The Kee to Coaching: Interview Tips
Throughout my short coaching career, I have had seven different on-campus interviews. Out of those seven, I have been offered the assistant coaching position six times. With most jobs that I apply for, I know that I am usually in good shape if I can somehow get past the initial screening and phone interview, and get to a point where I'm invited on campus for a formal interview. Meeting with people and showcasing my talents are a strength for me, and I want to share a few tips that have helped me.
1. Do your research! - When going for an interview it is important to prepare and have as much information as possible on the school and the head coach. When preparing for an interview, I make a point to reach out to as many people as possible to find out all I need to know about the person in charge of hiring. From talking to people who know the coach, I get facts ranging from candy the head coach likes to eat, to certain pet peeves that he might have, to things that I should include when answering questions. Interviewing for a job is no different than preparing for an upcoming game. You have to constantly look for anything that may give you an advantage over your competition!
2. Look the part - As a coach, you are a mentor and a representative of the college that you are working for. For any interview I go on, I always get my hair cut to a professional level, arrive clean shaven and with a freshly pressed suit. I make sure to wear a nice dress shirt and that my tie is positioned correctly around my neck. Working in athletics is extremely competitive, and people truly undervalue how much a neat appearance can separate you from others. One of the biggest reasons I was offered my last job was because I had a neater and more professional appearance than one of the other people going for the position.
3. Ask questions! - You want to make sure that the job that you are considering is a good fit for you. One of the easiest ways to find out if a job is a potential fit, is to ask questions and find out both the positives and negatives of the job. You want to find out the head coach's philosophies on coaching, the challenges of the job, the potential for the program to win, and what the expectations are of you as an assistant. Asking questions shows that you are prepared and allows you to get a better perspective of what the job will entail. This can also help calm your nerves. It creates a more natural dialogue, and it gets the head coach to speak more and potentially give you clues on how you should answer remaining questions in the interview.
4. Showcase your strengths as a coach - One great piece of advice that I received when I first got into coaching, was to keep a portfolio of things I've done as a coach. When interviewing, I bring a copy of my coaching and recruiting philosophy, practice plans, I bring copies of scouts that I've prepared in the past, I keep a list of players that I've recruited and a detailed powerpoint on how I would sell the school that I am interviewing for. Head coaches want to hire assistants that can bring them players. Be sure to emphasize your plan for recruiting and bring up any connections that you might have to certain areas. More than anything else, this portfolio is unique and is something that most people don't have with them. Do anything possible to positively separate yourself from your competition!
5. Follow up - Another smart piece of advice that was given to me, was to always follow up with all people that you meet with during the process of interviewing. After an interview, I make a point to send thank you emails to the head coach, the athletic director, and anybody else that might have a say in the hiring process. This will at least keep your name on the mind of the head coach, and it shows persistence, which is important with recruiting.
