College Head Coaching Requirements

It depends on the school as to weather or not the head coach needs a master's degree or not. However, it is basically a requirement since at many schools, especially smaller ones, coaches fill a faculty position.

From what I have heard, most schools don't care what your master's in is. It will help if there's a faculty position in your area of study. But mostly from what I've heard, many schools don't care what you're master's is in as long as you have one to teach. I've heard of a head coach with an bachelor's degree in psychology and an MBA that is teaching some P.E. courses. Which I'm sure is what you'll often see as you look at coaches.

Many schools will want you to be currently working as a teacher to work on a master's in education. However, if you are working at a school as a grad assistant or just as an assistant coach, they might be able to work with you to get a master's in education done. There are also master's programs for those who want to be certified to teach, but did not study education during their undergrad work.

My suggestion, use your current coach to help you network and find a graduate assistant gig somewhere. Get a master's in an area you could see yourself working in if after a few years you don't feel that coaching at the college level is for you. The rest will take care of itself.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought baseball did not have Grad Assistants.

quote:

Originally posted by CPLZ:
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought baseball did not have Grad Assistants.

Consider yourself corrected. I know nothing about the rules, but they are there.

By no means am I fountain of knowledge in this area but it has been my dream since I was about 16ish to be a college head coach. It is VERY difficult to break into college ranks period.

Honestly, I believe you are doing it the right way by trying to latch on as soon as you graduate. I wish I had done that because now I have 10 years of high school teaching under my belt and 10 years of having a set salaray coming in. As an assistant you won't get paid jack squat and that is what makes it difficult for me. I have had two offers to be an assistant coach but one was for $3000 and the other was for $5000 AND THAT WAS IT. I couldn't do it so I had to turn them down.

Be willing to work like crazy and do everything you can to make it because it's a tough world. If a job comes open there are going to be around 40 some applicants of guys who are already coaching college. So guys like you and I who have no experience have a tougher time making it.

Most head coaches want a pitching coach with recruiting experience. If you can do both it helps out so much in having a chance to get the job. Be willing to work in admissions, finacial aid, dorm director - whatever you can do to make it work.

The two best places to find jobs are www.naia.org and click on the careers button on the right and another window will popup and you can click on head / assistant coaching positions to browse. They have all sports here so you have to scroll through them to find baseball.

Another place to find them is www.ncaa.org but this one has just changed recently. You have to register in order to be able to search through job openings. I would give you the steps to do it but I can't remember them but it is very easy to work your way through.

Another source for jobs is the job search websites like monster.cocm and such. You won't find the best jobs here but there are some.

Now as to your question about masters degree I cannot remember a posting (I have probably filled out 200 some applications in the past 3 years) that they did not require a masters degree. But they also want college coaching experience and playing experience as well. Look at it this way - how could it hurt you to have the masters degree? Granted most posts want someone who has a masters degree in PE fields anyone will actually do.

I wish you the best of luck becasue I know how hard it is to break in. You probably already know the stuff I just said but I figured it couldn't hurt to let you know anyway. One last thing - be willing to move because if you wait for one area to open up then your chances of getting one become even more remote.

Good luck again and hope to one day coach with, for or against you at the college level.

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:

quote:

Originally posted by CPLZ:
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought baseball did not have Grad Assistants.

Consider yourself corrected. I know nothing about the rules, but they are there.

Are they rostered coaches that appear on the field also? I can't seem to find any on the few dozen rosters I looked at.

I'd bet that Coach O'Sullivan fits the bill there at Army.

CP, here is the ULL "Volunteer Asst. Coach". He's working on his MBA. They typcally get tuition and books in return for helping the team. The Gators had a grad asst. named Fleetwood coach 1st base until a year or two ago.

UL Vol .Asst. Coach

coach2709 provides a very accurate assessment of the situation, based on what I know. College coaching jobs are very network driven and seem to go to guys with college coaching experience. Once in a great while a high school guy will get a shot at a decent job, but not often at all.

They are called volunteer assistant coaches and usually given free tuition, room board and meals. It's like an internship. Bradley LeCroy was the volunteer at Clemson when son came, left for paid assistant coach at Western and now the assistant at UT. I know that son's HC prefers former players who want to coach as volunteer assistants.
HC's of larger programs usually have to have some form of education in a degree and I think a master's degree is required but does not have to be in education.

Could these be helpful?...

U of Nevada offers Grad program in Coach edu...
http://education.unlv.edu/sel/

Take a look at North American Society for Sports Management for possibilities...
http://www.nassm.com/InfoAbout/SportMgmtPrograms/United_States
At one time they had a job bank. Link is on their menu.

thanks for the help so far everybody. I talked with my college coach today about it and am going to look for openings soon!

CCKnights is correct. My current GA played college D-1 s****r and pro s****r in Europe. He is getting his masters in Athletic Administration. We (advising center) are paying his tuition and he is getting a monthly stipend. He is currently also getting paid by a local HS to be the assist. coach and is the assist. coach on two travel teams. He is doing ok. When he is finished, I expect him to be hired as a college s****r coach. He knows he must be willing to move. His playing background and social skills will help a lot.

My suggestion to you is the same I gave to him. Talk to the graduate college in which you want to enroll- ask about degree requirements that match your career goal. Talk it up to a lot of college coaches in divisions that you are interested in breaking into. In a couple of years, you may be one-but one never goes into education for the money- It is all about heart and soul; but you knew that.

BTW- Some colleges will let you work for them while you are seeking your masters- ask if you get an interview, if the requirements say “required master’s degree”.

Best of luck to fulfill the dream- make it happen!

Dad04,
I am just getting caught up in semantics, that's all (is it baseball yet?).

I knew there were volunteer asst.s in baseball, but was told by a few different coaches that there is no Grad Asst. position. I don't know what the differences would be, but apparently the NCAA makes some distinction.

There is a Grad Asst. at West Point, and there are a number of restrictions about what he can do and can't. I know he is not allowed on the field at games, and don't think he can work with players once official team practices start.

Maybe someone in the know on the inside can clear all this up for me (I hestitate to use the word us ).

Yeah I was using the two terms as one meaning. If there is a difference between a football GA assistant and a baseball VAC, maybe i can find out too. Sorry for the confusionisms.