Milton’s coach hiring process explained
Assistant track and field coaches Brad Rocco and Bing Pursel provided by miltonathletics.org
Milton High School currently employs 63 paid athletic coaches, with some of those positions shared by two people, according to Athletic Director Mr. Rod Harris.
There are two levels of coaching: varsity head coaches and assistant coaches, Mr. Harris said. Head coaches are hired by submitting online applications, he added. According to Principal Andrew Rantz, the applications are reviewed by himself, Mr. Harris and Assistant Principal Michael Bergey. The applications are then narrowed down, and the applicants are called in for interviews, he said. Head coaches choose their own assistant coaches by interviewing them, he added. A coaching position is part-time, said Mr. Rantz. According to Mr. Harris, the salary for a coaching position ranges from $2,873 to $7,255.
According to Mr. Harris, there are no official requirements for a district coaching position, but he looks for experience, the level of any past coaching position and credentials when hiring. Mr. Harris, Principal Andrew Rantz and Assistant Principal Michael Bergey interview the applicants they have narrowed down, and make a recommendation to the school board for approval, he said. The number of applicants ranges of zero to eight applicants depending on the sport, he added.
The only coaching position currently open for hire is the field hockey coach, Mr. Harris said.
Coaches get a one year contract when they get hired, Mr. Harris said. At the end of each school year, the coaches are evaluated to determine if they should be rehired, he added. According to Mr. Harris, most coaches do get rehired on a yearly basis. If the evaluation shows that a coach is ineffective, then they are not rehired for another year, he said.
The current longest-running coach is Head Cheerleading Coach Traci Ferguson; she’s been coaching for 26 years, Mr. Harris said.
According to Mr. Harris, he believes that there are fewer long term coaches now than there were in the past because of “all of the clearances and paperwork you need to complete just in order to start coaching” and all the grief coaches endure from parents.
If no one applies for a coaching position, “we work diligently to encourage someone to step up for the program,” he said. According to Mr. Harris, the most applicants for a position he has seen was nine for the football coaching position.
