Behind America’s Favorite Sport
The reality behind coaching high school football

Tempe, AZ — Despite football’s huge presence in American culture, many high school coaches live in a world where work doesn't end at Friday Night Lights. Low pay, early mornings and late nights push many coaches into picking up second and even third jobs just to stay afloat and do what they love.

For many coaches, the goal is for football to be their main job. But in reality, the pay falls below the workload, so coaching often turns into a side gig even though it’s the part of their life they care about most.

National salary data shows the average high school football coach makes on average $46,627 a year, depending on the state and whether the coach also works for the school. In one Ohio State University study, 93.4% of coaches said they worked another job outside of coaching, often treating coaching as a volunteer position or a small stipend on the side.

For coaches like Anthony Johnson, an assistant at Seton Catholic Preparatory in Chandler, that reality shapes nearly every part of life.

“We actually have practices at 5:30 a.m.,” Johnson said. “It’s an everyday commitment on top of having to start your morning every day that early. But it’s something I enjoy, so it’s not the worst thing in the world.”

Johnson works nights as a bartender at Final Round Bar and Grill and Tempe Tavern. It’s how he pays the bills. Football is what he loves, but it doesn’t come close to paying the same.

“With both my jobs being night jobs for the bartending, I kind of have to transition between my night job to having to show up to practice at 5:30 a.m.,” Johnson said. “So I flip my schedule with sleeping. I sleep more during the day and just find ways to get things done not with the conventional timeline.”

Even as a busy assistant coach, Johnson knows the public doesn’t always see the full scope of his job. Practices, games, and travel time are only the surface. Coaches spend countless hours on film study, game planning, meetings, scouting, and constant communication with players.

“People don’t realize how much goes into coaching,” Johnson said. “The commitment is a lot bigger than what you see from the outside.”

That schedule means he often runs on four hours of sleep. But he said coaching is the thing that motivates him, especially the kids he works with.

At the same time, he knows the financial reality of the job. Assistant coaches earn small stipends and sometimes only a few thousand dollars per season. Johnson said he hopes things will change when he’s a head coach someday.

“I would love to make more money doing it,” he said. “And one day when I’m a head coach, I would love to be able to pay my assistants more because I know how much time goes into it.”

Other coaches say the same thing. Roman Decaro, Seton Catholic’s varsity line coach, also works full time as an engineer. He said almost every coach he’s played for or worked with has had another job.

“I’d say it’s pretty common,” Decaro said. “Most of the coaches were doing external jobs, whether it be contracting, banking and in Anthony’s case, bartending.”

Decaro said he made things work this year. He’s seen firsthand how difficult the two-job lifestyle can be for coaches across the state.

“Trying to just be positive at both jobs, be present there for the kids, and be present at work for the boss and co-workers. That’s the biggest focus,” he said.

Decaro also said Johnson stands out for how he handles the workload.

“He was really positive all the time,” Decaro said. “When things aren’t going too hot, I noticed how positive he was and how he really stayed the course. He never got riled up, never got agitated.”

Johnson said the long months are worth it because of what the offseason gives back to him.

For many high school coaches across the country, balancing passion with financial pressure is the norm. Coaches often find themselves waking up before sunrise and clocking in again long after the stadium lights shut off.

Johnson said that reality won’t push him out of coaching.

“It’s something I want to do long term,” he said. “The tough schedule is just something to deal with now because it’s something I love doing.”