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Book Policy Manual
Section 4000 - Personnel Certified/Non-Certified 2000 - Administration
Title Evaluation of Athletic Coaches
Code 4115.3 2400.2
Status Active
Adopted April 13, 2011
Last Revised May 11, 2021
Evaluation of ATHLETIC COACHES
It is the policy of the Colchester Board of Education that an athletic coach employed by the Board shall:
1. adhere to all Board of Education, state and Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Board
policies, rules and regulations;
2. conduct himself or herself in a professional manner;
3. serve as a role model for students; and
4. demonstrate competence and proficiency in his or her role as an athletic coach of a particular sport defined in
the job description.
For purposes of this policy, the term “athletic coach” means any person holding a coaching permit who is hired by a
local or regional board of education to act as a coach for a sport season. This term “coach” under this policy shall
include all coaches who have direct responsibility for one or more teams including head coaches, assistant coaches
and volunteer coaches who serve as coach to a team (e.g., JV).
I. Evaluations
Pursuant to state law, there shall be an annual evaluation of all athletic coaches, to be conducted by the coach’s
immediate supervisor. Each coach shall receive a written copy of the evaluation.
The purposes of evaluation are:
1. To provide a systematic process whereby coaches may increase the effectiveness of their services to the
athletic program utilizing the available professional resources.
2. To provide an opportunity for coaches to analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and to discuss objectively
the contributions they have made to the athletic program.
3. To provide an opportunity to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of individual coaches, and to utilize this
knowledge to develop supervisory service to assist individuals in developing their competence.
4. To provide an effective means by which administrators may make recommendations concerning the
continued employment of personnel, and/or other recommendations to the Board of Education.
It is the responsibility of all administrators, coaches and other professional staff members to recognize that the
district schools intend to seek and maintain the best qualified staff to provide quality coaching for student athletes.
In keeping with this goal, all coaching personnel are expected to participate fully in the appraisal process.
An integral part of this process is self-appraisal. The self and administrative appraisals include: knowledge of sports
area, coaching skills and techniques, attitudes, behavior patterns, values and ethics.
II. Employment of an Athletic Coach
It is the responsibility of school administrators and athletic directors to recognize that the Colchester Board of
Education athletic coaches serve at the discretion of the Superintendent, and their employment in their specific
coaching positions (e.g., basketball, golf) may be non-renewed or terminated at any time except as follows.
If the athletic coach has served in the same coaching position for three or more consecutive school years, the
following procedures shall apply. The Superintendent may non-renew the employment of any such athletic coach by
providing written notification of that action within ninety (90) calendar days of the end of the season. The
Superintendent may terminate the employment of any such athletic coach at any time for 1) for reasons of moral
misconduct, insubordination, failure to comply with the Board’s CIAC policies, rules and regulations; or 2) because
the sport has been canceled. If a decision to terminate a coach’s employment is made during the athletic season,
the Superintendent shall remove the coach from duty during the pendency of any hearing conducted pursuant to
this policy.
Any coach that has held the same coaching position for three or more years, for which the Board terminates or non-
renews the contract shall be informed of the Board’s decision within ninety (90) days of the completion of the sport
season covered by the contract. The coach may request a written statement from the Board specifying the reason(s)
for the Board’s action. The statement shall be provided within thirty (30) days of the request. The decision to
terminate or non-renew the coach’s contract may be appealed by the coach in a manner prescribed by the Board.
The Superintendent of Schools may terminate the contract of any coach at any time for reasons of moral
misconduct, insubordination or a violation of the rules of the Board or because a sport has been cancelled by the
Board.
III. Hearing Procedures
An athletic coach who has served in the same coaching position for three or more consecutive years may appeal any
such non-renewal or termination decision (except if such decision was due to cancellation of the sport) to the Board
of Education in accordance with the following procedures:
A. The athletic coach must file a written appeal with the Board within ten (10) calendar days of the
Superintendent’s written notification of non-renewal or termination. Such appeal shall set forth the basis on
which the athletic coach seeks review of that decision, and a copy of said appeal shall be sent to the
Superintendent. Failure to submit a timely written appeal shall constitute a waiver of said appeal opportunity.
B. Within a reasonable period of time of its receipt of a written appeal of the Superintendent’s decision, the
Board or a committee of the Board as designated by the Chairperson shall conduct a hearing to consider such
appeal. Reasonable notice of the time and place for such hearing shall be issued to the athletic coach prior to
the commencement of the hearing.
C. At the hearing, the athletic coach shall have an opportunity to present facts and evidence in support of
renewal and/or reinstatement, and the Superintendent shall have the opportunity (but shall not be obligated)
to present facts and evidence in support of the decision of non-renewal and/or termination. For good cause
shown, the athletic coach may call a limited number of witnesses to testify if there is a clear need for
witnesses to present factual information (rather than simply expressing an opinion on the skill or competence
of the athletic coach). In any event, cumulative or redundant testimony shall not be allowed.
D. The decision of non-renewal or termination shall be affirmed unless the Board determines that the decision is
arbitrary and capricious. The coach shall bear the burden of proof on this point.
E. Within a reasonable period of time following the hearing, the Board shall determine whether the
Superintendent acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner in making his/her decision not to renew and/or
to terminate, and shall provide a written decision to the coach. The decision of the Board shall be final.
Legal
Connecticut General Statutes 10-149 Qualifications for coaches of intramural and
interscholastic athletic coaches (as amended by P.A. 13-41)
10-151b Evaluation by superintendent of certain educational personnel
10-220a In-service training
10-222e Policy on evaluation and termination of athletic coaches (as amended by
P.A. 13-41)
P.A. 13-41 An Act Concerning Hiring Standards for Athletic Directors
P.A. 02-243 An Act Concerning Notification in Cases of Termination of Coaches