Sports Coach Interview Questions & Answers


Sports coaches/instructors help children and adults to realise their potential in a sporting discipline through the provision of instruction, advice and encouragement. Coaches are responsible for planning, organising and delivering an appropriate range of sports activities and programmes for individuals and teams.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Sports Coach or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Sports Coach position, these Sports Coach interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Sports Coach Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Sports Coach interview questions.

  1. What’s your experience as a coach?
  2. Provide an example of a time when you had to help an athlete improve their performance.
  3. How do you improve an underperforming team?
  4. Are you familiar with the rules of the sport you’re applying for?
  5. Describe your process for maintaining discipline and keeping your players motivated.
  6. What do you know about our team?
  7. What skills do you possess that would make you successful in this role?
  8. How would you deal with a situation where an athlete is not meeting your expectations?
  9. As a sports coach, how do you ensure all players feel included in the team?
  10. There is a conflict between two players on the team. How do you handle it?
  11. How would you confront poor sportsmanship?
  12. How would you describe your coaching style?
  13. What is your experience with leading teams and how do you use it to your advantage as a sports coach?
  14. If you had the opportunity to train an Olympic athlete, what would be your primary focus?
  15. How would you help an athlete recover from an injury?
  16. How would you reintegrate sports players following injury?
  17. How do you recruit high-quality athletes?
  18. What would you do if one of your players was involved in a controversial incident during a game?
  19. Do you have any experience working with children?
  20. What would you do if an athlete challenges your authority?
  21. How would you avoid disruptions prompted by rainy weather?
  22. What is the most difficult decision you had to make as a sports coach?
  23. Describe one of your most successful moments as a sports coach.
  24. When planning practice sessions, how do you determine the amount of time to spend on each component of the sport?
  25. We want to improve our team’s performance on defense. What strategies would you implement?
  26. Could you outline your refereeing experience?
  27. How would you handle fan pressure if the team is not doing well?
  28. As a sports coach, how do you keep updated on new tactical and training methods?
  29. What makes you the best candidate for this coaching position?

Sports Coach Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Sports Coach interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

  1. What is Your Salary Expectation?
  2. Tell Me About Yourself
  3. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
  4. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
  5. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
  6. What is Your Greatest Strength?
  7. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
  8. Why Should We Hire You?
  9. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
  10. Why Do You Want This Job?