So, for the boys that are interested in coaching either at the high school or college level, what did they major in? What is a good academic track? Is a graduate degree required or just beneficial?
How difficult is it to get a position as a GA?
Thanks.
One of my sons is on that path. Much to be aware of....
Pay is horrendous until you land a college HC position or an assistant position at a major D1.
HS HC's typically make a small stipend for the season - $3-$5K, and the time requirement is becoming more and more significant, becoming almost year-round to do it right and be competitive in many places.
The pool has FAR more supply than demand. There is a very high number of college players (and Milb/MLB players, for that matter) who aspire to join the college coaching ranks. Paying jobs at the college level are very limited. You will often have to pay your dues for years as a volunteer asst. and/or grad asst., then to make a very small salary as a paid asst. (except for those major D1 spots mentioned) until you hopefully finally land a HC spot. Almost as bad as playing in the minors.
If you wish to ultimately land a college HC job, both a masters degree and significant playing experience (along with success as an asst.) are required for the majority of jobs. Much of the additional experience will come thru the college summer programs the guys are talking about - again, not paying a whole lot. Even when you land a college HC spot, many perform dual roles at the school (asst. AD, compliance, etc.) if you are not at a big D1.
What did they major in? Across the board but it is common to finish a masters degree in something like Sports Management, Exercise and Sports Science or Athletic Coaching. This is a field where you will definitely want a back-up plan, so choose wisely. You need to seriously ask what you would want to do for a living if the coaching thing doesn't work out. Many will pick a major that they can teach, making it feasible to teach and coach at the HS level. This way, the teaching salary makes it a bit more feasible to deal with the small coaching stipend.
The grad asst. spot is almost always given to a player who has completed his bachelors AND completed at least 3 yrs of playing college. There are spots but still limited... and you have to make sure the school that has the open spot also has the masters major the student is seeking.
The exception here is if you have successful playing experience at either a major D1 program or into the professional ranks. That will often get you a pass on a few of these steps.
There is much movement in the college coaching ranks. In the bigger programs, you better win or you will be moving on. Any real or perceived program mis-steps with compliance, eligibility, player/coach behavior, etc., the coach is gone.
This is all sort of like the recruiting trail and playing college ball. You must either have been a a true standout player or have serious passion, patience and persistence to make it and stick. In any case, credentials matter. No matter how well you may coach or know the game, if you didn't play at a certain level, you will be questioned. And, the school will be questioned... therefore very reluctant to hire anyone who hasn't. Same goes for winning, once you are in a coaching spot. If you have only been on staff for a losing program, you have not proven your ability to coach your team to win. More questions. Much less likely to be chosen for a job at a new school (with the exception being a school that is also losing a lot, but even they want to find a better coach who will help them turn it around).
All this said, if you do have that passion for the game and you know how to reach kids, it can be very rewarding.
Needless to say, run scored...game over. I told my son he wasn't going to stay undefeated as a coach forever...might as well get it out of the way early.
