There are many, many schools that offer a minor in coaching.

In order to coach at the college level, you will usually need a Master’s Degree at minimum. They don’t care what the degree is in, just that you have it.

There are also Graduate Assistant programs in existence where you would serve as an Assistant Coach for the sports team in exchange for tuition waivers and a small stipend. These positions are very difficult to get into because of the competitive nature of the field of coaching.

The best thing for you to do would be to make an appointment to sit down with the Athletic Director and/or the Head Basketball coach that you want to work under. Have a resume ready for the meeting, and ask what possibilities there are of you working in their department.

The University of Maine has just hired a new basketball coach for the Lady Black Bears, Cindy Blodgett. Starting in High School, Ms. Blodgett led her team to an 84-4 record, winning 4 straight state championships. Following this she attended the University of Maine, becoming just the second woman in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring for 2 consecutive years, averaging over 27 points per game her sophomore and junior years. Cindy and the rest of the lady bears made Maine’s only appearances in the NCAA Basketball tournament ever. Following college Cindy played 4 seasons in the WNBA and has served as assistant coach to both Boston University and Brown.

Now, while her resume is impressive, you may be asking youself, “What does this have to do with me getting my foot in the door?” The answer lies in the fact that Maine has an outstanding Kinesology department, and outstanding students within this field of study are exposed to fantastic opportunities to intern and work with the athletic teams here on campus. While women’s basketball may not be top on the list for up and coming future coaches and athletic directors, I would just remind critics that the winningest basketball coach at the Division I level is Pat Summit (for both men and women’s teams). Just as important is that fact that Cindy has the experience and connections to make great networking connections for someone that has proven themselves a worthwhile investment, as not only does she know many of the women playing professionaly, she also maintains a close relationship with her coach here at Maine, Joanne Palombo, the current head coach of Michigan State. Finally, the next few years here at Maine are transitional years, as Cindy’s preceeding coaches were let go, due to unprofessional behavior off the court, as well as Cindy will need 2-3 years to build a strong crop of championship caliber women she will require to take Maine to the next level. Good luck with your search, and I hope this information helps.