Those providing employment and job assistance advice and services have many theories as to whether job seekers should include professional references on their résumé.
The consensus appears to be in recommending job seekers not include professional references. The reasons vary, which includes a lack of relevance as no job candidate would list a person who would provide negative feedback and information.
The exception within the sports industry are those seeking a coaching job or a position within an athletic department. These candidates should always list professional references on their résumé. The athletic administration and coaching sector is very small where names are very familiar. Many head coaches have often stated that they bypass the résumé content and go directly to the professional references when analyzing candidate applications. If a name is familiar, they will then make contact with that reference.
In conclusion, the use of professional references can be helpful to sports job candidates. However, don’t assume that the use professional references will replace your deficiency in skills required for the position.