Coached

Coached is the past tense and past participle of the verb to coach. It means to train, instruct, or guide someone, particularly in sports, performing arts, academics, or personal development. A person who provides coaching is called a coach; when someone receives coaching, they are being coached. The term emphasizes structured guidance, feedback, and practice aimed at improving performance, skills, or behavior. In sports, teams or players are commonly described as having been coached by a named coach. In education or professional settings, a tutor or mentor may coach a student or employee.

Etymology: The verb derives from the noun coach, originally a horse-drawn carriage from the Old North French coche or Hungarian kocsi, named after the town of Kocs. The sense of guiding or instructing is metaphorical, likening the coach to a driver who guides a vehicle or an expert who guides a learner toward a destination.

Usage notes: coached is transitive, e.g., The team was coached by Alice Chen. It can be used in active voice: Alice Chen coached the team. It also appears in passive forms: The team was coached. It is commonly used across sports, education, music, theater, and business contexts.

See also: coaching, coach, mentor, trainer.