questions to ask (or were asked) in an interview

Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions For Head Football Coaching Position

The following questions are those most often asked during the interview process, be prepared to address each one in some detail.

• Philosophy
a. What do you do with seniors once the season comes to an end?
b. Staff development / all sports.
c. Educational philosophy.
d. Offensive philosophy.
e. Defensive philosophy.
f. Off-season philosophy.
• Tell us about your strengths.
a. Organizational skills must be evident.
• Tell us about your weaknesses.
• How would you get the faculty involved in the athletic program?
• What is your primary concern when developing your basic offense and defense?
• Explain your methodology of handling disciplinary cases?
• What are some of your strengths? What are some of your weaknesses?
• Why do you want his job? What do you know about the school district?
• How will you handle your football coaching staff assignments and organize your staff among the teams we promote – varsity, Jr. varsity, and freshman?
• What steps will you take to insure the academic eligibility of the athletes? What plans do you have for study halls?
• How do you see yourself with the administration at being important to the success of the overall program?
• How should the booster club be set up and should there be one club or a separate club for each sport?
• If we where to watch a practice what we would expect to see?
• If we where to observe your off-season program what should we expect?
• What about the coaches on staff here now.
• Experience with budget
• Discipline procedures
• Getting support of community
• Jr. High program philosophy
• What does your wife do?
• Evaluation of coaches
• Monitor no pass-no play
• Are you a good teacher-examples
• Punishment for kids who break team rules/district athletic rules
• Practice times and schedule
• How will you handle the transition and opposition of your hiring
• 5 year plan
• Will you live our community?
• How do you teach fundamentals
• Install equity as AD/HC
• Elementary school involvement
• Kids smoking and drinking
• Girls program-relationship/policies/rules
• Why are you successful?
• Why should we hire you?
• Football in playoffs-kids goes to basketball?
• Staff organization-top to bottom
• I am a7th grade parent convince me my kid should play football.
• Team is 1-6 how do you approach the rest of the season
• 1st thing you will do when get here
• Alignment of program 7-12
• Is all competition good
• What do you want graduated players to say about you and program
• Seniors after football season-handle them and situation
• College scholarships-procedures etc.
• SAT prep/TAKS prep
• Why you want come here
• Process of hiring staff
• Wife’s role
• Title 9-how will you be legal
• Computer / Video Tech Skills.
• How do you have equity in budget with all sports and justify football money?
• If we had an emergency at 10 o clock on Sunday morning-where would we find you?
• 7th grade athletic periods, your feelings on this.
• Master schedule for athletics.
• Chain of command and who are you accountable to.
• What is a player’s coach?
• Booster club guidelines, please explain.
• Coaches parties?
• Goals of your family?
• Teacher involvement.
• Date of hire to 1st practice plan.
• Would you like to teach a leadership class?
• Homecoming/parents night/ plan.
• Alumni relationships
• Relationship with middle school principal.
• Due process of students.
• Passing TAKS or winning football games-which is more important to you.
• Do you schedule wins or high competition?
• Jr. High games winning or participation?
• Demonstrate knowledge of UIL rules for athletics and academics.
• Community service activities.
• Board meeting attendance
• Upset parent after the game handling the situation-other coaches involved.
• Relationship with local law officials.
• Steroid prevention.
• Management and leadership-what styles do you use?
• Local youth coaches-handle, involve, and communicate.
• CDL and transportation issues-rules for bus.
• Activity fund management.
• Student trainer and manager policy (girls)?
• Pep rallies-players involved or not and why.
• Wednesday night church and practice.
• Method to get numbers up for participating in athletics.
• Monitor other sports-how?
• Fundraising efforts? Why, how, how much -relationship with other school programs efforts
• Concession stands.
• Band relationships and communication -halftime; parent nights, traditions, football player’s play at halftime.

If Teaching Position Is Required
When applying for a coaching position that requires you to teach as well, the following questions my be asked by:

• Tell us about yourself. What is your background, education, etc. and why you want to be considered for this position?
• What do you enjoy about teaching and what do you believe is the greatest attribute or characteristic that you could bring to the classroom to ensure the success of your students?
• What do you need to know about your students in order for them to be successful?
• What techniques do you use to motivate students and get them excited about learning?
• If you gave a major exam and 35% of your students failed, what would you consider as too high a failure rate and how would you deal with it?
• Describe your methods/philosophy of classroom management/discipline.
• Explain your approach for communicating with parents about concerns involving students in your class. Do you consider parent involvement an important part of the education process? Explain.
• Tell us what you know about the following: Block scheduling and Cooperative Learning.
• How do you feel about inclusion and developing modifications for Special Education/504 students?
• How do you want your students to view you?
• What is your philosophy of classroom management? How do you handle discipline problems in the classroom?
• How do you plan standards-based lessons in your subject area?
• Describe a successful lesson that you have delivered.
• In what area do you believe you could grow professionally?
• When do you contact parents regarding your students?
• Are you interested in coaching/advising any extra-curricular activities?
• Give an example of how you are a team player.
• What do you feel is the meaning of the document and motto, “No child left behind”, and how does that motto relate to you as a teacher.
• Do you have any questions?


Coach hopefully this is useful to you as it was to me. Unfortunately I cannot take the credit for this great resource. Coach Campbell made this and it is in his interview packet which you can get at his website if you are interested. Take care and the best of luck coach.

Sincerely,
Coach D