If it's time to go on the offensive to take your career to the next level, we've got you covered. You teach athletes how to dribble and shoot the perfect 3-pointer and we'll make sure your resume gets you the basketball coaching job.
With 300+ resume examples and writing guides, Resume.io is a source of expert career sources for job seekers in all industries and at all experience levels. This guide, along with our basketball coach resume example, will show you how to:
- Choose the most appropriate sections for your resume including summary, employment history and skills
- Pick the right resume format for a basketball coach
- Write a summary that shows off the passion you bring to the court
- Create an attractive design that helps you stand out as a professional candidate
What does a basketball coach do?
A basketball coach is a professional who coaches and instructs athletes in the game of basketball. A basketball coach works to impart knowledge and the understanding of techniques, allowing players to improve their performance and achieve goals. Basketball coaches help athletes develop important skills, and remain in top physical condition for the game. They teach players about the rules, regulations, and specifics of the game of Basketball. Basketball coaches aim to encourage players, promote sportsmanship, and help athletes to realize their full athletic potential. They might work in a school or a sports facility, where they are typically responsible for planning practices, games, and contests. Basketball coaches are also usually responsible for the recruitment and retainment efforts of talented athletes, in addition to effectively managing their team.
Does your expertise extend beyond the sport of basketball? Get even more resume writing tip in these related sport and fitness resume samples:
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How to write a basketball coach resume
Before you can get started writing your basketball coach resume, you'll need to have a game plan. Here are the essential sections your CV should include:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
A successful basketball coach resume should effectively communicate a candidate’s expertise and ability to coach basketball. Be sure to highlight any past coaching positions, and emphasize skills associated with coaching, guiding, and mentoring others. When it comes to a position like this, being specific is key, as it will convey a deep understanding of the sport. Use impressive terminology related to your instructional tools, and list skills you work to equip your players with. You might include skills like: game strategies, basketball analytics, player conditioning, and successful leadership. Your resume should highlight your ability to develop individual, group, or team oriented plans to help athletes improve their game strategies, form, and ability. Your resume should focus on positions you are proud of, with a strong emphasis on positions of leadership with transferable duties and required skills for a basketball coach position.
Beating the ATS
When it comes to landing a new basketball coaching job, your toughest opponent will undoubtedly be the Applicant Tracking Systems or ATS in use at many large companies and educational institutions. Unless handing or emailing your resume to a HR manager directly, you should assume that it will be scanned by the ATS algorithm for "resume keywords." Luckily, there are some steps you can take to rise to the challenge:
- Read the job description closely and pick out any duties, skills or experiences emphasized by the employer
- Place these on your resume using the exact working from the job description
- Never engage in "keyword stuffing" which is the deliberate overuse of keywords in an attempt to beat the ATS. You may defeat the robot, but you'll never win against the hiring manager.
Choosing the best resume format for basketball coaches
Basketball coaches with at least a few previous positions to show are likely best served by the traditional reverse chronological resume format. This format centers on an employment history section that begins with your most recent employment and works backwards through the previous 10 years experience. It is the format preferred by hiring managers and most easily read by the ATS.
There are other options, however. You may find that a hybrid resume format works best for you. This option allows you to begin with a "Skills" or "Experience" section to highlight your areas of expertise before moving on to a shorter employment history section.
Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't keep track of basketball coaches as an individual profession, the need for sports coaches in general is expected to increase by a whopping 26 percent over the coming decade. Much of this growth will come from an increase in high school enrollment, women's programs and division III colleges.
Resume summary example
As a coach, your job is not only about understanding the game of basketball, but also what motivates people to action. The summary is where you'll need to put those people skills to work. In these 3-5 sentences, you can highlight your biggest accomplishments and attributes. Give a recruiter a taste of your skills, experience and even education while saving the details for further down on your resume. Remember to use powerful action verbs and highlight your best attributes. You want to convey your effectiveness as a basketball coach in a clear and concise way.
Below you'll find the summary from our basketball coach resume sample.
Accomplished basketball coach with over five years of experience helping student athletes to realize their greatest performance levels in the game of basketball. Adept in guiding players to foster their competencies, and gain new and beneficial skills. Experienced in helping players learn powerful techniques to improve their form and maximize performance and endurance. Bringing forth a personal background demonstrating powerful coaching skills and a commitment to the sport of basketball.
Employment history sample
The employment history section is almost always the focus of your resume. Make sure to begin with your most recent position listing the job title, employer name, dates worked and location. Underneath, create 4-5 bullet points that offer deeper insight into your duties, accomplishments and coaching strategies. Remember to use powerful action verbs and basketball terminology that showcases your knowledge of the sport. Quantify your achievements with numbers and statistics to prove the impact you had.
Check out the employment history section from our resume sample below.
- Coached Junior and Varsity Basketball Players, achieving three championships in 4 years.
- Recruited and retained talented players.
- Worked with Athletic Coordinators to evaluate and improve aspects of the programs.
- Offered encouraging leadership and a commitment to my teams.
- Assisted players with core conditioning, and helpful game techniques.
- Assisted with fundraising events to advance department programs.
- Honored my commitment to the University by operating under their values at all times.
Basketball coach resume education example
While you may not be required to have formal education to work as a basketball coach, your education section helps explain your journey. List all degrees and certifications here. Any honors or distinctions should be noted here as well. You can also create a separate section called Awards or Championships if you have enough material to do so. If not, just add them here. If you hold a degree higher than a bachelor’s degree, you may leave out your high school.
Here you'll find the education section from our basketball coach resume example.
- 2006-2010 Tampa University, Bachelor of Sports Management Tampa, FL
- 2002-2006 Orlando High School, High School Diploma Orlando, FL
CV skills example
Your skills are at the heart of what you do as a basketball coach so make sure to give some extra attention to this CV section. The bullet point format means you'll only have a word or two to describe each ability so make sure to use specific, targeted language from the job description. Don't forget to balance the number of soft skills like "compassion" or "enthusiasm" with more technical abilities like "recruitment" and "core conditioning techniques" on your CV.
See our resume sample below.
- Effective Coaching Techniques
- Program Operation Skills
- Core Conditioning Techniques
- Basketball Analytics
- Recruitment and Retainment
- Professional Enthusiasm
Resume layout and design: the whiteboard
The resume layout and design serves to draw the hiring manager's attention towards all the positive elements you have to show on your resume. While great writing is important, an attractive header can give you the edge and make sure a hiring manager spends a few extra seconds reviewing your qualifications.
Make sure to keep a strong balance of white space to text so that the reader doesn't feel overwhelmed by information. You should also use a font size between 10-12 points and 1-inch margins. These little details help convey your professionalism.
A splash of color or another visual element may be appropriate for your resume but you'll want to consider the look and feel of the organization where you hope to work first. Even a simple resume design that's clean and concise can go a long way in making your application stand out.
To save yourself a bit of time and effort when it comes to formatting, you might consider using a resume template. These professionally-designed layouts allow you to add your own information while ensuring that your header always looks great.
Key takeaways for a basketball coach resume
- A great resume helps you convey your skills and knowledge both of the game and in helping athletes reach their full potential
- The summary is an important place to show off your personality and people skills which can set you apart from other coaches
- Don't forget to add numbers in your employment history section to quantify your achievements
- Keywords in your skills section can help you overcome the ATS and drive home your application
- Check out our basketball coach resume example for more layout and formatting ideas
