Description

Stillman College, West Alabama's only four-year HBCU and one of the nation's most storied historically Black institutions, is at a defining inflection point in its history. Celebrating its sesquicentennial, Stillman is navigating the opportunities and pressures reshaping American higher education: enrollment growth and diversification, institutional sustainability, new strategic partnerships, and the imperative to translate a proud legacy into a vibrant future.

The return of competitive football to Stillman is among the most consequential expressions of that work, and the College has elected to build its athletics leadership structure around it. Stillman College seeks a Director of Athletics & Head Football Coach who will provide unified executive leadership for the entire intercollegiate athletics program while personally building and coaching the football program within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and its affiliating conference for football. Stillman's remaining sport programs compete in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC), which does not sponsor football; the football program will affiliate separately within the NAIA once that alignment is finalized.

Reporting directly to the President of Stillman College, this individual will serve as the College's chief athletics executive and as one of its most visible ambassadors: the administrator responsible for the integrity, compliance, and performance of every varsity program, and the frontline recruiter and culture-shaper whose football program models the discipline, character, and academic seriousness Stillman expects of every student.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a leader who is drawn not only to the scope of an athletic-director portfolio, but to the rare chance to build a football program from its foundation at an institution of irreplaceable cultural significance. The successful candidate will lead an athletics department, and a football program, that reflect Stillman's identity as a historically Black, Presbyterian-affiliated liberal arts college, and will develop scholar-athletes of character consistent with the NAIA Champions of Character initiative.

Key Priorities and Early Leadership Agenda

The incoming Director of Athletics & Head Football Coach will be expected to make meaningful progress in the following areas within the first 12 to 24 months:

• Recruiting and enrolling football's first full signing class, meeting roster needs while contributing measurably to the College's new-student enrollment and residence hall occupancy targets
• Establishing a unified athletics department structure, budget, and compliance framework spanning all varsity programs, including HBCUAC-affiliated sports and the football program's NAIA affiliation
• Assembling, developing, and retaining a football coaching staff and support staff, and evaluating existing coaching leadership across all other sport programs, aligned with the department's academic and character standards
• Establishing NAIA compliance practices for football, including eligibility certification through the NAIA Eligibility Center, roster management, and athletics aid reporting, alongside continued HBCUAC compliance for all other sports
• Building an academic support structure for all student-athletes, including study hall, tutoring, and early intervention, in partnership with the Office of the Registrar and academic support staff
• Establishing the NAIA Champions of Character core values, integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership, as the operating foundation of the football program and, where applicable, the broader department
• Creating game-day traditions and engagement practices, across football and Stillman's other athletic programs, that strengthen campus spirit, alumni participation, and community pride
• Partnering with the President and Institutional Advancement to build department-wide and football-specific fundraising and donor cultivation
• Establishing retention practices that keep all student-athletes, and football student-athletes in particular, progressing academically, financially, and athletically from year to year

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Director of Athletics & Head Football Coach reports directly to the President of Stillman College and provides strategic, ethical, and student-centered leadership for the entire intercollegiate athletics program, with direct, hands-on responsibility for the football program. The position directly supervises assistant football coaches, graduate assistants, and football program support staff, and holds administrative oversight of head coaches and staff across all other varsity sport programs.

This position has responsibility for the following functional areas:

• Department-wide athletics administration, budget, personnel, and facilities across all varsity sport programs
• Football operations, including practice, competition, conditioning, and travel
• Recruitment and retention of student-athletes, football and department-wide
• NAIA compliance for football and HBCUAC compliance for all other sport programs
• Academic monitoring and student-athlete development, department-wide
• Coaching staff supervision and development, department-wide, with direct supervision of the football staff
• Athletics fundraising and donor engagement, in partnership with Institutional Advancement
• Care of athletic facilities and equipment across all sport programs

Athletics Department Leadership and Administration

• Serve as the chief administrative officer for Stillman College athletics, with authority over budget development and management, personnel decisions, scheduling, and facilities across every varsity sport
• Advise the President on athletics department strategy, policy, and resource allocation, and represent athletics in institutional planning
• Ensure department-wide adherence to Title IX, gender equity, and all applicable NCAA/NAIA-equivalent and conference standards across HBCUAC and NAIA affiliations
• Oversee hiring, supervision, and evaluation of head coaches and staff for all sport programs other than football, delegating day-to-day management while retaining final accountability
• Coordinate athletics scheduling, game management, and event operations across all sports in partnership with facilities, security, and campus operations
• Maintain the department's compliance calendar and reporting obligations to the HBCUAC and, for football, the NAIA and its affiliating conference

Enrollment Impact and Recruitment

• Recognize that football is among the College's largest single drivers of new-student headcount, and that each recruiting class directly shapes fall enrollment, net tuition revenue, and residence hall occupancy
• Serve as an active partner to the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Management, sharing prospect data, participating in recruitment events and signing day activities, and aligning recruiting timelines with institutional enrollment deadlines
• Recruit student-athletes who are admissible, retainable, and likely to persist to graduation, balancing competitive roster needs against the College's retention and completion goals
• Maintain recruiting pipelines and prospect communication cadences that support the College's annual new-student enrollment targets
• Support melt-reduction and yield efforts by maintaining regular contact with committed recruits through the enrollment funnel, in coordination with Admissions
• Support the retention of current student-athletes from year to year, monitoring athletic fit alongside academic and financial standing
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the HBCU experience and the unique role athletics plays in student recruitment, retention, institutional branding, and community engagement

Football Program Operations and NAIA Compliance

• Plan, organize, and administer all aspects of the football program, including practices, competitions, conditioning, and travel, in accordance with NAIA, conference, and College rules
• Ensure full compliance with NAIA eligibility requirements, including verification of student-athlete eligibility through the NAIA Eligibility Center, roster limits, and financial aid and scholarship reporting
• Maintain current knowledge of NAIA bylaws, football conference regulations, and Stillman College institutional policy, and promptly report any known or suspected violation to the President and the Compliance Officer
• Participate in NAIA Champions of Character program requirements, including required trainings and student-athlete character-education programming
• Maintain accurate recruiting and eligibility records for the football program

Academic Success and Student Development

• Ensure the football program, and the athletics department broadly, maintains applicable academic progress and eligibility standards each term
• Require and monitor participation in study hall, tutoring, and academic advising for at-risk student-athletes
• Conduct regular academic progress reviews with the Office of the Registrar and academic support staff, and intervene early when a student-athlete's standing is at risk
• Partner with Student Affairs and academic support units to ensure student-athletes across every sport are fully integrated into campus life rather than siloed within athletics

Culture, Character, and Community Engagement

• Model and enforce the standards of conduct, sportsmanship, and academic integrity expected of all Stillman College students, and hold every sport program to that same standard
• Use the NAIA Champions of Character core values as the foundation of football program culture and daily practice
• Use game days, practices, and team traditions, across football and other sports, to strengthen campus spirit, alumni engagement, and community pride, as a visible expression of campus identity
• Champion a department-wide culture of accountability and service, including organized community engagement in Tuscaloosa and the surrounding area, reflecting the College's heritage of service

Fundraising, Budget, and External Relations

• Partner with the President and Institutional Advancement on department-wide and football-specific fundraising, donor cultivation, and budget management
• Represent the athletics department and Stillman College at community, alumni, and donor events
• Represent the College professionally with prospective students and their families, alumni, donors, and the media

People Leadership and Organizational Development

• Recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate assistant football coaches, graduate assistants, and football program support staff
• Provide administrative oversight, mentorship, and evaluation of head coaches across all other sport programs
• Build a department-wide staff culture of accountability, collegiality, and continuous improvement
• Support the professional development of coaching staff across all sports, including currency with governing-body rules, safety protocols, and contemporary coaching practice

Health, Safety, and Facilities

• Work with Athletic Training staff to ensure that student-athlete health and safety protocols are followed at all practices and competitions, department-wide
• Maintain appropriate care of athletic facilities and equipment across all sport programs, in coordination with Facilities staff
• Perform other duties as assigned by the President

Qualifications and Characteristics of the Successful Candidate

Required Qualifications

The successful candidate will hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; a master's degree is preferred. A minimum of three (3) years of collegiate coaching experience is required, with prior coordinator or head coaching experience preferred, together with prior experience in intercollegiate athletics administration, or the demonstrated ability to acquire that proficiency quickly. The successful candidate will bring working knowledge of NAIA rules and regulations, or the demonstrated ability to acquire that proficiency quickly, together with a demonstrated record of successful student-athlete recruitment and retention and a demonstrated commitment to the academic success and personal development of student-athletes. A valid driver's license and the ability to pass a background check consistent with College and NAIA requirements are required.

Highly Desired Experience

• Prior head coaching experience at the NAIA, NCAA, or comparable collegiate level
• Prior experience as an athletic director, associate athletic director, or in a comparable athletics administration role
• Experience at a historically Black college or university, or at another faith-affiliated institution
• Established regional or national recruiting network, particularly across Alabama and the Southeast
• Demonstrated success in donor engagement or athletics fundraising
• Experience building or rebuilding a program, given Stillman's return to competitive football

Leadership Attributes

• Strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills, with the capacity to lead an entire athletics department while personally coaching football
• Ability to represent Stillman College professionally with prospective students, families, alumni, donors, and the media
• Sound judgment and integrity in high-pressure, public-facing situations
• An ethical leader who acts with integrity, treats others fairly, and demonstrates resilience and grace under pressure
• A demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of Stillman College

Working Conditions

This position requires irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, particularly during recruiting periods and the competitive season. Regular travel is required for recruiting, competition, department oversight, and program-related events. The role involves athletics-department administrative work, active on-field coaching duties in varied outdoor conditions, and regular engagement with alumni, donors, and the broader Stillman community.

Background Investigation Statement

Before hiring, the final candidate(s) must pass a pre-employment background investigation, including information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation does not automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a previous conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review before a hiring decision is made.

Application

Review of applications will begin immediately and remain open until the position is filled. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a list of at least three professional references. Visit www.stillman.edu to apply for the position.

Stillman College is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate unlawfully in employment matters based on race, religion, gender, color, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, or any other category protected by law.

This position description reflects the general nature and level of work performed and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Stillman College reserves the right to modify this description at any time.