Football Varsity Head Coach at Abby Kelley Foster School – Worcester, Massachusetts

Location: Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School

Employment Type: Stipend Position (Seasonal, August–November/December)

Reports To: Athletic Director and Principal

Start Date: Immediate / For the Fall 2026- 2027 Season

Application Deadline: Until Filled

Position Overview

Abby Kelley Foster is seeking a passionate, experienced, and dedicated Head Varsity Football Coach to lead our football program. The successful candidate will oversee all aspects of the varsity football team, inspire student-athletes to achieve athletic excellence, academic success, and personal growth, and build a positive, competitive culture aligned with our school's values and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) guidelines.

This role requires a strong leader who can develop players on and off the field, manage assistant coaches, ensure player safety, and foster community support for the program.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and conduct practices, training sessions, and conditioning programs for the varsity team (and provide oversight for JV/freshman levels as needed).

• Develop and implement game strategies, offensive/defensive schemes, and scouting reports.

• Recruit, evaluate, select, and manage players; determine playing time, positions, and team captains.

• Supervise and evaluate assistant coaches; assign duties and foster staff development.

• Emphasize academic priority, monitor student-athlete grades and eligibility, and support their overall well-being.

• Ensure full compliance with MIAA rules, school policies, concussion protocols, and safety standards (including heat acclimatization, equipment fitting, and injury prevention).

• Coordinate with the Athletic Director on scheduling, budgeting, equipment inventory, facility use, and fundraising.

• Organize team meetings, film sessions, summer camps/conditioning, and off-season programs.

• Build positive relationships with parents, boosters, feeder programs (youth/middle school), and the community.

• Promote sportsmanship, character development, and a culture of respect, discipline, and teamwork.

Qualifications

Required:

• High school diploma or equivalent (Bachelor’s degree preferred, ideally in education, physical education, or related field).

• Previous successful coaching experience at the high school level (head coaching or coordinator experience strongly preferred).

• Thorough knowledge of football fundamentals, strategies, rules, and current trends.

• Understanding of MIAA regulations and commitment to compliance.

• Completion of all MIAA required licenses/certificates (or willingness to obtain immediately).

  • Valid CPR/First Aid/AED certification

  • Yearly Concussion Certification

  • NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching Certification

• Ability to pass required background checks

• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.

Preferred:

• Teaching certification or experience

• Head coaching experience or proven success leading a varsity program.

• Strong track record of developing student-athletes who excel academically and athletically.

• Ability and willingness to bring along a staff of experienced assistant coaches to support program vision, continuity, and immediate implementation of systems.

Compensation

$5,100 Stipend paid in one payment at the commencement of the athletic season