Paul Potrac is Professor of Sports Coaching at Edge Hill University. His research interests focus on exploring the social complexity of sports coaching, with a particular emphasis on the political and emotional nature of coaching practice.

Wade Gilbert is a Professor and Sport Psychology Coordinator in the Department of Kinesiology at Fresno State University, USA. He is an active researcher and consultant in the areas of coach education, coaching effectiveness and athlete talent development.

Jim Denison is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Canada and Director of the Canadian Athletics Coaching Centre. A sport sociologist and coach educator, his research examines the social construction and historical formation of coaching 'knowledges' and coaches' practices.

Introduction Part 1: Historical and Conceptual Overview of Sports Coaching 1. Historical Perspectives on Coaching 2. Coaching with Foucault: An examination of applied sports ethics 3. Coaching and Professionalization 4. Ready, Set, Action: Representations of coaching through film 5. Issues of Exclusion and Discrimination in the Coaching Profession 6. Coaching Efficacy Beliefs 7. Coaching Competency and Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling 8. The Application of Video-Based Performance Analysis: The coach supporting athlete learning 9. Observing Coach-Athlete Interactions in Real Time: The state space grid method 10. Recommendations on the Methods Used to Investigate Coaches' Decision Making 11. A Critical Realist Approach to Theorising Coaching Practice Part 2: Perspectives on Sports Coaching In Action 12. Defining Coaching Effectiveness: focus on coaches' knowledge 13. Coaches and Talent Identification 14. Holistic Sports Coaching: A critical essay 15. Quality Coaching Behaviours 16. Coaching Special Populations 17. Body Politics: Coaching and technology 18. Humour and Sports Coaching: A laughing matter? 19. Towards an Emotional Understanding of Coaching: A suggested research agenda 20. Expectancy Effects in Sports Coaching 21. Coaching Life Skills 22. Ambiguity, Noticing, and Orchestration: Further thoughts on managing the complex coaching context 23. Athlete Learning and Development: Implications for coaching practice 24. Coach: The open system's manager 25. Exploring Trust and Distrust in Coaching: A suggested research agenda 26. Empathic Understanding and Accuracy in the Coach-Athlete Relationship 27. Dangerous Liaisons: Harassment and abuse in coaching 28. Team Cohesion in Sport: Critical overview and implications for team building Part 3: Influences on Becoming a Sports Coach 29. Coach Education and Learning: Developing the field 30. Looking at Coach Development from the Coach-Learner's Perspective: Considerations for coach development administrators 31. Effective Coaching as a Modernist Formation: A Foucauldian critique 32. What a Foucauldian Approach Might Do for the Loss of the Female Coach 33. Women in Coaching: The work-life interface 34. Coach Burnout 35. Coaching Expertise and the Quantitative Examination of Developmental Experiences 36. Psychosocial Training Interventions to Prepare Youth Sport Coaches 37. Developing High Performance Coaching Craft through Work and Study 38. Mentoring for Sport Coaches 39. Innovative Approaches in Coach Education Pedagogy