019–Current

• Achieved a 95% student pass rate in state-mandated fitness assessments, surpassing the school district's average.
• Implemented a new physical education curriculum, resulting in a 20% increase in student engagement and participation.
• Successfully organized and led a student-led health and wellness fair, attracting over 200 attendees from the community.
• Created a positive and inclusive physical education environment, earning a 95% satisfaction rating from students in end-of-year surveys.

These P.E. teacher achievements aren’t that dissimilar from what’s expected of a sports coach. That’s why a coaching job description like that could trample over even some experienced coach resumes.

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4. Show a List of Competitive Coaching Skills for a Resume

Here’s what you need next. A resume skill section that’s as strong as the arms of a powerlifter.

And you could probably boast about your skills for hours. Maybe you’re so accomplished you’d need an autobiography to showcase your coaching mastery.

Well, for your coaching resume, you can only show about 5–10 skills in total. So make sure they count! Don’t just copy the skill list below, but use it for inspiration when creating your own targeted resume for coaching jobs.

Coaching Skills for a Resume

• Coaching
• Player Development
• Leadership Skills
• Game Planning
• Communication Skills
• Fitness and Conditioning
• Sports Psychology
• Sports Nutrition
• Injury Prevention
• Skill Development
• Performance Analysis
• Adaptability
• Time Management
• Sportsmanship and Ethics
• Talent Identification
• Basic First Aid and CPR
• Team Management
• Motivation
• Conflict Resolution
• Performance Tracking
• Collaboration
• Organizational Skills
• Team Building
• Sports Event Management

Expert Hint: For the best result, present a mix of both hard and soft skills. You need both to show your adaptability and professional expertise.

5. Make Your Education Section Work Out

You may not believe it, but coaching jobs typically require Bachelor’s degrees. And although you could become a coach without receiving higher education (especially if you are an accomplished athlete), it can help kick-start your career.

But regardless of your education status, you still need an education section on your coaching resume. You must list the school name, degree, and graduation date.

And to go even further beyond, present applicable achievements that further prove your coaching expertise. The example below shows you how:

Coach Resume Example: Education Section

University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO

Physical Education, BS

August 2009–June 2013

• Member of the university swimming club. Won 9 gold, 12 silver, and 8 bronze medals in various competitions during studies.
• Worked part-time as a P.E. teacher at a local grade school.
• Pursued additional courses in kinesiology.

Physical Education, BS

2009–2013

• GPA: 2.3
• 2012 college beer-pong champion

Here’s a free piece of advice. You should only show your GPA on a resume if it’s at least 3.0. Although, it’s often recommended to do so only if your GPA is 3.5 or higher.

And when writing this section on your coaching resume, mention the different awards, medals, and cups you have won as an athlete during that time. But make sure actually to write about sports, not beer-pong competitions.

6. Finish Your Coach Resume Strong With Bonus Sections

If you followed our advice so far, your resume will secure you a podium spot.

But, if you’re candidate number 3, and the company only has a need for one or two employees, you’re out of luck. Don’t let that happen!

Let’s give your coaching resume a final push and secure that #1 spot with a couple of bonus sections!

Use 1–3 from the following choices:

• Awards and Professional Achievements
• Hobbies and Interests
• Volunteering Experience
• Certifications & Licenses
• Additional Activities
• Foreign Languages
• Classes Taken
• Publications
• Conferences
• Memberships
• Professional References

These two sports coach resume examples show you the winner vs. the loser:

Coach Resume Example—Extra Sections

Certifications

• Kinesiology Certification, Kinesiology Institute, June 2015
• Shield Certified Coach, USA Swimming, May 2011

Additional Activities

• Participates in organizing yearly summer sports camps.
• Runs a swimming blog on the personal website.

Certifications

• HVAC Technician Certification
• Certified C++ Programmer

Hobbies

• Fishing
• Smoking meat 

It’s easy to choose the right candidate between these two. The first one shows relevant certificates and activities that elevate their coaching resume.

At the same time, the second candidate’s coach's resume falls flat on their face and is not getting up. No need for a long count.

Expert Hint: We’re still not done here. If you want to increase your chances of getting the job by a whopping 40%, learn how to write a cover letter and attach it to your coaching resume.

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Key Points

For a coaching resume that lands you the job:

• Use the coach resume template we showed you. It’s a tried and tested formula that works well in the field.
• Put coaching resume achievements in all parts of your application.

• Craft a great coaching job description and provide curated coaching skills. Look through the job ad for keywords to help you choose fitting achievements.

• Write a coach cover letter. Make it stand out by showing your passion & motivation and how you’ll really help the team.

Got questions on how to write a great resume for coaching jobs? If you feel your resume for coach jobs plateaued, shoot us a comment. We’ll be happy to help.

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