REPORTS TO:
Senior Director of Athletics & Scholar Engagement or designee
HOURS:
Dependent upon practice and game schedule as designed by Senior Director of Athletics & Scholar Engagement
STIPEND RANGE: $5,200 to $6,500
EXEMPT STATUS: Non Exempt
CAMPUS: High School
Summary
The Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach leads a safe, organized, scholar-athlete-centered program that develops basketball skill, competitive habits, character, and school pride. The coach establishes a clear 6-12 vision, prepares the varsity team for NJSIAA competition, develops coaches and athletes, and manages the details required for a sustainable program. Success is measured by athlete growth, culture, retention, communication, safety, compliance, record keeping, and competitive progress - not wins and losses alone.
Requirements
In order to be considered for the position of Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach at Foundation Academies, candidates must:
- Embrace Foundation Academies' college- and career-readiness mission and core values.
- Build a disciplined, joyful, and inclusive culture grounded in accountability, sportsmanship, effort, service, and equitable access.
- Teach through organized practices, clear progressions, useful feedback, film, data, and age-appropriate development.
- Communicate professionally, use sound judgment, protect confidentiality, maintain appropriate adult-student boundaries, and work effectively with students, staff, families, 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
Team Organization & Pipeline Building
- Set and communicate a program vision for grades 6-12 that defines how Foundation Academies basketball will teach, compete, represent the school, and develop scholar-athletes.
- Align terminology, fundamental skills, team standards, and development priorities with middle school, lower-level, and assistant coaches.
- Promote broad participation, transparent tryout information, fair evaluation, and multisport participation; do not promise roster placement or playing time.
- Assess readiness and development needs and make roster, role, and position decisions using clear, Athletics-approved standards.
Practice & Player Development
- Develop a regular practice schedule and purposeful plans that balance skill instruction, team concepts, conditioning, situational preparation, recovery, and safe workload progression.
- Inspect practice and competition areas before use and report facility, equipment, weather, security, or medical-readiness concerns promptly.
- Teach current rules, techniques, and strategies and use observation, film, and statistics to adjust instruction and prepare game plans.
- Develop fundamentals, basketball IQ, decision-making, leadership, confidence, and team-oriented habits while protecting student dignity.
Academic & Behavioral Expectations
- Review school-provided eligibility or grade reports at the frequency established by the Athletics Department and acknowledge required follow-up.
- When a scholar-athlete is flagged, conduct a brief check-in and connect the student to an existing school support, family contact, or athletics leader within three school days; the coach is not expected to tutor independently or guarantee a team GPA.
- Reinforce attendance, punctuality, preparation, communication, and respectful behavior in school, during travel, and at team activities.
- Apply standards consistently, document significant concerns, coordinate major consequences with school leadership, and model culturally responsive, non-discriminatory practices.
Communication & Stakeholder Engagement
- Conduct a preseason scholar-athlete and family meeting covering standards, schedules, safety, eligibility, transportation, playing-time philosophy, communication, and conflict resolution.
- Use approved channels, maintain professional boundaries, communicate urgent changes promptly, and respond to routine questions within one business day when practicable.
- Represent the program at approved school and community events and coordinate fundraising, social media, donors, sponsors, and external partnerships through athletics leadership.
Compliance, Safety & Procedures
- Ensure no scholar-athlete participates until the Athletics Department confirms registration, eligibility, medical clearance, and all required documentation.
- Review the site-specific emergency action plan, AED location and access, emergency communication process, and severe-weather procedures before the first practice and whenever facilities change.
- Provide active supervision from the assigned reporting time until all scholar-athletes are released through approved procedures; never leave students unsupervised.
- Follow concussion, sudden cardiac arrest, heat illness, injury-response, transportation, and return-to-play procedures; medical decisions remain with qualified medical personnel.
- Immediately report serious injuries, threats, misconduct, hazing, discrimination, and other reportable incidents in accordance with NJSIAA, NFHS, school, and New Jersey requirements.
Facilities, Equipment & Records Management
- Coordinate facilities, transportation, schedules, staffing, and other operational needs with athletics and school personnel.
- Follow procedures for the care, distribution, inventory, and return of uniforms, equipment, keys, technology, and supplies; report loss or damage promptly.
- Maintain accurate attendance, roster, lineup, evaluation, emergency-contact, award, uniform, equipment, and other assigned team records.
- Submit final scores, team records, required basketball statistics, and public-reporting information by deadline; use the official scorebook or designated source record to resolve discrepancies and preserve historical data.
- Complete awards recommendations, inventory, records, evaluations, program reflection, and all season-closeout requirements by the Athletics Department deadline.
Qualifications
- Successful high school head-coaching or varsity assistant-coaching experience; college, club, or advanced youth-program leadership may also be considered.
- Strong knowledge of current NFHS basketball rules, NJSIAA requirements, game strategy, practice design, athlete development, and sportsmanship standards.
- Experience building a vertically aligned 6-12 program and developing assistant or lower-level coaches.
- Competence with digital communication, scheduling, film and statistics platforms, score/stat reporting, and relationship-building in diverse school communities.
Goals & Performance Metrics
The Head Coach will be evaluated using coach-controlled evidence and reasonable program context. Competitive results matter, but no single win-loss target will determine success.
Coach-Controlled Measures
- Safety and clearance: Before the first practice, review the emergency action plan and AED access and confirm 100% of athletes are cleared. Report serious incidents immediately and complete documentation by the next business day.
- Program readiness and records: Meet established deadlines for rosters, schedules, staffing, transportation, facilities, and practice plans; document attendance for at least 95% of team activities.
- Athlete development: Set three team-development priorities, review them at midseason, and conduct one documented development conversation with each athlete by closeout.
- Academic support: Review 100% of school-issued eligibility reports and complete a brief check-in or referral for each flagged athlete within three school days. No GPA or tutoring quota applies.
- Culture, retention, and sportsmanship: Hold a preseason expectations meeting; target 85% season completion, excluding circumstances outside the coach's control; report serious conduct incidents the same day.
- Communication and families: Hold one preseason family meeting, use approved channels, communicate urgent changes the same day, and acknowledge routine questions within one business day when practicable.
- Pipeline building and staff growth: Complete one 6-12 alignment activity, define assistant duties before competition, and hold one staff feedback conversation during the season.
- Scores, statistics, and equipment: Submit 100% of scores and required statistics by deadline, correct known errors within one business day, account for issued equipment, and target 95% return.
- Competitive progress: Set one Athletics-approved competitive goal before the first contest and review it at midseason and closeout. Wins and losses are one data point, not the entire evaluation.
Evaluation & Renewal
Performance will be reviewed by the Senior Athletic Director or designee using direct observation, program records, stakeholder feedback, compliance evidence, and the metrics above. Stipend renewal is based on program need, performance, conduct, compliance, and continued approval.
Work Environment & Physical Expectations
The assignment requires movement in athletic facilities, extended standing and supervision, demonstration of basketball activities, travel, work in changing temperatures and crowd conditions, and reasonable handling of team equipment. Reasonable accommodations will be considered in accordance with applicable law.
Perform Other Responsibilities
Perform other related duties assigned by athletics 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, and governing-body rules.
