Becoming a Division I college football graduate assistant coach requires a lot of drive, ambition, knowledge of the game and, often, pure luck.Most people who dream of doing anything need experience, and this is no different for those who dream of being Division I college football coaches.
That is where graduate assistant coaching comes in.
A graduate assistant coach’s responsibilities include helping the coaches, breaking down the film, helping and monitoring the athletes both on and off the field, handling equipment and balancing a graduate-level course load, according to ehow.com.
If this can be accomplished, which can be as many as 100 hours of work a week, they then receive free graduate school tuition and an introduction to coaching collegiately. This can create opportunities to make connections in the world of Division I college football.
This may seem difficult, and that is why few graduate assistant coaches stay for very long. According to ehow.com, most will stay for two seasons, but the National College Athletic Association says they can stay for a maximum of three seasons. Also, the NCAA requires that each Division I team have only two graduate assistant coaches.
The following are five helpful tips to becoming a graduate assistant coach of whatever sport you would want to pursue:
One: It helps if you have played the sport you want to coach for in college. That way, you will already know the rules and how to play it, giving you previous experience.
Two: Observe your coaches throughout your college career. If you had a favorite coach in high school, it might help to either call and ask them about their coaching style or go shadow them for a bit. Try to learn the techniques of being a coach, especially the type of coach that suits you.
Three: Keep looking for job openings. On Thursday there were 423 graduate assistant coaching jobs open on indeed.com. Go check them out. Also, attend coaching clinics and conferences to aid in your search and to make connections with coaches and programs.
Four: Apply and enroll in the graduate school you became the assistant coach at. Do this after you have the position.
Five: Always try to keep learning and making connections. Keep watching, learning and loving the sport you want to coach.
Photos Courtesy: UW Athletics Media Relations
