Becoming a basketball coach can be a very rewarding experience because you make a difference in the lives of your players. If you are about to interview for a basketball coaching vacancy, you will most likely be asked questions about your coaching philosophy and the way you handle players. Planning for some questions helps you avoid answering incorrectly.

What Are Your Priorities As a Basketball Coach?

This can be a tough question, but you need to answer it as honestly as possible. As a basketball coach, you should always put the kids first in your priorities. You want to help your players succeed in life as well as on the basketball court. Talk about your priorities for the program, such as winning a state championship or turning a program around. If you have a priority of having all of your student-athletes graduate, this is a beneficial goal as well.

What is Your Philosophy as a Basketball Coach?

Basketball can be played in many different ways. If you are interviewing for a job, your interviewer will most likely want to know what type of coach you are. For example, you might use a system that emphasizes pressure defense and forcing turnovers to generate fast-break offense. You might have a more methodical approach with many set plays and tough man-to-man defense. Your style of play will be important to your employers, and it might or might not match up with what they are looking for.

How Much Money Do You Need to Make?

Even though this interview is mainly to gauge your experience and skill in coaching basketball, you will have to address financial compensation at some point. If you are asked this question directly, it is best to turn it around on the interviewer as professionally as possible. For example, tell the interviewer to determine how much he is willing to pay for this position instead of asking you for a specific figure. If you ask for too little, you will potentially leave money on the table.

How Do You Handle Team Discipline?

One of the most important areas of being a basketball coach is disciplining your players. You have to hold your players accountable to team rules. If someone breaks a rule, she must be punished in some way. The way that you handle your discipline can unite your team, or it could divide it. If you are not strict enough, your employer might not be satisfied with the way the program is being run. Mention specific disciplinary measurements that you would employ, or give a general overview of your opinion on player discipline.