Head coach facts for kids
A head coach is a very important leader for a sports team. They are in charge of training athletes and helping them get better at their sport. Sometimes, this role is called a "manager," especially in sports like association football (soccer) and professional baseball. In other sports, like Australian rules football, they are called a "senior coach."
The head coach usually works with a sports director or general manager. In professional sports, where players are full-time employees, the head coach often acts like a general manager for the team's daily operations. Other coaches on the team, who focus on specific skills like offense or defense, usually report to the head coach.
In sports for younger players, the head coach is often the main person who talks to parents and makes sure the young athletes are developing well.
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Coaching in American Football
The responsibilities of a head coach in American football change depending on the level of the sport.
High School Football Coaches
High school coaches organize and train football players. They create game plans, decide who plays, and lead the team during games. They also choose how the team lines up on the field.
Beyond the field, high school head coaches help find new players from within the school. They also schedule games and lead other coaches on the team. Many high school coaches also work as teachers at their school. They usually need a bachelor's degree, often in physical education or sports management. These coaches often oversee both the main (varsity) team and a junior varsity team.
College Football Coaches
One big challenge for college football coaches is that players often change teams. Players might move to other schools through a "transfer portal" or get drafted into professional leagues after a few years. About 18% of players change teams each season.
College head coaches have a paid staff to help them. This means they can focus on the big picture for the team. Unlike coaches at other levels, college coaches are fully responsible for choosing the players on their team. Finding and convincing top high school players to join their university is a huge part of being successful in college football.
A college coach is often the public face of the team. They represent the team when talking about important events or player behavior. It's interesting to know that in many states, the head coach of a public university's football or men's basketball team is the highest-paid public employee in that state!
Some major awards given to college football coaches each year include the Home Depot Coach of the Year and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award.
NFL Coaches
At the professional level, head coaches in the National Football League (NFL) can earn millions of dollars each year. Since they don't have to travel to recruit high school players, NFL head coaches spend more time on game strategies and playbooks. They work with a large staff of assistant coaches. These head coaches usually report to the team's general manager.
The NFL earns a lot of money, making it one of the highest-earning sports leagues. This helps explain why NFL coaches are among the highest-paid sports coaches. Sometimes, a coach's contract might have special rules about their salary if league games are paused for reasons like disagreements between players and owners.
NFL Coach Salaries
As of 2023, the average yearly salary for an NFL head coach was about $6.6 million. These salaries can range from $5 million to over $18 million per year. As of 2024, Andy Reid, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, was the highest-paid NFL head coach.
Coaching in Association Football (Soccer)
In association football (soccer), a head coach has similar responsibilities to coaches in other sports. For example, in European countries, a head coach usually chooses their own coaching staff. A key difference is that a head coach often works with a director of football. The director of football is usually in charge of finding new players and handling their contracts. In the United Kingdom, these two jobs are sometimes combined into one role called a manager.
Sometimes, a person might be called a senior coach. This means they are the main assistant to the head coach or they lead a junior team at the club. If the head coach is away, a senior coach might temporarily take over as the team's coach.
Australian Rules Football Coaches
In Australian rules football, the head coach (or senior coach) creates and runs training programs for the players. The senior coach in the AFL also decides player rotations and team lineups for each game. Many coaches work together on an AFL team. There might be coaches for forwards, midfielders, and defense, each focusing on players in those specific positions.
Rugby Union Coaches
Rugby football union clubs can have a director of rugby (DOR), a head coach, or both. The jobs for each role can be different depending on the club. Generally, if a club only has one of these roles, that person will have more responsibilities. A director of rugby often works across the whole club, making sure all teams, from youth to senior, follow the same plan. A head coach, however, focuses mainly on planning and leading the first team's training, working with other coaches who specialize in defense, attack, or specific player skills.
Basketball Coaches
College Basketball Coaches
Just like in college football, college basketball head coaches spend a lot of time finding and recruiting talented high school players. Successful coaches need to be good at spotting future stars and attracting them to their team. They build a team culture that stays strong even when players leave after a few years to play professionally or transfer to other schools.
A big challenge for college basketball coaches is that players can choose to enter the NBA draft after just one year of college, at age 19. This is different from college football, where players usually need to play for three years before they can enter the NFL draft.
Coaching a college basketball team can sometimes lead to coaching jobs in the NBA. Some successful college coaches have become great NBA head coaches after first working as assistant coaches. For example, Quin Snyder coached the Missouri Tigers men's basketball team before becoming a successful head coach for the NBA's Utah Jazz.
NBA Coaches
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In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the head coach creates game plans, studies opposing teams, and manages the players.
A very important part of an NBA head coach's job is deciding which players to play at certain positions and for how long. Smart choices about player rotations and substitutions are key to getting good matchups against the other team. The coach's rotation also helps make sure players don't get too tired, which can cause injuries, and that developing players get enough time on the court.
Some head coaches are known for building a strong team culture and chemistry. For example, Phil Jackson, who won championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, was known for his unique "zen" ideas in the locker room. He also used a special "triangle offense" that focused on teamwork and passing.
NBA head coaches often give advice to the team's general manager. However, they usually don't make the final decisions about money or business matters, like drafting new players, making trades, or negotiating contracts. Some coaches, like Pat Riley of the Miami Heat and Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics, have successfully moved into general manager roles.
NBA Player-Coaches
Years ago, the NBA allowed active players to also be the head coach of their team. However, this practice was stopped in the 1983-1984 season because of new rules about how much teams could spend on player salaries. The last player-coach was Dave Cowens, who coached and played for the Boston Celtics in the 1978–79 NBA season.
NBA Coach Salaries
As of 2025, the average salary for NBA coaches is around $7 million per year. The highest-paid coach in 2025 is Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, who earns $17.5 million each year.
Baseball Managers
Youth Baseball Managers
In Little League and other youth baseball leagues, the manager teaches players techniques and rules. They organize practices, choose the lineup, and pick the starting pitcher. Often, the manager is a parent of one of the players on the team.
High School Baseball Managers
At the high school level, there are varsity and junior varsity teams. The varsity team's manager leads the school's entire baseball program. However, a different coach usually manages the junior varsity team.
College Baseball Managers
College baseball managers are responsible for recruiting high school players to their university. They set the lineup, choose the starting pitcher, and make daily decisions for the team. While assistant coaches often handle the direct training, the manager is the overall leader of the program.
Minor League Baseball Managers
In Minor League Baseball (MiLB), the manager sets the lineup, picks the pitcher, and makes substitutions during games. Their role is similar to that in the Major Leagues. They also help prepare players to move up to higher levels of professional baseball.
Major League Baseball Managers
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the head coach is called the manager. They are responsible for setting the lineup, choosing the starting pitcher, making substitutions, and supporting their players. Managers often make decisions based on player matchups. While assistant coaches handle much of the player training at this level, the manager leads the team.
Cricket Coaches
A cricket coach helps manage players' health, recovery, and fitness. They make sure players are ready for national team games and training.
Track and Field Coaches
Head coaching duties for American track and field vary depending on the level of the sport.
Bill Bowerman was a famous American track and field head coach for the University of Oregon. He also helped start the company Nike, Inc.
At the college level, cross-country running head coaches have different responsibilities depending on their team's budget and how many staff members they have.
See also
In Spanish: Entrenador en jefe para niños
- Coach (sport)
- Coach (basketball)
- Manager (baseball)
- Manager (association football)
- Coach (ice hockey)
- Coaching tree
- Athletics director
- Strength and conditioning coach
- U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
