Head Football Athletic Trainer

POSITION PURPOSE

The Head Football Athletic Trainer serves as the primary healthcare provider for the NCAA Division I football program at SHSU and is responsible for the prevention, evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, and return-to-participation management of injuries and illnesses affecting football student-athletes. The position collaborates with team physicians, sports medicine personnel, strength and conditioning, nutrition, mental health, performance, coaching, equipment, and athletics administration to deliver comprehensive, evidence-based, student-athlete centered healthcare.

This position provides leadership in football medical operations, emergency preparedness, clinical documentation, policy implementation, risk management, staff development, and student-athlete welfare while maintaining independent medical judgment and compliance with NCAA, conference, institutional, and state requirements.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Every effort has been made to make this job description as complete as possible. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties the incumbent will be required to perform. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or is a logical assignment to the position.

Clinical Care

• Serve as the primary athletic trainer assigned to the football program.
• Prevent, evaluate, manage, treat, and rehabilitate athletic injuries and illnesses within the athletic trainer's scope of practice. Develop and implement individualized rehabilitation, reconditioning, and return-to-participation plans in collaboration with physicians and performance staff.
• Provide daily athletic training room, practice, conditioning, walkthrough, and competition coverage.
• Coordinate physician referrals, diagnostic imaging, specialty consultations, surgical care, and follow-up appointments. Manage postoperative rehabilitation and complex or long-term injury cases.
• Monitor student-athlete health status and provide appropriate medical communication to physicians and authorized personnel.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential electronic medical records for evaluations, treatments, rehabilitation, referrals, and medical communications.

Practice, Competition, and Travel Coverage

• Provide medical coverage for all football practices, home and away competitions, preseason camp, postseason events, and other required team activities.
• Travel with the football program and coordinate medical services at visiting institutions, hotels, airports, and off-campus training sites.
• Ensure sideline emergency equipment, medications, hydration supplies, and medical resources are available, functional, and properly maintained.
• Coordinate ambulance services, visiting team medical needs, emergency access, and venue-specific medical operations for home contests.

Healthcare Administration

• Coordinate annual pre-participation examinations, medical clearances, screening requirements, and ongoing health surveillance.
• Assist with budgeting, purchasing, inventory, and maintenance of medical supplies, rehabilitation equipment, and emergency equipment.
• Administer and document medication distribution in accordance with physician directives and institutional policy.
• Participate in departmental quality improvement, injury surveillance, utilization review, and clinical outcome initiatives.
• Assist with the development, review, and implementation of sports medicine policies, procedures, standing orders, and clinical protocols.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Serve as the primary sports medicine liaison to the head football coach and football operations staff while preserving medical autonomy and confidentiality.
• Collaborate with team physicians, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, mental health services, sport psychology, performance science, equipment, academics, compliance, and athletics administration.
• Participate in interdisciplinary performance and availability meetings as appropriate.
• Supervise, schedule, mentor, and evaluate assistant athletic trainers, graduate assistants, interns, athletic training students, and student workers assigned to football.
• Educate coaches and staff regarding injury prevention, environmental safety, workload considerations, emergency procedures, and medical best practices.

Emergency Preparedness and Risk Management

• Develop, implement, rehearse, and annually review football Emergency Action Plans for all practice, competition, and training venues.
• Maintain readiness for sudden cardiac arrest, exertional heat illness, head and neck trauma, catastrophic injury, asthma, anaphylaxis, exertional sickling, and other medical emergencies.
• Ensure compliance with concussion management, environmental monitoring, heat acclimatization, lightning safety, emergency equipment, and venue access protocols.
• Coordinate and participate in emergency simulations, staff competencies, and annual departmental training.

Compliance and Professional Responsibilities

• Maintain compliance with NCAA, conference, institutional, Board of Certification, state licensure, HIPAA, FERPA, OSHA, and applicable professional standards.
• Maintain all required certifications, licensure, continuing education, and professional development.
• Participate in sports medicine staff meetings, athletics committees, institutional initiatives, and other assignments as directed.
• Perform other duties consistent with the position and the mission of the athletics department.

LATITUDE, CONTACTS/INTERACTIONS

All positions are part of an interdisciplinary team, and as such, participate in the care and service delivery process through effective interaction with other team members. Primarily interacts with student athletes, university & hospital staff, medical staff, patients, and visitors.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Master’s degree in Athletic Training, Sports Medicine, Kinesiology or related field required.
• License/ Certifications: Current Board Certification (BOC) as Athletic Trainer required. Current Texas athletic training license required, or immediately eligible. Current CPR/AED or BLS certification required.
• Experience: Three years of collegiate athletic training experience, including significant football coverage required. NCAA Division I football training and supervisory experience preferred.
• Skills: Demonstrated ability to exercise independent clinical judgement and manage confidential health information.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

• Frequent: lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing & walking.
• Occasional: reaching, bending, squatting, climbing kneeling, twisting.
• Work is outdoors in heat, humidity, cold, rain, and other challenging environments.
• Ability to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, extended hours, preseason camps, postseason competitions and travel extensively by air and ground.