Facing the increase in the number of publications, often spread across many journals, researchers have developed different approaches to review the literature. In the first part of this article we present the result of an “overview” type of review of literature on sport coach education programs in higher education (HE) between 2000–2018. By sharing the list of the 38 articles found, along with some general characteristics of these, our hope is, as suggested in many reviews of literature, that researchers will use the review to more easily frame their studies and discuss their results. However, there are very few examples of how this is done. We would argue that how researchers use the same review of literature varies depending of their context, research interests, and research paradigm. Therefore, in the second part of the article we highlight what we took from our review of the literature based on our specific research context—Brazilian HE sport coach education programs. The three key topics presented and discussed are: (a) the importance of considering the student-coaches’ biography, (b) how to prepare student-coaches for reflective practice, and (c) the complexity of internships.

Using a learner-centered perspective underpinned by a constructivist view of learning, the aim of this research was to analyze the scientific articles published from 2009 to 2016 concerning sports coaches' perceptions on the teaching strategies experienced in coach education programs. The search for articles took place across six databases: PUBMED, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PyscNET, ERIC, and SPORTDiscus. Two peer-reviewed journals related to sports coaching that were not indexed in the aforementioned databases at the time of the review were also screened. A total of 1937 articles were initially found with 17 eventually deemed appropriate for incorporation into the review after applying the established exclusion criteria. Three themes related to interactive, reflective, and assessment activities were generated from an inductive thematic analysis conducted on the coaches' quotes extracted from the reviewed articles. In general, it was revealed that coaches mostly held positive perceptions of situations and experiences that positioned them at the center of the learning process through interaction and reflection. Suggestions are discussed to address coaches' negative perceptions on the assessment strategies experienced and to improve the integration of learner-centered approaches in coach education initiatives.

The purpose of the present study was to analyse the organisational structure of the programmes offered by the Brazilian Sports Federations and the Brazilian Academy of Coaches (ABT) in order to prepare coaches to work in the performance sport context. Data were collected from three information sources (online pages from the Federations/ABT, e-mail and by phone). While some Federations structure their programmes in progressive levels related to different contexts of performance (beginner, development, performance), others prioritise, through the levels, the depth of the knowledge related to coaching, regardless of the coach’s professional performance context. The ABT programmes are focused on the development of athletes and teams in a long-term sports development context. Some implications from the findings are discussed for the ongoing improvement process of the organisation of coach education in Brazil.

In this study, we examined the probability of coaches’ survival in the top Brazilian professional football championship considering variation across the competitive seasons between 2012 and 2017, considering a multilevel framework. We also considered whether previous coaching experience in the top Brazilian professional football championship would change the probability of coaches’ survival across the season. The data considered 4,560 games from the top professional Brazilian football league (Campeonato Brasileiro Série A) between the 2012 and 2017 seasons. At the start of each season, the coach from each team was followed, being recorded at the time the event occurred, i.e., the coach being sacked. A total survival of 120 coaches was considered between the seasons of 2012 and 2017, i.e., 20 coaches at the beginning of each season. Coaches were assigned as novice (no previous experience as head coach in the top Brazilian championship) or experienced (with at least some previous experience as head coach in the top Brazilian championship). Data were available and extracted from the official website of the Brazilian Football Confederation¹. On average and considering un-pooled observations, the median life of a coach was about 16.5 rounds. Considering variation between 2012 and 2017 seasons, only about 26.3% (95% CI: 18.2–36.1) of the coaches ended a season without being sacked. By mid-season, at round 19, the probability of coaches’ survival was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.32–0.53). Variation between season on survival estimates per round was substantial (between-season standard deviation = 0.48, 95% credible intervals: 0.25–0.95; corresponding to an inverse logit = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.56–0.72). There was no substantial variation between novice and experienced coaches’ survival probability. The present results expose the vulnerability of the coaching context in Brazilian football, potentially highlighting an excessive emphasis on short-term results to mediate club management decisions.

Previous research has suggested a shift from instructor-centred to learner-centred approaches in an attempt to improve coach education programs. To implement such crucial change it is essential to master the ‘new language’ and better understand educational contexts. The purposes of this article are to (a) highlight new social factors indicating an urgent need to change, (b) present a learner-centred framework based on the work of a recognized group of researchers (i.e., Blumberg, Cullen, Harris, and Weimer), and (c) analyse the learner-centeredness of a Bachelor in Physical Education program, especially with respect to its sport performance area. Based on the social factors explored throughout the text and the learner centred principles, results showed inconsistencies between the conceptual orientations mentioned in the ‘official documents’ and the teaching processes used in the Bachelor program. Recommendations for higher education leaders and instructors are explored.