Head Varsity Boys Golf Coach

REPORTS TO: Senior Athletic Director or designee
HOURS: Dependent upon practice, competition, and event schedule as designed by Athletic Director
ASSIGNMENT: SY 26-27
STIPEND: $4,800
EXEMPT STATUS: Non Exempt
CAMPUS: High School

Summary

The Head Varsity Boys Golf Coach launches and leads a safe, organized, development-first program that expands access to golf while preparing scholar-athletes for successful interscholastic competition. The coach builds foundational skills, rules knowledge, course management, etiquette, confidence, and character while coordinating off-site practices, matches, transportation, equipment, and score reporting. Success is measured by player growth, participation, readiness, safety, culture, communication, compliance, program access, and operational excellence - not wins and losses alone.

Requirements

In order to be considered for the Head Varsity Boys Golf Coach position at Foundation Academies, candidates must:

• Embrace Foundation Academies' college- and career-readiness mission and core values.
• Lead with patience, inclusion, accountability, sportsmanship, integrity, and a development-first mindset that welcomes experienced and beginning golfers.
• Teach golf through clear progressions, purposeful practice, useful feedback, and age-appropriate expectations.
• Communicate professionally, protect confidentiality, maintain appropriate adult-student boundaries, and work effectively with scholar-athletes, staff, families, golf-course partners, officials, and the community.

Certification

• Appointment and approval by the local educational agency and a valid New Jersey teaching certificate or instructional substitute credential; the substitute credential currently requires at least 30 semester-hour college credits.
• Current adult CPR/AED and Basic First Aid certification through an approved provider, including an in-person skills component when required.
• NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching completed before first employment as a coach, unless an applicable NJSIAA exemption applies.
• Annual NFHS Concussion in Sports and Heat Illness Prevention training.
• One-time NFHS Implicit Bias and NJSIAA BeNice training, plus all school-required safety, medication-response, mandated-reporting, and emergency training.
• Completion of criminal-history and employment-authorization requirements and the ability to maintain credentials throughout the assignment.

Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Pipeline Building

• Establish a program philosophy, annual plan, team standards, practice structure, competition calendar, and clear development pathway for golfers with varied experience levels.
• Build equitable access through transparent program information, beginner-friendly entry points, school equipment when available, and relationships with approved golf facilities and community partners.
• Coordinate assistants and volunteers around the approved program plan and ensure every staff member satisfies Foundation Academies and New Jersey requirements before working with athletes.
• Represent the program positively and support approved clinics, introductory experiences, and future middle-school or developmental pipeline opportunities.

Practice Design & Player Development

• Plan practices that develop grip, setup, alignment, full swing, short game, putting, recovery shots, course management, rules knowledge, pace of play, fitness, and mental preparation.
• Use stations, range work, putting and chipping games, on-course instruction, video, statistics, and competition evidence to meet individual learning needs.
• Set one clear development focus for each scholar-athlete, provide simple midseason feedback, and document a practical next step at season closeout.
• Teach athletes to make responsible club selections, manage risk, prepare independently, reflect after rounds, and compete with honesty and composure.

Team Selection, Competition & Course Conduct

• Conduct safe, equitable evaluations using transparent criteria that consider readiness, rules knowledge, coachability, effort, growth potential, commitment, and ability to navigate the course safely.
• Establish lineups and competition roles based on readiness, performance evidence, course fit, safety, and team needs; playing time and tournament selection are not guaranteed.
• Prepare athletes to follow current USGA, NJSIAA, conference, facility, and local-rule requirements, including honest scoring and required score verification.
• Reinforce etiquette, pace of play, care for the course, appropriate attire, respect for staff and opponents, and responsible behavior in all golf environments.

Academic, Behavioral & Family Expectations

• Reinforce eligibility, attendance, punctuality, preparation, respectful behavior, and healthy team habits.
• Review school-issued eligibility information at scheduled intervals and complete any assigned player check-in or support referral within three school days; no independent tutoring or team GPA target is required.
• Hold a preseason scholar-athlete and family meeting covering expectations, schedule, equipment, costs covered by the program, safety, transportation, eligibility, selection, and conflict resolution.
• Use approved communication channels, communicate urgent changes promptly, and address concerns consistently with school and athletics leadership.

Safety, Supervision & Off-Site Procedures

• Ensure no scholar-athlete participates until the Athletics Department confirms registration, eligibility, medical clearance, and all required documentation.
• Review the emergency action plan, AED access, emergency communication process, severe-weather procedures, course address, meeting points, and evacuation options before every new practice or competition location is used.
• Monitor lightning, heat, hydration, visibility, terrain, traffic, water hazards, wildlife, range activity, and other course-specific risks; suspend activity whenever conditions become unsafe.
• Maintain active supervision and reliable athlete counts across ranges, putting areas, practice holes, and competition groups; use approved release procedures and never leave students unsupervised.
• Follow injury-response, concussion, sudden cardiac arrest, transportation, and return-to-play procedures; medical decisions remain with qualified medical personnel.
• Immediately notify athletics leadership of serious injuries, threats, misconduct, discrimination, missing athletes, transportation problems, and other reportable incidents.

Course, Equipment & Records Management

• Coordinate approved course access, tee times, practice spaces, transportation, match confirmations, opposing coaches, officials, and facility expectations through athletics leadership.
• Maintain an accurate inventory of clubs, bags, balls, training aids, uniforms, technology, keys, and supplies; report loss or damage promptly and target at least 95% equipment return.
• Maintain accurate attendance, roster, emergency-contact, lineup, evaluation, award, score, equipment, and season-closeout records by deadline.
• Submit verified match scores and required statistics through the designated school, conference, and NJSIAA systems by deadline and correct confirmed discrepancies promptly.

Qualifications

• Previous golf coaching, competitive playing, teaching, or advanced youth-development experience is preferred.
• Working knowledge of current USGA Rules of Golf, NJSIAA requirements and modifications, course etiquette, scorekeeping, pace of play, and age-appropriate instruction.
• Ability to teach beginners and experienced golfers, lead athletes at off-site facilities, and create equitable access within the resources approved for the program.
• Strong organization, communication, scheduling, digital-platform, record-keeping, score-reporting, and relationship-building skills in diverse school communities.

Goals & Performance Metrics

Evaluation uses coach-controlled evidence and reasonable program context. Development, access, readiness, safety, culture, and operations carry greater weight than the win-loss record.

Development & Program-Building Measures

• Program launch and access: Complete the approved season plan, facility schedule, equipment inventory, family orientation, and participation-access process before the first competition.
• Training quality: Maintain a written objective for every practice and include a technical, short-game, course-management, rules, or competitive-learning component as appropriate.
• Individual growth: Establish one development focus for every golfer by the end of week three, provide one midseason feedback touchpoint, and record one next step at closeout.
• Participation and readiness: Track every team activity, target at least 85% season completion excluding circumstances outside the coach's control, and provide meaningful developmental opportunities across the roster.
• Academic support: Review every issued eligibility report and complete each assigned flagged-player check-in or referral within three school days; no GPA or tutoring quota applies.
• Safety and supervision: Complete location-specific safety reviews, athlete counts, weather checks, and required incident reporting for every practice and competition.
• Course conduct and rules: Document rules and etiquette instruction, address confirmed conduct or scoring concerns promptly, and maintain no unresolved integrity violations at season closeout.
• Operations and records: Submit attendance, lineups, verified scores, statistics, equipment, evaluation, and closeout records by deadline and correct confirmed discrepancies within one business day.
• Competitive progress: Set one team development goal and review it at midseason and closeout using evidence such as scoring consistency, short-game execution, penalties avoided, pace of play, course-management decisions, or match readiness. Wins and losses are one data point only.

Evaluation & Renewal

Performance will be reviewed by the Senior Athletic Director or designee using direct observation, program records, stakeholder feedback, compliance evidence, development progress, and the metrics above. Stipend renewal is based on program need, performance, conduct, safety, compliance, and continued approval.

Work Environment & Physical Expectations

The assignment requires outdoor work at golf courses and practice facilities, extended walking and standing, golf demonstrations, travel, supervision across large areas, work in changing weather, and reasonable handling of golf equipment. Reasonable accommodations will be considered in accordance with applicable law.

Perform Other Responsibilities

Perform other related duties assigned by athletics leadership or school leadership. This description identifies the role's principal functions and is not exhaustive; duties may be adjusted for program needs, current law, school policy, facility rules, and governing-body requirements.