Coaching is interdisciplinary, and the knowledge base of science-backed best practices for sport coaching is stronger than ever before. Yet with no formal pathway into the coaching profession, coaches’ access to and application of this knowledge base is left to chance.

Backed by more than 30 years of dedicated efforts to professionalize coaching, the TLC Institute Coach Credentialing Program was initiated to serve as a model for a minimum standard of training for college coaches.

Between 2018-2020, formal discussions among the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and the NCAA Senior Leadership were held to advance the vision for a minimum standard of education for NCAA coaches. These discussions resulted in NCAA staff and coach association collaborations (consisting of the NCAA, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches) to define a competence framework, curriculum model, and proposed credentialing infrastructure for NCAA DI coaches (NCAA, 2020).

In 2023, United Soccer Coaches hosted a pilot credentialing program based on this framework and engaged the TLC Institute for Athletic Coaching Excellence to develop and deliver the pilot (Pilot 1.0).

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics sponsored an evaluation of Pilot 1.0 and of a second pilot cohort (Pilot 2.0) in 2024.

The 2023 Pilot 1.0 cohort consisted of 60 NCAA coaches of men’s and women’s soccer (selected out of 123 applicants).

The TLC Institute modified the program curriculum and design based on evaluation results from Pilot 1.0. Pilot 2.0 was delivered to a cohort of 36 coaches of six different NCAA sports (men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, field hockey, acrobatics & tumbling, and football) in spring 2024.

Evaluation results of both pilots show that education designed around the NCAA competence framework is effective, impactful, and needed. Specifically, pilot participants reported that the topics covered in the program were (a) directly relevant to coaching the modern athlete, (b) not covered elsewhere in participants’ prior education, and (c) immediately applicable and helpful to coaches’ daily occupational demands.

At the conclusion of Pilot 2.0, the Coach Credentialing Program was formally transitioned out of United Soccer Coaches to support its expansion to coaches of all sports and levels.

The program will continue to be hosted and delivered by the TLC Institute independently and in conjunction with future partners. Our vision is to create a growth-minded community of sport coaches that connect to elevate the profession of coaching through an established standard of learning, reflection, and intentional practice.

Join us in our mission to graduate 7,000 coaches by 2030!