As I mentioned in this job search log entry, I had a phone interview for a position where I’d applied. In that case, it was for an NCAA Division I assistant coaching job. Some of the questions I got are ones that I’m sure get asked regularly. Others were a bit more specific to my own background. I thought it would be worth sharing them. They are probably good examples of what one can expect. They apply whether the interview is done over the phone or in-person (see also Potential coaching interview questions).
Why <insert team/club/school/etc. here>?
I can just about guarantee you’ll get some form of this question. You need to be prepared with a good answer. It may be a simple fact that you just want a coaching job and they have an opening. You probably don’t want to say that, though. 🙂
This is an opportunity for you to show that you did some research and actually know something about the situation, the job, etc. Once you’ve reached the interview stage it’s likely less about qualifications. They want to see whether you fit with what they want for someone in the job.
What motivates you to coach?
This is very much a question looking to see if your approach to coaching matches their own. This is particularly true when you are after an assistant coach position.
What do you look for when you’re recruiting?
Obviously, you’ll have personnel-specific needs and considerations. What they want is a broader sense of the type of players you would look to bring into the team.
What will you bring?
This is another question which gives you an opportunity to show you’ve done your research. It’s also where you can really do a good job selling yourself to them, but only if you have some idea of their needs. The temptation is to make it all about you. Really, though, it should be all about them and how you can help them succeed.
Why women vs. men?
This one was motivated by my experience coaching both men and women. Other coaches who’ve worked with both genders might get a similar inquiry. If you’re in this situation, you’ve probably had numerous conversations about the difference in coaching men vs. women. That should mean you are prepared for this question. This could simply be asked as a question of curiosity. It could, however, be to see whether you might be happier coaching the gender other than the one the specific job in question involves.
What do you think about the developments with the respect to the Power 5 conferences?
If you’re not already aware, there has been a move in the NCAA to expand what can be offered to student-athletes. Basically, that means going beyond the standard tuition and room-and-board covered by their scholarships. This is something agreed upon for adoption by the five top and others are determining which way they’ll go (see this Forbes article for a discussion). I was told my answer to this question had no real bearing on the hiring process. It was just a question of curiosity. It serve to see how much I paid attention to the landscape and gauge my thought processes, though.
Do you have any questions?
You should always have some questions you want answered when you’re in an interview situation. If for no other reason, you should look to judge for yourself whether the position is a good fit. This is also an opportunity to show that you are really interested, have done your homework, and know what’s sort of things are important. In my case, most of the things I would have asked were covered in our discussion through the prior Q&A process. There was still something I could ask, however, to get an idea of the head coach’s management style.
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