Interscholastic Football Coach Career Research Presentation & Job Description

Job description

An interscholastic football coach is responsible for directing and overseeing all coaching duties for an interscholastic collegiate Football Program. The coach is primarily responsible for ensuring the program’s recruiting, training, and daily operations adheres to NCAA Division operating bylaws and regulations. Often, the coach is also responsible for some if not all of the overseeing and planning of the fiscal management of the program activities.

Resources and things you would be working with (people, equipment, other resources):

As the coach must organize, prepares, and transport individuals to team practices, training meets, and competitions, the coach will primarily be working with players and other coaches. During recruiting efforts, coaches, when scouting, attending high school tournaments, and home visits, will interact with potential new players and their parents. Coaches will also interact with alumni donors, school administrators, and suppliers of team equipment.

Place(s) you would be working in:

The primary site of activity while directing daily operations of the athletic program would be at the college itself. While directing, supervising, and coordinating all administrative aspects of the program, the coach would be in various athletic department offices. Also, coaches will accompany the team to other colleges for ‘away’ games, as well as go to high schools when engaging in recruiting efforts.

Educational requirement(s):

Usually a Bachelor’s degree is required, along with seven to ten years experience at one of the more athletically competitive schools, or academically renowned schools. Requirements are also often directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified, as some schools may have more than one coach. Additionally, the required experience, of course, can take place before the attainment of the degree, such as beginning with a high school career.

Job growth potential:

Football remains one of the biggest ‘money ‘sports for most colleges, as it is a great spectator draw, as well as a wonderful experience for the students involved on the team. Football also plays an important role in soliciting alumni donations, and the coach often has a critical role in this aspect of the school’s program. However, these coaching positions are highly coveted, and once an individual becomes ingrained in a hard-won position at a well-loved and respected school, he might be unwilling to leave — thus the number of positions, overall in the United States, where this position is offered may be somewhat limited.

Opportunities for advancement:

One of the best ways to gain a foothold as a coach at a college is to start at the bottom, being a lower-ranked coach, and advance up to the position of head coach. Also, one can begin at a less prestigious school, and work one’s way up through the coaching ranks in that fashion as well. Footballjob.net also lists a number of alterative jobs in the field which provide individuals with the ability to gain access to the career ladder leading to a coaching position at a college, such as an assistant scout to the head coach, or the facilitator of the game operations for training and home games.

Anticipated salary (include source):

According to the website “Hot jobs,” the median expected salary for a typical Men’s Athletic Director in higher education in the United States is $73,023. This basic market pricing report was prepared using Hot Job’s Certified Compensation Professionals’ analysis of survey data collected from thousands of Human Resources departments at collegiate employers of all sizes, industries and geographies

Likes/dislikes or advantages/disadvantages:

The work of a coach involves considerable exposure to the elements, and requires an individual to be a combination of a mentor, counselor, and surrogate parent to new players, as well as a taskmaster. He must also have good relationships with the administration and the school’s alumni, as well as keep in good physical condition himself. The positives are of engaging in a mentoring experience that the team will carry with them for the rest of their lives, and enhancing their personal health and college careers. The negatives are largely related to the bureaucratic red tape that is inevitable in academic environments, as well as to too much of a stress on winning, rather than character development.

Please share with the class why you selected this career (elaborate as much as possible):

Being a coach is a continual mental, physical, and psychological challenge. It forces someone to remain forever young — as young as his charges, because he must be forever learning about an increasingly complex game and the changing characters of the young men upon his team.

Bibliography

Job description

University of New Mexico. (2003) “Job Descriptions: Coaching.” Retrieved 1 Jun 2005 at http://jobdescriptions.unm.edu/jdeweb.cfm?action=viewSpecific&HRJOB_ID=3716

Resources and things you would be working with (people, equipment, other resources):

University of New Mexico. (2003) “Job Descriptions: Coaching.” Retrieved 1 Jun 2005 at http://jobdescriptions.unm.edu/jdeweb.cfm?action=viewSpecific&HRJOB_ID=3716

Place(s) you would be working in:

University of New Mexico. (2003) “Job Descriptions: Coaching.” Retrieved 1 Jun 2005 at http://jobdescriptions.unm.edu/jdeweb.cfm?action=viewSpecific&HRJOB_ID=3716

Educational requirement(s):

University of New Mexico (2003) “Job Descriptions: Coaching.” Retrieved 1 Jun 2005 at http://jobdescriptions.unm.edu/jdeweb.cfm?action=viewSpecific&HRJOB_ID=3716

Job growth potential:

University of New Mexico. (2003) “Job Descriptions: Coaching.” Retrieved 1 Jun 2005 at http://jobdescriptions.unm.edu/jdeweb.cfm?action=viewSpecific&HRJOB_ID=3716

Opportunities for advancement:

Football Jobs. (2005) “Jobs for industry Leaders.” Retrieved 1 Jun 2005 at http://www.footballjob.net/

Anticipated salary (include source):

Hot Jobs. (2005) “Men’s Athletic Director.” University of New Mexico. 2003. “Job Descriptions: Coaching.” Retrieved 1 Jun 2005 at http://jobdescriptions.unm.edu/jdeweb.cfm?action=viewSpecific&HRJOB_ID=3716

http://salary.hotjobs.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_compresult.asp?zipcode=&metrocode=&statecode=&state=&metro=&city=&geo=U.S.+National+Averages&jobtitle=Men%27s+Athletics+Director+-+Higher+Ed.&search=&narrowdesc=Education&narrowcode=ED01&r=hotjbs_swzttsbtn_psr&p=Htjbs95&geocode=&jobcode=ED03000073

Likes/dislikes or advantages/disadvantages:

University of New Mexico. 2003. “Job Descriptions: Coaching.” Retrieved 1 Jun 2005 at http://jobdescriptions.unm.edu/jdeweb.cfm?action=viewSpecific&HRJOB_ID=3716

Please share with the class why you selected this career (elaborate as much as possible)