A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This position often carries a higher public profile and salary compared to other coaching roles. In some sports, such as association football and professional baseball, the head coach is commonly referred to as the "manager," while in others, like Australian rules football, the title "senior coach" is used.
A head coach or athletics head coach typically reports to a sporting director or a general manager of the team.[1] In professional sports organizations where senior players are full-time employees under contract, the head coach often functions similarly to a general manager. Other coaches within the organization are typically subordinate to the head coach, specializing in areas such as offense or defense, and may further divide into more specific roles as position coaches. In youth sports, the head coach commonly serves as the primary representative of the coaching staff, managing communication with parents and overseeing the overall development of young athletes.