Sport Coaching and Coach Development

Sport coaching and coach development is a degree focused on one of the most significant professional roles in sport: the coach. Coaching is no longer simply the passing on of technical skills in a sport: it is an evidence-based professional discipline with its own body of knowledge about how athletes learn and develop, how teams function, how coaches can create motivating and safe training environments, and how they can manage the wellbeing of the people in their care. This degree prepares you both to coach effectively and to understand the science and theory behind what you do.

At the University of Derby, the three-year full-time programme includes a foundation year for students who need additional preparation, a sandwich year, a year abroad and a work placement, giving you a comprehensive range of opportunities to develop your academic preparation, professional experience and international perspectives. You will study sports coaching theory and practice, athlete development and learning, performance analysis, sports psychology, physiology for coaching, strength and conditioning principles and the management and administration of sport. You will develop your practical coaching skills across different sports and age ranges, and you will learn to reflect critically on your own coaching practice and to develop it over time.

Derby's sport facilities and its connections with local and regional sport organisations support the practical elements of the degree and the placement opportunities available.

Graduates work as coaches at all levels, from grassroots and community sport to high-performance and elite settings. Roles in athlete development, sport development, performance analysis, strength and conditioning, school sport and sports administration are all accessible. Postgraduate study in sports coaching, sport science or a specialist coaching qualification is a natural continuation for those who want to develop further expertise.