Head Coach of Men’s Ice Hockey

Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body. The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.

Job Description:

Amherst College invites applications for the Head Coach of Men’s Ice Hockey position. The Head Coach of Men’s Ice Hockey is a full-time, year-round position, starting at $106,200, commensurate with experience. Given Amherst's distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ways in which they bring value to and will work towards supporting a broadly diverse community.

The head coach is responsible for the management and administration of all aspects of a successful NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey program. The head coach will manage the men’s ice hockey program to ensure positive team dynamics, satisfactory growth and development of a diverse set of student-athletes, and competitive performance of the team. The head coach is also responsible for other related duties assigned by the Director of Athletics. The position requires an understanding of the role of intercollegiate athletics in a highly competitive academic environment. The head coach takes appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participates in the College’s efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Summary of Responsibilities:

Coaching

• Teaching, analyzing performance, and coaching game techniques and strategies of ice hockey in preparation for and during athletic competitions

• Establish strong relationships with a diverse group of student-athletes and maintain effective lines of communication

• Monitor academic progress of student-athletes. Understand academic needs, communicate with faculty liaisons, identify any issues that may occur, and provide direction and guidance when necessary

• Develop student-athletes of character who are committed to fostering a campus environment of respect and inclusion

• Schedules and conducts regular practice sessions daily or several times weekly during season

• Maintains detailed statistics and records, evaluation reports, etc., for each student-athlete

• Determines and implements strategies to obtain maximum team level and individual performance

• Determines competitive event schedule, coordinating with teams both inside and out of the Conference

• Maintains continual and thorough familiarity with all applicable NESCAC, NCAA, and college rules and regulations, and complies with same

Recruiting

• Creates a dynamic and inclusive recruiting plan for the men’s ice hockey program

• Lead the effort to scout and recruit high-achieving prospective student-athletes from geographically and demographically diverse populations

• Coordinates all phases of recruiting activities

• Coordinates and organizes potential student-athletes' on-campus visits

Department responsibilities

• Attend meetings within the department and conferences

• Maintains positive relations with alumni and friends groups

• In conjunction with the Office of Advancement, coordinate the program’s fundraising activities and the outreach of alumni

• Hire, supervise, and evaluate assistant coaches

• Manage program budget, travel, and logistics with department administration

• Performs other duties/functions as requested

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree

• Valid driver’s license to drive college vehicles when necessary. Requires successful completion of Five College Risk Management driver credentialing program. (See: https://www.fivecolleges.edu/riskmgmt/driver_credentialing)

• College experience playing or coaching ice hockey at the college level

• Strong recruiting skills

• Outstanding organizational, communication, writing, interpersonal, and analytical skills and the capacity to work effectively in a fast-paced environment

• Ability to initiate, analyze, monitor, evaluate, and advance strategic planning

• Ability to work independently and to exercise sound judgement and discretion

• Demonstrated commitment to supporting the development of student-athletes from varied backgrounds

• Ability to work intentionally with a diverse team to e