Head Field Hockey Coach

The Alfred University Head Field Hockey Coach is responsible for the development, organization and management of the first Saxon intercollegiate field hockey program. Competition began in the fall of 2025. A new synthetic turf field at the Saxon Hill Sports Complex will provide the AU Field Hockey program with an outstanding practice and competition facility beginning in the Fall of 2026.

This position includes teaching and coaching student-athletes for successful competition; monitoring and supporting student-athletes’ academic success; recruiting; civic engagement; planning and managing budgets and schedules; fundraising; and developing positive alumnae and parent relations.

Salary: $50,918-$53,850 Annually

Essential Functions:

• Teaching and Coaching:
  • Maintain an exemplary standard of conduct, which reflects the highest level of professionalism and good judgment
  • Provide a teaching and learning environment that is nurturing, intellectual and supportive of individual differences
  • Develop strategies and techniques for all phases of the sport to best prepare the team for competitive situations
  • Prepare, implement and evaluate practice and competition plans that are effective for the sport and congruent with team/individual ability
  • Develop and employ a team philosophy that is supportive of the educational mission of the university and the athletic department
  • Direct student-athletes and support staff to conduct themselves in such ways that bring credit to the team and Alfred University
• Advising:
  • Develop and maintain effective communication with student-athletes
  • Set high standards of ethical and moral conduct
  • Reinforce academic success as a priority
  • Monitor academic progress through communication with the Associate Director of Athletics
  • Encourage student-athletes to foster a positive relationship with their advisor, faculty, dean, and other areas of academic support
  • Monitor eligibility of student-athletes
• Recruiting:
  • Articulate and implement a recruiting plan consistent with Alfred University’s mission
  • Cultivate a recruiting network
  • Maintain the department’s recruiting contact management system
  • Recruit student-athletes that coincide with the academic profile of Alfred University students
  • Maintain open communication with other Alfred University coaches regarding shared prospects
  • Be knowledgeable about admissions and financial aid processes
  • Meet recruiting goals:
• Professional Development:
  • Maintain active membership in professional sport organizations
  • Pursue formal and informal educational opportunities related to the sport
  • Participate in department professional development seminars
• Civic Engagement:
  • Promote the sport in area communities
  • Establish and maintain a positive relationship with interested segments of the community (e.g. youth groups, civic organizations, media)

Other Duties & Responsibilities:

• Serve on department operational team (e.g., game management, academic
• Comply with institutional and departmental policies
• Be knowledgeable of and comply with all NCAA and Empire 8 rules and regulations
• Work collaboratively with department staff
• Develop a competitive NCAA Division III schedule
• Establish a sport budget in collaboration with the Associate Vice President for Student Experience, Athletics, & Recreation and effectively manage the budget within the allocation
• Responsibly manage equipment, uniforms and facilities
• Work collaboratively with Advancement staff to plan and implement sport fundraising activities
• Maintain appropriate coach-athlete relationships
• Develop a positive relationship with alumnae and parents of current, former and prospective student-athletes
• Maintain a safe work environment within and around facilities and associated equipment including, but not limited to, obtaining Safety Data Sheet (SDS) information pertaining to any hazards associated with the work environment
• Support and assist in creating intersections for faculty, staff and students that will assist in transforming people’s lives
• Support and assist in creating an evolving culture of mentoring and rich engagement opportunities for faculty, staff, and students
• Maintain a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and a high degree of cultural competence and respect for a wide range of identities and experiences; therefore, welcoming and supporting all faculty, staff and students and expanding access to the AU experience
• Maintain a safe working environment within and around their facilities and associated equipment and supplies including, but not limited to, obtaining Safety Data Sheet (SDS) information pertaining to any hazards associated with their work environment
• Participate in all required assigned training, including safety training and will comply with safety rules, regulations, and protocols
• Effective written and oral communication skills
• Contribute to the overall success of the University by performing other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Formal Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree is required, master’s degree is preferred
• Experience:
  • A minimum of two years as a collegiate or high school field hockey head or assistant coach
  • A minimum of four years as a collegiate field hockey student-athlete
  • Demonstrated successful coaching, recruiting and retention of student-athletes is required
• Additional Knowledge/Skills:
  • Proven organizational and management skills as well as a recognizable commitment to student growth and academic achievement
  • An overall knowledge of NCAA Division III rules and regulations is require
  • The successful applicant must be a person of integrity, high ethical standards, have excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills and have a commitment to teamwork
  • Competence with technology resources and a current U.S. driver’s license are vital to fulfilling the responsibilities of this position
  • The candidate must be willing to work nights and weekends
  • Must be CPR/AED/First Aid certified at the time of employment

Physical Demands & Work Environment:
This is a position that requires physical activity and the ability to lift 30 lbs. The successful candidate must be able to move and adjust field hockey equipment to prepare for practice and competition.

Personal protective equipment must be worn when required. Stairs and uneven surfaces may be present; artificial lifts, etc. may or may not be available. This position requires the incumbent to walk outdoors in all types of weather to other buildings, facilities or offices located on the campus. The Campus is in an area that contains numerous hills and slopes and may not always be fully accessible for mobility impaired individuals.

About Alfred University:
Lighting the way for students since 1836 .“We've always been a place for makers, especially those who make the future. Our commitment to independent thinking, creativity, academic rigor and community have made us a unique kind of leader since 1836.”  

Alfred University (AU) was founded on principles of social justice in 1836 by liberal, independent thinkers who placed high value on education for all citizens. The University has retained and built upon the strong values of its founders, developing as an institution of national and international renown that is responsive to the needs of contemporary society while remaining consistent with the spirit of its origins. Alfred University is the second oldest coeducational college in the United States as well as one of the earliest nineteenth century colleges to have enrolled African American and Native American students. It has a long-standing history of educating socially conscious students who make a difference in their professions and their communities.

Over the course of the twentieth century, Alfred University evolved into a complex institution offering a full range of programs in the liberal arts and sciences, art and design, engineering, business, education, counseling, and school psychology to its nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students that live, learn, and play on a 232-acre campus located in an idyllic, creative valley in Western New York. To learn more, visit alfred.edu.

Alfred University actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee, student or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.