FOR PARENTS & CARERS

Your young person is looking at Football Coach

Here is the same card they saw, and what its numbers actually mean. Every figure is a measurement with a named source, not a prediction. Measured August 2026.

Football Coach

8

Sport and Exercise Science

AI IMPACT
AI USED FOR8%moving to38%
THE DOOR, NOWA
THE DOOR, 20 YRSB
STARTING PAY£25,000 - £35,000
RELATIONAL MOATPeople want a real person for this. That preference is the protection.

The big number, in plain terms

The 8 means AI tools are already being used for about 8% of the day-to-day tasks in this kind of work, measured from real-world AI usage by occupation (Anthropic labour market research, 2026).The career's published forecast (OpenAI, "The AI Jobs Transition Framework", 2026) projects that reaching about 38% of today's tasks is possible within 20 years. It does not mean the job is disappearing. It means the job is changing, and the parts a human is paid for are shifting.

The door

"The door" is how hard this career is to get into: grade A (easy) to E (extremely hard). For Football Coach it is grade A today and forecast to be grade B in 20 years, from the career's published forecast (OpenAI, "The AI Jobs Transition Framework", 2026). A closing door rewards starting sooner; an opening one gives more time to decide.

What protects this job

The card says relational moat: People want a real person for this. That preference is the protection. That protection is structural, which is why it matters more than any single forecast.

Where it sits among 1,840 careers

371 careers measure less exposed than Football Coach; 1,369 measure more exposed. Context beats any single number: the point is not to chase the "safest" career, it is to walk in with eyes open.

Worth talking about together

  • What drew them to Football Coach in the first place: the subject, a person they admire, or the day-to-day work?
  • Which parts of the job would they enjoy even as AI takes on more of the routine tasks?
  • The door is grade A now and heading for B: what would a realistic first step this year look like, and what is the backup route?
  • Starting pay is around £25,000 - £35,000: how does that fit the life they picture at 25?
  • Who could they talk to who does this job today?

Explore the full profile at whatcareer.net/en/yellow/career/football-coaches, free, no login. Sources and the permanent change log are on the verdict page.