Sports Information Director and Head Cross Country Coach

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Sports Information Director & Head Cross Country Coach of Mount Mary University's NAIA programs is an integral member of the Athletic Department and requires an enthusiastic, pro-active, high-energy individual who is determined to see that the Athletics Department is successful. The primary roles of the Sports Information Director duties will consist of collaborating with the Director of Athletics / Athletics Senior Leadership Team to strengthen the Athletics Department in the areas of athletic communications, alumni engagement, stat-keeping, web and athletics social media management, promotional event supervision, and athletic game-day event management/operations/coordination. The primary function of the Head Cross Country Coach is to see that the program's roster goals are met and the student-athletes experience is positive. This individual must be committed to the NAIA values through "Character-driven Athletics" where MMU athletics staff embody and teach integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership on and off the field, in addition to the MMU Athletic Department pillars to "Recruit, Retain, and Develop".

The Sports Information Director & Head Cross Country Coach works primarily with the athletics staff, coaches, student-athletes, prospective student-athletes, student workers, marketing, admissions staff, faculty and other administrative offices to ensure that each Mount Mary University student-athlete and prospective student-athlete receives a quality experience. This opportunity requires the availability to work a varied in-person schedule. Hours will be determined by mutual agreement with the Director of Athletics and work to best accommodate the needs of the Athletics Department. Pre/post season hours likely to be slightly more consistent than in-season hours. Work schedule can vary during peak sports seasons.

The NAIA experience provides our student-athletes an integrated environment that focuses on academic success while offering competitive athletics and the support of meaningful non-athletics opportunities to enhance their overall educational experience.

Primary Responsibilities:

Sports Information Director

• Serve as Primary SID for Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball and Softball
  • Additional coverage during a portion of Soccer may also be expected
  • Supplemental SID coverage for large scale tournaments hosted by MMU when applicable for non-primary sports
  • Supervise other staff/student workers assisting in SID coverage for non-primary sports
• Website Content and Upkeep
  • Manage MMU Athletics website design when applicable
  • Enter/Update all Athletics website content; including, but not limited to staff page, rosters, schedules, scores, player and staff bios, and box scores
  • Write articles for athletics website site including: player of the week (ALL sports), game previews (ALL sports), game recaps (primary sports listed above – home & away games)
• Home Game Days
  • Be present and available for all Mount Mary home sporting contests for primary sports listed above throughout all three seasons (fall, winter, spring)
    • Secure additional SID's when applicable for multi court/field events for ALL sports
  • Supervise home event set-up for ALL home contests
    • Hire, schedule, train, supervise and evaluate student interns/workers
  • Email 'Welcome Packet' to opponents for ALL home contests for ALL sports
  • Design Game Day Programs and maintain video board for ALL home contests for ALL sports
  • Create locker room signs for home contests for ALL home contests for ALL sports
  • Coordinate pictures, video, sports announcers, and postgame interviews during ALL home events
    • Write game day announcers intro and special event announcements when applicable
  • Take Live stats for primary sports' home games
  • Pre-set and manage live stream video for ALL home contests
  • Send final stats to visiting team SID, NAIA, and Conference affiliates when applicable for primary sports
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Design and send monthly newsletters to MMU community and athletic alumni
  • Create a "Media List" and send all results, features, and media releases to the list, such as current student-athletes home town High School and local media outlets
  • Send out Word and Statcrew rosters to opponents that will be hosting MMU teams
  • Interview coaches and student-athletes to gather information for "feature" articles
  • Upload content and updates to all Athletics and Sport Team social media pages (Facebook, X, Instagram, etc)
  • Take team and individual athlete photos for purpose of posting to website and social media pages
    • Create senior and team posters when applicable
  • Create/Maintain "feature" pages for the website including, but not limited to:
    • Awards/Hall of Fame
    • Archives/Records & Statistics
    • Multimedia
    • New athletic staffing announcements
  • Submit weekly and seasonal conference and national nominations for player/team accolades for CCAC and NAIA awards
  • Work with University Marketing Department regarding athletics-based projects
    • Assist with MMU Homecoming Week programming and planning
  • Occasionally travel to road games vs. opponents that do not do their own/sufficient statistics when approved by Director of Athletics
  • Other Athletics media/promotions/communications related duties as assigned by the Director of Athletics
• Follow budget guidelines set forth by the Director of Athletics and reconcile credit card statements on a monthly basis
  • Coordinate fundraising efforts when needed
  • Assist as needed in department fundraising events
• Perform other duties, responsibilities, or special projects as assigned by the Director of Athletics

Head Cross Country Coach

• Recruitment – coordinate recruiting efforts to meet agreed upon benchmarks to ensure the Cross Country program is playing and practicing at or above the ideal number of student-athletes.
  • Provide monthly recruiting updates to the Director of Athletics and/or Associate/Assistant Director of Athletics along with the Admissions team
  • Attend all recruiting meetings with the Admissions Department.
• Schedule recruiting visits and coordinate visits with Visitors Services
• Review Slate and Teams lists consistently and update varsity coded list on a regular basis
• Utilize Front Rush as main athletic recruiting database and communication resource
• Manage annual Cross Country athletic scholarship budget and athletic scholarship offers (Letters of Intent)
• Prepare and conduct all practice and competition plans
  • Targeting a 24-week training regimen along with meeting NAIA minimum competition requirements, but striving to max out competition schedule
• Responsible for putting a practice and competition schedule together that meets NAIA requirements and minimizes the amount of class time missed for competitions
• Prepare travel arrangements for team away competitions
  • Complete travel itinerary for each away competition
  • Drive MMU vehicle
• Responsible for team management, academic monitoring, fundraising, community service events (minimum 1 per semester) and team building event planning (minimum 1 per semester)
  • Regular office time availability outside of Cross Country practice/game schedule for player check-in meetings
  • Create annual team rules/sport program expectations, approved by the Director of Athletics and signed by student-athletes
• Promote and encourage a positive learning experience for student-athletes and a commitment to develop the whole person and nurturing bold, brilliant women
  • Focus on player and personal development, supporting a growth mindset
• Manage and update programs apparel / equipment inventory list on an annual basis
  • Responsible for acquiring all issued apparel / equipment from Cross Country student-athletes and coaching staff after season has been completed
• Follow budget guidelines set forth by the Director of Athletics and reconcile credit card statements on time, monthly
  • Coordinate fundraising efforts when needed (estimate 2 events per year for sport program)
  • Assist as needed in department fundraising events
• Hire, train, supervise and evaluate assistant coaching staff, including a team manager if applicable
• Attend staff, admissions, athletic conference, and/or institution meetings / events when required
• Knowledge of, and adherence to, MMU Athletics Department Coaches and Student-Athlete Handbooks, NAIA and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference rules / regulations regarding recruiting, eligibility, competition, compliance, etc.
  • Complete annual NAIA coaching course requirements & MMU employment training requirements
    • Manage coaching staff (assistants and volunteers) regarding course completion requirements
• Perform other duties, responsibilities, or special projects as assigned by the Director of Athletics and/or Associate/Assistant Director of Athletics

Skills and Experience:

• Coaching experience – 2-5 years desired. Collegiate-level Head Coaching experience, at the NAIA level, preferre
• Experience within a collegiate athletic department ideal
• Collegiate varsity or club playing experience preferred
• Exceptional ability to multitask, prioritize projects, and extraordinary attention to detail
• Solid graphic design experience with Adobe Creative Suite and Canva
• Computer skills are required, along with the expectation to learn additional computer software programs for Athletics; such as PrestoSports, Front Rush, Slate, Jenzabar, Hudl, scouting / film breakdown software, and a variety of recruiting sites, video editing and social media platforms
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to work with diverse groups, facilitate group process, and foster collaborative decision making
• Strong organizational, leadership, communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, ability to work independently, and possess a high level of confidentiality
• Ability to work independently and under minimal supervision and exceptional ability to multitask and prioritize project
• Strong problem-solving skills

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required
• Master's degree preferred – in field of Sport Management/Administration desired
• Applicant must pass background check and motor vehicle records authorization
• To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to accomplish primary duties adequately. The requirements listed are representative of the Knowledge, skill, and/or ability required
• The individual will become familiar with athletic department program's recruiting software and digital tools along with admissions software; i.e. Slate and Jenzabar
• The individual will identify, evaluate, contact, and build relationships with prospective student-athletes. This will be accomplished through attending high school and Junior College competitions, attending showcase events and club / travel tournaments, reaching out to HS and Travel coaches, reviewing competition / skills footage, and other activities as determined by the Head Coach and/or Director of Athletics and/or Assistant Athletic Director
• Candidate needs to feel confident talking on a phone and creating coherent, professional correspondences (emails, letters, text messages, etc.)
• Strong communication and customer service skills

Physical Demands:

• Ability to Lift/Carry up to 50 lbs.
• Must reach, bend, stoop, lift
• Must sit, walk or stand for long periods of time
• Some repetitive motion may be required

Working Conditions:

• Work schedule can vary, especially during peak sports seasons
• Evening and weekend hours as needed
• Travel required
• Driving required
• Varying workflow; sometimes stressful with high workload times of the year
• Complete work required within a limited space
• Complete work required within a limited time
• Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform primary functions
• The individual will be primarily located at the Milwaukee, WI – MMU campus, with flexibility for some remote work

Mount Mary University practices equal opportunity employment as part of our ongoing commitment to diversity in our workplace.