Nearly all American football teams contain more than one coach in the organization, including conditioning and strength coaches. A typical football team in the NFL will have around 15 assistant coaches, while a college football team will have around nine full-time assistant coaches along with two graduate assistant coaches. To give you an idea of the standard coaching staff you’ll find in an NFL team, we decided to list them below:
- Head Coach
This is the guy that will receive all the praise for winning and all the blame when his team losses. Most head coaches boast with at least 20 years of playing and coaching experience and are all over 40 years of age.
- Offensive Coordinator
This is the man that is in charge of the team’s attacking players, usually calling the plays while working directly with the team’s quarterback. He is primarily responsible for developing or creating the offensive game plan and works closely with the head coach to ensure the plays are showcased before matchday.
- Defensive Coordinator
This is the guy that is in charge of the team’s defensive players. He often decides on the defensive schemes to use in both practices and matches. Similar to the offensive coordinator, he will meet with most of the coaching staff and players to prepare everyone for the upcoming game from a defensive point of view.
- Special Teams Coach
This is the coach that will supervise the punt return team, field goal protection team, kick return team, punters, kickers, and so on. He is usually responsible for coaching the youngsters on the team as well and the reserve and backup players.
- Quarterback Coach
This is an assistant coach that will monitor the mental and physical aspects of a quarterback and their game. He will improve the quarterback’s throwing motion, pass-drop technique, and footwork, ensuring he doesn’t fall into bad physical or mental habits.
- Offensive Line Coach
This coach has an excellent understanding when it comes to the running game of the team and works closely with t5he offensive linemen. This coach will work hand-in-hand with the offensive coordinator to discuss running plays as well as the weaknesses and strengths of the unit.
- Defensive Line Coach
This coach works exclusively with the team’s defensive linemen. He will work on pass rushing, gap control, run stopping and various stunts that the defensive coordinator requires from the football players.
- Linebacker Coach
This coach will work closely with the linebackers in the team and, depending on the style of defence used by the team, will rank just below the team’s defensive coordinator. He works on pass coverage drops, pass-rushing, and tackling.
- Strength Coach
This coach specializes in conditioning and weight training. He ensures that each player is in shape and reliable throughout the entire season and will usually coordinate training programs during the offseason. This coach will also work closely with team doctors to monitor and prepare rehabilitation exercises when a player gets injured.