Iowa § 279.19B - 279.19B Coaching endorsement and authorization.

§ 279.19B. 279.19B Coaching endorsement and authorization.

1. a. The board of directors of a school district may employ for head coach of any interscholastic athletic activities or for assistant coach of any interscholastic athletic activity, an individual who possesses a coaching authorization issued by the board of educational examiners or possesses a teaching license with a coaching endorsement issued pursuant to chapter 256, subchapter VII, part 3. However, a board of directors of a school district shall consider applicants with qualifications described below, in the following order of priority: (1) A qualified individual who possesses a valid teaching license with a proper coaching endorsement. (2) A qualified individual who meets the requirements of section 256.165, subsection 1, paragraph “a”, and possesses a coaching authorization issued by the board of educational examiners. (3) A qualified individual who meets the requirements of section 256.165, subsection 1, paragraph “b”, and possesses a transitional coaching authorization issued by the board of educational examiners. b. Qualifications are to be determined by the board of directors or their designee on a case-by-case basis. 2. For the first two weeks in which a qualified individual who possesses a transitional coaching authorization is employed as a transitional coach and for the first extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition sponsored by an organization as defined in section 280.13, the individual shall be supervised by a certified athletic director, administrator, or other practitioner in a supervisory role. If the individual performs to the supervising practitioner’s satisfaction, the supervising practitioner shall sign and date an evaluation form provided by the organization to certify that the individual meets expectations to work with student athletes as a transitional coach. The organization shall develop and offer on its internet site an evaluation form that meets the requirements of this subsection. 3. An individual who has been issued a coaching authorization or who possesses a teaching license with a coaching endorsement but is not issued a teaching contract under section 279.13 and who is employed by the board of directors of a school district serves at the pleasure of the board of directors and is not subject to sections 279.13 through 279.19, and 279.27. Section 279.19A, subsection 1, applies to coaching authorizations. 4. The licensure and coaching authorization requirements of this section shall not apply to community colleges. An individual employed as a coach of a community college interscholastic athletic activity who is not issued a teaching contract under section 279.13 serves at the pleasure of the board of directors of the community college and is not subject to sections 279.13 through 279.19, and 279.27. 84 Acts, ch 1296, §2; 85 Acts, ch 49, §1; 88 Acts, ch 1284, §46; 89 Acts, ch 265, §35, 42; 93 Acts, ch 66, §1, 2; 2003 Acts, ch 19, §2; 2016 Acts, ch 1066, §3 – 5; 2017 Acts, ch 29, §82; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §2583 Referred to in §256.103, 256.160, 273.22, 275.33 Thu Dec 11 19:28:07 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Section 279.19B (32, 0)