Head Coach Varsity Offshore Sailing Team

Job Description

Job Description

Head Coach, Offshore Sailing

The Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA), founded in 1891, is a nonprofit organization whose objective is to "promote, influence, and assist in financing the varsity athletic programs of the midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy" in accordance with the policy of the Superintendent of the Academy. Through an intercollegiate athletics program that is one of the largest in the country, every midshipman is afforded the opportunity to compete in athletics at the Division I level. The emphasis on physical fitness is borne out in the first line of the mission of the U.S. Naval Academy: To develop midshipmen morally, mentally and physically.

Summary

The Head Coach is responsible for the coaching, operations, and administration of all aspects of the competitive offshore sailing program within the policies and procedures of the Naval Academy and Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA).

Offshore Sailing practices and competes during the fall, spring and summer seasons. With a proven 50-year record of winning, the Naval Academy has the largest collegiate offshore sailing fleet in the United States, hosting several Intercollegiate big boat regattas.  During the summer, Offshore Sailing focuses on the major east coast ocean races, as well as nationally recognized regattas such as New York Yacht Club’s Race Week at Newport and Block Island Race Week. Additionally, Offshore Sailing represents the Naval Academy at international events.

In addition to winning championships and regattas, Offshore Sailing is a cornerstone for small unit teamwork and leadership development at the Naval Academy.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Performs coaching duties as follows:

  • Serves as a positive role model, mentor, and teacher for team members as well as assistant coaches, volunteer coaches and support staff.

  • Creates a culture of accountability, professionalism, teamwork, and leadership consistent with the Naval Academy’s mission.

  • Develops the necessary training material, leads classroom and on-water practice sessions to advance and refine the skills and teamwork necessary to instruct and develop novice sailors to race and win inshore buoy and offshore distance races.
    

  • Promotes and instills a culture of safety and professionalism within the team. In partnership with the Vanderstar Chair, Navy Sailing’s safety advisor, ensures the safety of team members, coaches, and volunteers.

  • Identifies and troubleshoots maintenance and safety concerns including rigging, mechanical, and electrical. Works closely with the maintenance team and Naval Academy Waterfront to ensure boats and equipment are safely maintained.

  • Assures boats are race ready including maintenance, current rating certificates, race inspections complete, and boats have proper loadout.

  • Qualifies and serves as Officer-in-Charge/Safety Officer aboard midshipmen-crewed boats.

  • Monitors and promotes the academic success and personal growth of the team’s student-athletes in partnership with Naval Academy and NAAA staff.

  • Performs planning and scheduling duties as follows:

  • Provides the vision and strategic goals for Offshore Sailing.

  • Develops, plans and coordinates logistics for Naval Academy-hosted big boat regattas.

  • Coordinates fall and spring season team travel arrangements and the summer racing schedule with the Director of Competitive Sailing and NAAA. 

• Performs administrative duties as follows:

  • Supervises and assigns responsibilities to assistant coaches, assigned support staff, and approximately 20 volunteers; evaluates their performance.

  • Manages and coordinates with NAAA, assistant coach recruiting, onboarding, performance management and professional development.  Approves assistant coach time off and leave.

  • Recruits and screens volunteer coaches in accordance with prescribed policies and procedures. Ensures all volunteers have completed NAAA-mandated onboarding requirements.

  • Tracks recurring qualification status of all team members, coaches and volunteers, ensuring up-to-date qualifications and administering exams as required.

• Performs budgetary duties as follows:

  • Works with the Director of Competitive Sailing and NAAA to prepare Offshore Sailing’s annual budget.

  • Reviews monthly budget summaries and operates within the framework of a balanced budget.

  • Apprises the NAAA Business Office of all expenditures and commitments to ensure funds are available.

  • Adheres to all procedures relative to purchasing and travel expenditures, accounting for all funding and final settlements.

  • Prioritizes requests for all Offshore Sailing NAAA Sustainment Funds expenditures.

• Performs outreach and fundraising duties as follows:

  • Communicates with alumni and Friends of Navy Sailing (FONS) on team activities and scheduled events.

  • Supervises team social media posts.

  • Works with the NAAA Development staff to actively promote the Sailing Sustainment and Sailing Excellence funds.

  • Coordinates with the Naval Academy Sailing Foundation (NASF) regarding potential sailboat donations as well as the maintenance and upkeep of current NASF assets on charter.

• Performs miscellaneous duties, as required:

  • Serves on NAAA and Naval Academy committees.

  • Serves on national and local sailing committees/councils.

  • Special projects and