NCAA Bylaws on Personnel Requirements:
11.7.1 Designation of Coaching Category. [A]
An individual who coaches and either is uncompensated or receives compensation or remuneration of any sort from the institution, even if such compensation or remuneration is not designated for coaching, shall be designated as a head coach, assistant coach, volunteer coach, graduate assistant coach or student assistant coach by certification of the institution.
11.02.2 Countable Coach.
A countable coach is an institutional staff member or any other individual outside the institution (e.g., consultant, professional instructor) with whom the institution has made arrangements who engages in off-campus recruiting activities or provides technical or tactical instruction related to a sport to a student-athlete at any time.
11.02.3 Graduate Student Coach -- Bowl Subdivision Football. [FBS]
In bowl subdivision football, a graduate student coach is any coach who has received a baccalaureate degree and has either received the individual's first baccalaureate degree or has exhausted athletics eligibility in football (whichever occurs later) within the previous seven years (time spent under contract as a professional football player is excepted from this requirement) and is enrolled in graduate level coursework at the institution. For an individual who did not participate in football, exhaustion of eligibility occurs at the expiration of the individual's five-year period of eligibility. The individual is not required to be enrolled in a specific graduate degree program unless required by institutional policy. The following provisions shall apply:
(a) The individual may not serve as a graduate student coach for a period of more than two years except that if the individual successfully completes 24-semester or 36-quarter hours during the initial two-year period, the individual may serve as a graduate student coach for a third year; and
(b) The individual may not evaluate or contact prospective student-athletes off campus.
11.02.4 Student Assistant Coach. [A]
A student assistant coach is any coach who is a student-athlete who has exhausted eligibility in the sport or has become injured to the point that the individual is unable to practice or compete ever again, and who meets the following additional criteria:
(a) Is enrolled at the institution where the individual most recently participated in intercollegiate athletics;
(b) Is enrolled as a full-time graduate student within the individual's five-year period of eligibility (see Bylaw 12.8) or is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in the individual's first baccalaureate degree program, except that during the individual's final semester or quarter of the degree program, the individual may be enrolled in less than a full-time degree program of studies, provided the individual is carrying (for credit) the courses necessary to complete the degree requirements; and
(c) Is not involved in contacting and evaluating prospective student-athletes off campus.
11.02.5 Manager. [A]
A manager is an individual who performs traditional managerial duties (e.g., equipment, laundry, hydration) and meets the following additional criteria:
(a) In sports other than basketball, the individual shall be appointed as a manager within seven years of the individual's initial full-time collegiate enrollment. [Circumstances that are excepted from the application of a student-athlete's five-year period of eligibility per Bylaw 12.8.1 (e.g., military service, religious mission) are excepted from the application of the seven-year period];
(b) The individual shall be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student (see Bylaws 14.2.2 and 14.2.2.1.5) at the institution for which the individual serves as a manager, except that during the individual's final semester or quarter of a degree program, the individual may be enrolled in less than a full-time program of studies, provided the individual is carrying (for credit) the courses necessary to complete the degree requirements;
(c) The individual may participate in limited on-court or on-field activities during practice (e.g., assist with drills, throw batting practice) or competition (e.g., assist with warm-up activities) involving student-athletes on a regular basis;
(d) The individual shall not provide instruction to student-athletes;
(e) The individual shall not participate in countable athletically related activities (e.g., practice player) except as permitted in Bylaw 11.02.5-(c); and
(f) The individual shall forfeit any remaining eligibility in the sport at the institution where the individual serves as a manager.
Limitations on the Number and Duties of Personnel
11.7.2 Noncoaching Staff Member with Sport-Specific Responsibilities. [A]
A noncoaching staff member with sport-specific responsibilities (e.g., director of operations, administrative assistant) is prohibited from participating in on-court or on-field activities (e.g., assist with drills, throw batting practice, signal plays) and is prohibited from participating with or observing student-athletes in the staff member's sport who are engaged in nonorganized voluntary athletically related activities (e.g., pick-up games).
11.7.3 Bowl Subdivision Football. [FBS]
There shall be a limit of one head coach, 10 assistant coaches and four graduate assistant coaches who may be employed by an institution in bowl subdivision football.
11.7.3.1 Exceptions to Number Limits. [FBS]
No individual other than coaches designated to fill the coaching categories set forth in Bylaw 11.7.3 may participate in any manner in the coaching of the intercollegiate team of a member institution during any football game, practice or other organized activity, with the following exceptions:
11.7.3.1.1 Weight or Strength Coach. [FBS]
A weight (strength and conditioning) coach may conduct flexibility, warm-up and physical conditioning activities prior to any game and prior to or during any practice or other organized activities without being included in the limitations on number of coaches. Not more than five weight or strength coaches are permitted to work with a football program in any capacity, including all workouts (required and voluntary), practices and game-related activities.
11.7.3.1.2 Student Assistant Coach. [FBS]
The limits on the number of coaches in this section do not apply to student assistant coaches (see Bylaw 11.02.4).
11.7.5 Limitations on Number of Coaches and Off-Campus Recruiters.
There shall be a limit on the number of coaches (other than graduate student coaches per Bylaw 11.02.3 and student assistant coaches per Bylaw 11.02.4) who may be employed by an institution and who may contact or evaluate prospective student-athletes off campus in each sport as follows:
Sport Limit
Baseball- 4
Men’s Basketball- 6 (only 4 may recruit off campus)
Women's Basketball- 6 (only 4 may recruit off campus)
Women's Beach Volleyball- 3
Football, Bowl Subdivision- 11
Men's Golf- 3
Women's Golf- 3
Women's Gymnastics - 4
Women's Soccer- 4
Softball- 4
Men's Swimming and Diving- 4
Women's Swimming and Diving- 4
Men's Tennis- 3
Women's Tennis- 3
Men's Cross Country/Track and Field- 6
Women's Cross Country/Track and Field- 6
Women's Volleyball- 4
HEAD COACH RESPONSIBILITY
A few years ago, the NCAA adopted legislation which presumably makes each head coach responsible for the actions of all institutional staff members who report, directly or indirectly, to the head coach. It is the responsibility of the head coach to promote an atmosphere of compliance within their sport program and to monitor the activities of all institutional staff members involved with the sport program who report, directly or indirectly, to the head coach.
To learn more about NCAA legislation pertaining to Head Coach Responsibility, please click HERE.