The Quick Read
Great coaching isn't just taught through courses - some of the best resources are free, and already in your pocket.
Key Intelligence
At a Glance
30-Second Summary
Great coaching content isn't locked behind paid-for courses or conferences. TikTok and YouTube now host world-class tactical breakdowns, session ideas, and coaching conversations - all free, all accessible from your phone. We asked tactico's Head of Content & Community, Greg Hollands, to share the channels that genuinely help him prepare for weekends. Here are his top five picks - plus one you might recognise.
The Signal
Some coaches start with formal qualifications. Others learn on the job, one Sunday at a time. Wherever you are, these channels meet you there - and help you keep improving.
The reality of grassroots coaching is that development happens in stolen moments - scrolling on the train, watching a video before bed, picking up a drill idea while waiting for players to arrive. And increasingly, that learning happens on social media.
TikTok and YouTube have become the de facto continuing professional development (CPD) platforms for thousands of coaches. Not because they replace formal learning, but because they extend it. A 60-second clip of Pep Guardiola explaining third-man runs won't make you a tactician - but it might spark an idea for Sunday's session that you wouldn't have found anywhere else.
The FA's own digital learning team recognises this shift. Their England Football Learning YouTube channel now sits alongside formal qualifications as part of a broader coaching ecosystem, and they actively use TikTok, Instagram and podcasts to reach coaches where they already spend time.
The Pattern
The rise of social media as a coaching resource reflects something bigger: grassroots coaches are hungry for development, but often time-poor and budget-constrained.
A 2023 study on volunteering found that coaches who feel supported and connected to a learning community are significantly more likely to stay in the game. Social media fills that gap - not as a replacement for structured education, but as a supplement that keeps coaches engaged, curious, and improving between formal touchpoints.
The platforms that help coaches keep learning are the platforms that help coaches keep coaching - whether a webinar, an article, an online community, a face-to-face session, a social feed or by being pitchside with a group of other coaches.
The best coaching channels understand this. They don't lecture - they inspire. They share session ideas you can steal, tactical concepts you can simplify, and the occasional reminder that even the best coaches in the world are still figuring things out.
The value isn't the platform - it's the practitioner sharing real work, in real environments, with real players.
What's remarkable is the quality now available for free. Premier League coaches breaking down their training sessions. UEFA-qualified educators sharing session plans. Academy coaches showing what actually works with real players. A decade ago, this content didn't exist. Now it's a scroll away. And when combined with coaching technology, the possibilities for grassroots development are transforming.
But not all coaching content is created equal. For every genuinely useful channel, there are dozens peddling generic drills or clickbait tactics. The signal-to-noise ratio matters - which is why curation matters too.
The Practice
We asked Greg Hollands - tactico's Head of Content & Community, U15s head coach at Dulwich Village FC, and the creator behind @thesundayleaguecoach - to share the channels that genuinely help him coach better. Here are his top five picks, plus one special mention.
1. The Coaches' Voice (@coachesvoice) - TikTok
Followers: 328K | Likes: 4.9M
The Coaches' Voice is a superb platform for hearing directly from elite coaches - "The inside view of football, in the words of those who know it best". Their TikTok account distills longer interviews and sessions into punchy, tactical clips - Xavi explaining third-man runs, Will Still discussing his Football Manager-to-Ligue-1 journey, Jack Ross walking through switching play drills. What makes it valuable isn't just the access - it's the way complex ideas get translated into digestible moments. Perfect for sparking session ideas or challenging your tactical assumptions.
Best for: Tactical depth, hearing from elite coaches, training drill inspiration.
Start with: Their finishing drill variations series - simple setups, clear coaching points.
@coachesvoice Before joining Standard Liège as assistant coach, Yaya Touré led his Tottenham Under-16 team through a session designed to reinforce the principles that underpin maintaining possession and creating under high pressure... 🇨🇮⚪️ Subscribe via the link in the bio to watch. #YayaToure #TottenhamAcademy #THFC #FootballCoaching #CVAcademy ♬ original sound - Coaches' Voice
2. England Football Learning - YouTube
Subscribers: 136K | Videos: 901+
The official FA channel for coaching education, and it's a great free resource for UK football managers and coaches. The content ranges from training ideas, session plans and tactical breakdowns to conversations between UEFA-qualified coaches sharing what actually works on matchdays. Unlike many official channels, this one feels practical - less about compliance, more about development. Their Coachcast podcast (available on all platforms) is also worth your time.
Best for: Training ideas, matchday tips, general coaching advice and grassroots-specific content.
Start with: Their sessions playlist - real drills filmed with real players, not animations.
3. Olly Porteous (@ollyporteous) - TikTok
Followers: 7K | What Greg says: "Academy coach, great HQ content, nice guy."
Olly brings the perspective of someone working inside a professional academy environment - but translates it for coaches at every level. The production quality is high, the explanations are clear, and there's a genuine warmth to the content that makes complex ideas feel accessible. If you want to understand what academy coaching actually looks like day-to-day, this is a window into that world.
Best for: Academy-level insights made accessible, high-quality production, clear explanations.
Start with: Any of his learnings from Man City - they're consistently well-explained.
@ollyporteous It's about clarity and purpose… #footballcoaching #grassrootsfootball #coachdevelopment #soccertraining #soccercoach ♬ 2 Little 2 Late - Levi & Mario
4. Fit 4 Football (@fit_4_football) - TikTok
Followers: 305.9K | What Greg says: "Great content, clear, great advice for new coaches."
If you're early in your coaching journey - or know someone who is - this channel is worth a look. The content focuses on fundamentals: how to set up sessions, how to communicate with players, how to structure your thinking. There's no assumption that you already know everything. For coaches who've just completed their FA Playmaker or Introduction to Coaching Football, this is the good place to explore. It's also a great resource if you're coaching in the fast-growing women's and girls' game.
Best for: New coaches, foundational advice, practical tips without jargon.
Start with: Their advice series for youth footballers - useful for understanding player mindset too.
5. SoccerCoachTV - YouTube
Subscribers: 291K | Watch time: 108 million+ minutes
One of the longest-running coaching channels on YouTube, and still one of the best. What sets SoccerCoachTV apart is their commitment to "real up-close coaching" - no animations, no diagrams, just actual sessions filmed with actual players. You hear the coaching points, see the setup, watch the progressions. Professor Shaun Green has been doing this since 2012 and earned YouTube's Silver Play Button for passing 100K subscribers. The depth of the library is crazy - virtually every aspect of the game is covered somewhere.
Best for: Deep-dive session libraries, real coaching footage, comprehensive coverage.
Start with: Their shooting drills playlist - high engagement, clear setup.
Special Mention: The Sunday League Coach (@thesundayleaguecoach) - TikTok
Followers: 2K
What Greg says: "Simply, the GOAT." 🤣
Yes, Greg included himself. We asked him to be objective. He said no.
In fairness, @thesundayleaguecoach has built a genuine following in just a few months by sharing the reality of grassroots coaching and Greg's journey through the UEFA coaching badges. The tactical insights, the training wisdom, the honest moments that anyone who's stood on a touchline at 9am on a Sunday will recognise. It's coaching content from someone who's living it - muddy boots and all.
(Greg is tactico's Head of Content & Community, a U15s head coach at Dulwich Village FC, and a recently qualified UEFA C coach. Follow him if you want grassroots truth from someone who gets it.)
@thesundayleaguecoach You NEED to know these principles of play before you start your UEFA C course ⚽️🙌#footballcoaching #coaching #coachingtips #soccercoaching #footballtiktok ♬ original sound - dqrksiren
Quick Comparison: Best Football Coaching Channels 2026
| Channel | Platform | Followers | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Coaches' Voice | TikTok | 328K | Elite tactical insights, drill inspiration |
| The Sunday League Coach | TikTok | 2K | UEFA C tips, grassroots coaching principles |
| England Football Learning | YouTube | 136K | FA-backed sessions, grassroots content |
| Olly Porteous | TikTok | 7K | Academy-level coaching made accessible |
| Fit 4 Football | TikTok | 305.9K | New coaches, foundational advice |
| SoccerCoachTV | YouTube | 291K | Deep session libraries, real coaching footage |
The Principle
The best coaching education is continuous, not episodic.
Formal qualifications give you a foundation. Conferences and courses give you structured development. But the day-to-day improvement - the small ideas that make Saturday's session 10% better - increasingly happens through informal learning. A clip you watch on the train. A drill you screenshot. A tactical concept that finally clicks because someone explained it in 45 seconds instead of 45 minutes.
Social media isn't replacing coaching education. It's extending it. And the coaches who embrace that - who build a feed that actually helps them - are the ones who keep improving week after week.
The challenge is curation. Not all content is worth your time. Building a feed of genuinely useful channels takes intention. The five above are a starting point - tested by a coach who uses them, not an algorithm that promotes them.
Your Move This Week
Follow one new coaching channel this week. Watch three of their videos. If at least two give you something useful - a drill idea, a tactical concept, a new way to explain something - keep them. If not, unfollow and try another.
Build a feed that makes you better, not just entertained. Your phone is already in your pocket. Make it work for your coaching. And if you're looking to streamline the admin side too, check out the best team management apps.
The Bottom Line
Great coaching isn't just taught in classrooms.
The best coaches keep learning - in small moments, between sessions, whenever they can.
Social media isn't a distraction from development.
It's where development happens now.
Build a feed that makes you better.
And pass it on to the coaches around you.
tactico.
The game, uncompromised.
Sources & Context
1. Primary: The Coaches' Voice TikTok - 328K followers, 4.9M likes
2. Primary: England Football Learning YouTube - 136K subscribers, 901+ videos
3. Primary: Olly Porteous TikTok - 7K followers
4. Primary: Fit 4 Football TikTok - 305.9K followers
5. Primary: SoccerCoachTV YouTube - 291K subscribers, 108M+ minutes watch time
6. Primary: The Sunday League Coach TikTok - 2K followers
7. Supporting: England Football Learning website - 50K+ community members
8. Supporting: The FA's digital learning ecosystem - Learning Technologies 2025
9. Data: Volunteering outcomes research (2023) on coach retention and community support