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Teaching Excellence Framework 2023 - Gold Award

BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Development

Turn your passion for football into a varied and exciting career. You'll learn about the football industry, including coaching, player development, talent identification, inclusion, leadership and management, performance analysis, practical football development, and how football can be used as a force for positive social change.

Students playing football during a practical coaching session

Earn coaching qualifications up to UEFA B (at no additional cost)

Apply now for this course

Full-time Part-time


Entry requirements

Three A-levels at grades CCC or above

Or BTEC triple grades MMM or above

Or Access 23-45 D/M with min 6D

Or T level P (C+)

And GCSE English Language at grade 4 or grade C or above

Applicants with other qualifications and/or experience will be considered on an individual basis

We will accept 2 AS levels in lieu of one A level but must be accompanied by 2 A Levels or BTECs (General Studies is excluded).


UCAS points 96

UCAS code S3H6

UCAS institution code P63

Duration 3 years full-time

Any questions?

Contact Charley Lumley, our Applicant Support Coordinator, if you have any questions. Email applicantsupport@marjon.ac.uk and Charley will get back to you.

Course Summary

BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Development is packed with real-life, hands-on experience, so you get ample opportunity to put theory into practice. We work closely with our partners, Plymouth Argyle and Argyle Community Trust and Devon FA, to ensure that you have the very best learning experience, and you'll be taught by both university lecturers and industry professionals.

You’ll consider the role of football within the wider sports industry, applying your learning to real-life situations through football development projects, coaching, and performance analysis. You'll run football development programmes, organise events, and develop a critical understanding of how the football industry works. And through these experiences you'll improve your communication, leadership, and teamwork skills.

One of the highlights of BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Development is the 100+ hours of work placement in year two alongside a Practical Football Development module in which you'll deliver ‘live projects’ in collaboration with football organisations.

You will have the chance to gain an array of industry-recognised football coaching qualifications. Marjon funds coach education awards from FA Level, 1 Level 2, and UEFA B. Awards will be matched to your level of experience and expertise. The UEFA B licence is for experienced coaches and subject to a successful application with Devon FA (and is the minimum qualification needed to coach at a professional football club academy). These  coaching awards will boost your employability and give you a richer variety of experiences.

You will consider and debate many football-related topics including issues affecting coaches, administration, development and governance of football as a whole. You will also be introduced to the application of sport science principles, performance analysis, and football event management and their role in the development of football initiatives.

You'll gain professional endorsement of the Professional Occupational Standards for  ‘Assistant Coach’, and 'Coach' from the industry body, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). This endorsement is built into the qualification so there is no additional assessment or cost. It demonstrates to employers that you have achieved the professional standards required in the sport and physical activity sector.

BA (Hons) Football Coaching & Development is inclusive of students from all backgrounds regardless of physical ability, gender, heritage or age and welcomes applications for underrepresented groups to further the inclusion and diversity agenda in football and the football workforce.

Ryan: There's a few football degrees around the country. I think what's different about ours is the coach education is embedded within the course. They get the industry-recognized qualifications alongside the academic degree. But primarily it's the formalized link with the football club, so it's a formal partnership where staff come in and deliver sessions here alongside academic staff. So there's a really good balance between the theory and the industry practice. Working with Argyle Community Trust is fantastic for us on the football degree because it means our students are exposed to lots of coaching environments and football development opportunities out there in the real world whilst they study. So instead of doing a degree and then waiting to build networks with vital contacts in the industry, they're able to do it whilst they study, which means that upon graduation, they're ready just to go into the working world straight away.

Cassandra: I actually did some work experience for Argyle Community Trust. That then enabled me to get a job with them. So at the moment, I work for them, assisting under 16 girls team. While I'm assisting them, and I love it. I got that through coming to university, getting the connections with the people at Our Argyle Community Trust I'll go commit each of, because they're actually in a partnership with us here. So it was a great opportunity-wise to like get experience, foot in the door sort of thing. Through here, I've then gone on to do my football level one. And then I got my disability badge coming up, so I'll be doing that as well through Marjon University.

Patrick: I do like that we have a couple of practical courses, which are really good. So we do a biomechanics course and I was never one to really like physics, but I enjoy watching how that, working out how the body moves and how we can that's our ourselves dependent on form or whatever we do.

Daniel: The best three years that I did. I started late, so I didn't go straight into university from college. But then decided after doing various jobs, I wanted to go to university, and the football coach and development one was the one that hit me that I wanted to do the most. It's not very often that you can get a professional football club like Argyle at work alongside the university. So you get the hands-on experience of the theory side with the football coaching development, as well as the practical within the Argyle Community Trust. So you can take what you learn in the theory, and then you recognize it when you go and work for the trust, that is actually quite helpful.

Why this course at Marjon?

Delivered in partnership with Argyle Community Trust and Devon FA

Gain FA recognised coaching qualifications, up to UEFA B, at no additional cost

Gain the Professional Occupational Standards for ‘Assistant Coach’, and ‘Coach’ from CIMSPA

Our partnerships with Plymouth Argyle Women and the FA Women’s High-Performance Football Centre develop women coaches

Opportunity to study and work in the USA

Opportunity to work part-time with Argyle Community Trust

Modules for this course

Course Snapshot

In your first year you will be introduced to coaching, gaining recognised qualifications such as the multi-skills level 2, and receiving support for you to complete FA Level 1 and FA Level 2 qualifications. You will also learn about football development and performance analysis. In the second year you will undertake a 100 hour placement and develop your coaching further, including developing players and understanding football tactics through practical, hands-on modules. You will also learn about inclusion in sport as well as football development principles. In your third year you will apply talent identification and scouting through our excellent partnerships. You will also learn about inclusive coaching and leadership principles. You'll also have a choice of modules that help you to develop your own coaching business, or that help you network within the industry.
Lee Ballard - Lecturer and FA Coach Educator

1st Year

Introduction to football coaching & development
Football in the community
You’ll engage with football development programmes aimed at community groups. Experts from Devon FA and Argyle Community Trust teach aspects of the module so you meet professionals working in the field of community football. You will consider specific target groups such as women and girls, disability football, and new forms of the game, such as Walking Football.
Introduction to performance analysis in football
Foundations in sport development
You’ll explore sport development from community to elite level. Learning how sport and football contributes to wider society issues, such as inclusion, health and physical activity. You will gain a Street Games Activator qualification and visit the London Olympic Park.
Introduction to the management of sport
As the sport sector continues to grow so do the requirements to manage it. You will study the organisation of sport, being introduced to marketing, accounting and economics, communications/public relations, human resourcing, performance, strategy and event management.
Coaching for football and physical activity

2nd Year

Engaging with Employability: Football Development and Coaching
Through this module you’ll spend up to 100 hours working in the football industry. You can shape the placement to meet your area of interest working practically as a coach or developing projects as agreed with the placement host. Students benefit from placement with Plymouth Argyle Community Trust and Devon FA.
Practical football development
Principles of football coaching
Inclusion in sport and physical activity
Research and critical inquiry in sport
Developing players in football

3rd Year

Honours project
You will selected a topic you are interested in that relates to your Football Development and Coaching degree. You are required to develop and execute this projects as agreed with your Tutor. You are expected to source and synthesize relevant academic literature; apply relevant theoretical concepts; you may collect primary data, and you will interpret and analyse key finding. You will share your honours project via a written report and present at a student conference.
Talent identification in football
Inclusive coaching in sport & physical activity
Performance coaching
You will learn about the characteristics of expert performers, both athletes and coaches, the environment required to develop expertise in oneself and in others. You'll explore aims, methods and objectives of coaching sessions and programmes for developing expertise including career planning and development for performance coaches.
Leadership, management and mentoring in sports
Graduate employability in sport
Entrepreneurship and small business management

Current students say...


William Allen

"Since I began my studies at Marjon, they have helped me secure positions in a variety of coaching domains, from internationally in the United States to professional football clubs in Devon, as well as pushed me outside of my comfort zone by having me lead sessions for inclusivity within the community. This has enhanced my confidence to be able succeed and reach my career aspirations of becoming an international football coach."


Abbie Burrows

“The links the lecturers have for trips out and guest speakers help so much and give us different ways to coach. It is great to hear the experience of people who are working in football. Prior to this I was a part time football coach at different clubs and I thought I was the perfect manager but this course has showed me that there is so much more to coaching. It helped me to become a better manager as I’ve learnt so much which is so useful to use in my own career development.”


Jake Taylor-Lewis

“My favourite part of the course is the practical sessions, the majority of which are student led. Being able to take concepts from lectures and apply them into sessions for my peers has helped me improve my coaching massively. Whether you are already coaching or have never tried it before, the friendly environment in the practical sessions is great for receiving feedback that can immediately be put into practice. And, being a football coaching course, we play a lot of football which is fun.”

This course is perfect if you’re curious about

How does the coaching process work, from grass roots to performance players?

Why is it so hard to predict who will ‘make it’ as a professional? What are the challenges of talent identification and player development?

Why are relationships so important in coaching?

How do I run successful football project and events?

What makes a great football coach? Are technical skills more important than personal relationships?

What are the challenges of achieving equality in football? Why are certain groups,, such as women and gay players, underrepresented?

We’re delighted to support students through placements, guest lectures and events in this rare opportunity to be involved at the heart of professional organisations and clubs such as ours, which significantly improves their CVs and career prospects.
Chris French - Development Manager at Devon FA

See where our graduates are now


Harry Powell

"University life helped me to understand the importance of planning and working to time constraints, being forward thinking and proactive, always looking for ways to improve, learn and planning ahead when under busy schedules. What I love most about the work in which I do now is the level of detail I am able to go into when preparing for fixtures. I am able to go into massive amounts of detail to help aid the thought process and preparation for our first team coaching staff"

Harry Powell is First Team Analyst at Plymouth Argyle Football Club


George Roberts

"Football brings some many positives to society and it’s extremely rewarding being able to contribute to the delivery and development of a professional football club academy which helps to provide fantastic experiences for young talented footballers. University life helped prepare me for a career in the football industry by developing my knowledge but also my communication, time management and organisation skills which are now so important to the work I carry out."

George Roberts is Head of Academy Operations at Plymouth Argyle Football Club


Sam Sharpe

"Studying at university has made me a more detailed, critical thinker who is comfortable delivering and presenting to groups of people. This has transferred into my work seamlessly as I have to regularly deal with different groups and provide knowledge and information. The practical and theory sessions provided me with ideas and inspiration passed on from vastly experienced coaches. I have always wanted to work within football so being able to do so is a real privilege."

Sam Sharpe is Football Development Officer for Exeter City Football Club Community Trust

What might you become?

Career opportunities are worldwide, and include working as a coach, development officer, project manager, working in the commercial, charitable and education sectors as well as with the FA and professional clubs.

A number of our graduates now work for the FA and Argyle Community Trust in a variety of football development, social inclusion, football coaching, and educational roles. Some students go on to take postgraduate teaching qualifications to become primary or secondary teachers.

Chris French: As a former student, who went through the degree program here, and worked my way through up Devon County FA employment structure, now the County Development Manager, realize how important it is to have young people and students work in the community, but also giving them opportunities to have something else in their CV. There are a number of students graduating university now with the same sort of degree, whether it's sports development, or football development.

And actually, as an employer, we're looking for what they've done outside of their degree, where they've taking their studies, and where they've been implementing their studies in the community, giving that bit of volunteering actually makes them standout in their CV. So we wanted to give people in sport, with a passion for football, the opportunity to have that on their CV, and give them the opportunity. So they haven't had to go out and look for it. It's here, it's there. If they want to take part, they can. And we will give them the skills, and the knowledge and the mentoring they need to develop themselves.

Dwain Morgan: It's a really unique, great partnership that the football club has with the degree. Obviously, for us to come in and deliver some guest lectures on the course, allows us to start to teach the content that we need them to know in the real world. And we work alongside Phil and Ryan and the other lecturers, and give their academic research some context. For us, it's great, because it's almost like a three year interview. We get to work with them, lecture them, coach them. And then by the end of their degree studies, hopefully we can turn them into employees for the Argyle Community Trust.

So the Community Trust is a charitable arm of the football club. We work across different strands, but effectively doing charitable work to make sport and football accessible for those that can't access mainstream provision. So we work a lot with targeted groups. We work a lot with young people that can't access football provision. We work a lot with young people with disabilities. We work across the entire community spectrum, in making football, sport and education accessible to all.

One thing we do, is offer a really strong placement program for the students in their second year. They get a chance to come and do 100 hours work experience with us, and really find out what it's like to work with a professional football club, hopefully raising aspirations when they finish to apply for a job that we have. Also, obviously we provide quite a lot of part-time employment for them, so they can earn whilst they learn, give them a great opportunity to do some football coaching in schools and out of schools, which really gives them a taste of flavor for working in the sport development field.

I think the football development and coaching degree at Marjons is really unique, because it has an official partner to the football club. As I've mentioned, embedding the football club into the studies, into the work placements, into the practical coaching, and into the free coach ed that you get as an offer, really places the football club in the heart of the learning experience. It gives us a great opportunity to see the undergrads, and track their journey as they progress to graduates. And that gives us a great chance of offering real sustainable employment to anyone that graduates here at Marjon.

Sam Barton: I was very fortunate to get my work experience through Argyle Community Trust while I was on the degree program. With that, it helped me gain the professional relationships that I needed with the Trust, which really helped me after I finished my degree in applying for the full-time position that I am in now. The Devon FA are really supportive throughout, and they also, with the Argyle Community Trust, are always there to help you, offer you a great opportunity to get involved in other segments of football and coaching around the county.

I feel like this course has really helped me develop the skills and knowledge that I really needed to gain a qualification. But not only that, the professional relationship between the Trust that I gained, really helped me get that support and guidance to really go down the avenue of going onto a sporting environment and the sporting industry.

Partnerships

Argyle Community Trust logo

Argyle Community Trust

The Trust is the official charity for Plymouth Argyle Football Club. It works to inspire, engage and help people of all ages, achieve their full potential through the power of football. It runs active and inclusive activities designed to have a positive impact on local communities across the South West.

Devon FA Logo

Devon FA

Devon FA develop and govern the game at all levels, in line with the FA's National Game Strategy, and seek to increase participation, improve the quality of football and widen access to football opportunities across Devon.

CIMSPA Education Partner logo 2024

Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity

CIMSPA certify that this course meets the professional standards set by employers in the physical activity and fitness sector. CIMSPA's Coaching Assistant and Coach awards are included.


How you’ll be taught and assessed?

How will you be taught?

Teaching includes lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, and practical coaching experience in both community football clubs and in the football industry. You’ll study 6 modules per year and complete a 100 hour placement in year two, or run practical football projects with a partner from the sector.

How will you be assessed?

You’ll be assessed on your practical delivery skills, in coaching, working on practical football events, and on placement You’ll write essays, give presentations, produce reports and undertake research into key football issues that excite you.

Dr Phil Brown

Dr Phil Brown

Course leader

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Senior Lecturer in Sport Development and Programme Area Leader. Overall curriculum responsibility for the BA Hons Sport Development programme (including the specialist pathways in Sport Management and Coaching and School Sport). Responsible to the BA Football Development and Coaching Degree and our partnership with Plymouth Argyle Community Trust and Devon FA. I lead the Foundation Degree in Sport Development and Coaching (known as FdA Sport Studies from 2018-2019). Academic Link Tutor for Sport Development and Coaching provision at Richard Huish College.


Fees and funding

Fees UK students: £9,250 per annum


Fees for International students: £14,500 per annum


This fee covers your tuition and access to course-specific equipment and facilities, as well associated services including access to the library, study skills support, IT support, student support and wellbeing services and membership of the Student Union. There may be additional costs by course.

Funding available for this course

Our Student Funding Advisors offer confidential and impartial advice about your funding options.

Learn more

Lecturers

Aaron Cusack

Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching and Physical Education

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Aaron is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching & Physical Education and is also the Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Sport Coaching. He teaches predominately across the Sport Coaching & Physical Education degree programmes focusing specifically on practice design, skill acquisition, performance analysis, participation coaching and performance coaching.

Benjamin Moreland

Lecturer

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Chris Smietanka

Lecturer / Resident Life Tutor

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Chris has been involved in community football for over 20 years. He oversees the sport science support programme for Plymouth Argyle FC Youth Academy and the operational management for their Centre of Excellence. He helps students to gain volunteering and placement opportunities. He is a Coach Mentor for the FA and as part of the degree programme; students can apply to become part of the FA Young Coach Development Team to develop their theoretical understanding and coaching practice. His other interests include performance analysis, physiological testing and the development of football within the wider community.

Dr Ian Stonebridge

Lecturer

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Ian is a Lecturer in Sport Coaching and PE, teaching across a range of topics including coach behaviour, coaching philosophy and the coaching process. With experience as an Academy football coach, he holds the UEFA 'B' Licence and FA Youth Award qualifications. Ian's research interests relate to coach learning and coaching behaviours. He completed his PhD, 'Who is a coach? Understanding coach subjectivities in professional youth football', under the supervision of Professor Christopher Cushion at Loughborough University. Ian previously enjoyed a successful career as a professional footballer, making over 250 first team appearances and representing England at Under 18 level.


More information

In addition to a rigorous academic programme, this programme provides the opportunity to gain a number of industry-relevant coaching qualifications, which enhance your coaching skills for the course, but moreover enhance your CV and employability. By the end of the programme you will have access to:

  • FA Level 1 (including FA Emergency Aid and FA Safeguarding Children in Football)
  • FA Level 2
  • FA Futsal Level 1
  • ISSA Street Soccer Level 1
  • FA Coaching Disabled Footballers
  • UEFA B

Awards will be matched to your level of experience and expertise.

You will also have the opportunity to put what you have learnt into practice through formal partnerships developed by the University with local coaching centres.  The University, and specifically this course, is recognised by the FA and BUCS as both a ‘Young Coach Development Centre’ and ‘Football Hub’.  You will be able to access our Coach Mentor programme supported by academics and community coaches and gain access a range of CPD events.

You'll have the opportunity to study in the United States and we work closely with Camp America to give you the chance to work there during the summer.

More from our students

Working in partnership

Plymouth Argyle Community Trust (PACT) was founded in 1992 and is a registered charity. The Trust’s social objectives are for the benefit of everyone in the local community, promoting inclusion; improving health and education through sport; and generally to raise sports participation levels. They aim to provide the local community with the opportunity to explore their full potential; improve their life chances and increase their future choices and aspirations through the power of football and sport. They employ over 40 permanent staff members who deliver a number of sports, health, education and inclusive projects across Devon and Cornwall.

PACT is involved in a number of national initiatives with key partners such as the Football League Trust, Premier League Charitable Fund, Sport England and other key national agencies. This enables us to provide exposure for our football students in a number of national initiatives including Kicks, PL 4 Sport, National Citizen Service and many more. Giving students access to workshops, practical sessions and planning enables them to utilise these skills and experiences to enhance their employability within the football sector.

There is a strong partnership between the football teaching team and PACT. Together we ensure that students have both excellent academic and applied real world experience.  PACT provide opportunities for students to volunteer or engage in applied work-based learning and practical activities and several members of the PACT team teach on the course. The Head of the PACT, Mark Lovell says: "Almost half our workforce have completed courses in football and sport development and coaching at Marjon which is proof a degree leads to a great job." 

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