Head Coach (USL League One)

Professional soccer is coming to Spokane! This is your opportunity to join the USL Spokane team as the Head Coach of Spokane Velocity FC, a USL League One team. Spokane is a community committed to and passionate about local and national sports and the Head Coach will join a community rallying around the excitement of professional soccer. USL Spokane is a culture of creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to staff and community engagement and success and is looking for a Head Coach to join our team and be part of building Spokane Velocity from the ground up.

The Head Coach must be able to operate in a fast-paced and frequently changing environment. All positions at USL Spokane require an entrepreneurial spirit to identify new solutions, a can-do attitude with a goal of always finding a way to success, and the ability to thrive in an environment of ambiguity and change. As individual employees, members of a team, and part of the entire USL Spokane ecosystem, a passion for solving complex problems and contributing to the overall success of all operations is key. Every single employee contributes to a culture of working collaboratively and contributing to all aspects of the club. The Head Coach must contribute fully to their own position and more broadly to all areas of business as needed to support the mission and drive forward success on and off the field.

The Head Coach for Spokane Velocity FC has responsibility for recruiting players and coaching staff to create a high-performance environment. The position is responsible for fostering a team environment of inclusion, commitment to safety, team comradery, and an overall passion for each player to excel individually and as a team. In collaboration with USL Spokane ownership and the Sporting Director, the Head Coach makes staffing and operational decisions to create a high-performance environment and a team who excels in the USL League One and Cup competitions. The Head Coach works closely with the technical department leadership and ensures ongoing support for each player and the team is of the utmost quality and efficiency. Building relationships in the Spokane soccer community including youth soccer and conducting ongoing community outreach is an important aspect of the position.

General job duties include, but are not limited to:

Management, Leadership, and Recruitment:

• Creates a team culture and a high-performance team in alignment with the USL Spokane mission, vision, and values. Always demonstrates a high level of character and professionalism. The Head Coach is responsible for setting the tone of professionalism and culture for all players, coaches, staff, and department leaders for Spokane Velocity FC.
• Effectively communicates and works with all Spokane Velocity department leaders in alignment with club culture and operational processes. Works closely with and leads the coaching staff and multidisciplinary staff.
• Maintains a clear understanding of USL Spokane culture and can foster this culture amongst players and coaching staff and represents this culture when outward facing in the community.
• Reports to USL Spokane Club President and other members of the leadership team to ensure clear expectations on level of autonomy and reporting or approval procedures.
• Identifies, recruits, and motivates players who will positively represent and align with the club’s culture, and the team’s style of play, and win games at the USL League One.
• Manages and implements the tryout process for player identification and recruitment.
• Creates and oversees a recruitment strategy for players and coaching staff for Spokane Velocity FC.
• Identifies gaps for player or coaching staffing and proactively initiates recruitments processes to ensure high-performance player and staffing levels.
• Serves as an expert in player and coach recruitment rules, contract negotiations, trade agreements, and provisions of the player collective bargaining agreement. Ensures ongoing compliance with USL player and coach recruitment rules.
• Builds professional and appropriate player coach relationships to establish mutual respect and educates players on USL Spokane culture and expectations.
• Oversees the ongoing performance of each player and coach, addresses gaps in performance when needed, celebrates successes, and works with other members of USL Spokane leadership when player or coaching staff performance or behavior intervention is needed.
• Takes responsibility for communicating feedback clearly to the staff and makes decisions that serve the business objectives of USL Spokane.
• Maintains ongoing and up-to-date knowledge of USL Safeguarding requirements to ensure ongoing compliance. Works collaboratively with the Director of Safeguarding to ensure ongoing understanding of safeguarding protocols, and the highest degree of adherence in the Spokane Velocity FC.
• Manages all day-to-day operations of leading a high-performance environment.
• This position must be able to work flexible hours which may include extended days, nights, weekends, holidays, and overnights due to travel.

Team Development and Game Management:

• Has overall responsibility to develop a high-performance team and individually high-performing players by utilizing modern training methods that align with a clearly defined style of play.
• Manages all aspects of the team’s performance development to create a winning team and a high-performance culture in a positive environment at the professional level.
• Oversees all factors affecting the team’s performance including media, players’ agents, fans, scouts, sports ethics, etc.
• Plans, executes, and supports individual players and team development in alignment with the club’s technical department plan and policies.
• Prepares and effectively implements game day plans and processes (with staff) in accordance with the club’s style of play and compete/win in the USL League One.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of all League One competitors, analyzes competition strategies for each game based upon competitor strengths and weaknesses, and strategizes player roster decisions to optimize competitive advantage.
• Makes recruitment and operational decisions with the overall goal of excelling within the USL League One as a top-performing team and regularly placing in Cup competitions.
• Maintains a close relationship with technical department leadership to ensure proper support for players and ongoing operations.

Community Relations:

• In conjunction with the USL Spokane leadership and ownership group, acts as a community liaison to build relationships and serve as a voice of leadership to share the mission and vision of USL Spokane and specifically Spokane Velocity FC.
• Conducts various forms of community outreach which may include efforts such as participating in local networking opportunities, building relationships with youth soccer clubs, speaking at events as a representative of USL Spokane, and overall serving as a face of the organization demonstrating a passion for the community in whole, the local soccer community, and the Spokane Velocity FC.
• Fosters a collaborative working relationship with all internal and external contacts to ensure ongoing expertise of USL Soccer and fan base. This may include, but is not limited to, USL and club representatives, USL Players Association, United States Soccer Federation, International Federation of Association Football, and the Spokane market soccer community.

Minimum Qualifications Include:

• Current US Soccer “A” License or Equivalent (UEFA, etc.) preferred.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of professional coaching experience (MLS, USL League Championship/League One preferred) in high-performance environments.
• Ability to pass comprehensive background check including a motor vehicle report.
• Possess and maintain a current and valid driver’s license and maintain legally required insurance.
• Proven positive leadership and management skills, including the ability to attract, develop, motivate, and retain players and coaching staff.
• Positive and effective interpersonal and communication skills and experience in conflict management/resolution.
• Detail-orientated, with the ability to manage multiple priorities at once.

A successful Head Coach performs all work with a leadership mindset whether leading a team, a project, or one’s own daily work and steps in to help other members of the team even when outside the scope of their position. A commitment to the growth and success of Spokane Velocity FC and overall USL Spokane is expected. The Head Coach must commit to empowering others to make decisions and share ideas, show empathy and compassion for others and their experiences, and value and embrace diverse perspectives. USL Spokane strives to serve as community and environmental stewards and expects the same from all staff. Seeking solutions to minimize environmental impact and adjusting work methods to reduce waste helps drive decision-making.

Serving as a leader of Spokane Velocity FC requires a high degree of interpersonal skills, the ability to work with all personality types, a good overall understanding of appropriate human relationships, and the ability to constructively receive and provide feedback to improve performance is key.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Exempt level position with a salary range of $95,000 to $125,000.
• Eligible for annual discretionary bonus.
• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• Eligible for additional incentives for team performance and other established criteria at the sole discretion of USL Spokane.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance provided with a 75% employer contribution for employee premiums.
• 50% employer contribution for dependent/spouse medical, dental, and vision.
• Ancillary employee paid voluntary benefits including critical illness, voluntary accident, and hospital indemnity.

Spokane is the second most populous city in Washington and is in the heart of the Inland Northwest. Strolling through Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane you’ll experience the beautiful Spokane River, boutique shops and restaurants, and endless outdoor adventure opportunities from skiing, rafting, camping, hiking, lakes, biking, and the list goes on. Come join our amazing Spokane community and be part of growing professional soccer in this special community.