Head of Academy Coaching

HEAD OF ACADEMY COACHING

Right to Dream is a football community dedicated to nurturing young talents and creating opportunities for them to pursue their dreams on and off the pitch through a unique blend of football, education, and character development. It is built on the belief that talent can be found everywhere, but opportunity cannot. Founded in Ghana in 1999, it has grown into an international network of academies, professional clubs, and educational pathways that develop young people of character as well as great students and elite athletes.

Our philosophy centers on purpose-driven performance, where we recruit for ability, but also values, resilience, and potential. Through high level coaching, schooling, and holistic development, players learn to lead on and off the pitch.

Right to Dream now spans Ghana, Egypt, Denmark, and the United States. In San Diego, we are building a long-term, community-rooted environment where diverse talent can thrive and where personal growth is as important as sporting success. This role is part of that mission—helping create a culture that empowers individuals, strengthens the pathway, and shapes the next generation of leaders in football.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Continue to build on our psychologically safe environment, encouraging staff and Student-Athletes to demonstrate a growth mindset and respect for others every day
• Design and oversee an age-appropriate learning plan and training periodization for 11–18 year-olds, in alignment with the Right to Dream methodology and Style of Play
• Ensure complex information is translated into clear training themes, session structures, and learning priorities
• Lead daily coaching meetings focused on planning of training and provide feedback and support coaches on their session design
• Observe and supervise training sessions daily, offering constructive/actionable feedback during and after training
• On occasion, demonstrate best practice by delivering specific exercises or entire training sessions for coaches to observe
• Deliver Style of Play meetings for staff and lead the management of a Style of Play video library with examples from academy training/games
• Ensure the coaching staff are contributing to the Individual Development Plans (IDPs) of Student-Athletes
• Partner with coaches on their own development plan; encourage a high-challenge, high support approach
• Supervise and evaluate the game day environment, ensuring it is age appropriate at all times, aligned with methodology, and delivers on current development objectives
• Collaborate with school, residential and other academy staff to ensure a holistic approach to the long-term development of every student-athlete
• Support other academy and community events and provide feedback where appropriate, for example Talent ID Centers and SDFC community events

In this role you will be accountable to the Technical Director and Head of Academy Football, responsible for overseeing 6 Academy Coaches. You will partner closely with SDFC Human Performance, School and Residential Staff, Executive Director of Academy and Right to Dream technical leaders

REQUIREMENTS

Candidates can meet the qualifications for this role with a combination of education, experience and skills.

• A-license coach (minimum)
• University education in related field a plus
• Extensive experience with players 11-18 years old
• Evidence of leading/mentoring youth coaches
• Long-term interest/commitment to academy coaching
• Highly structured and process driven approach
• Fluency in English is essential (written and verbal), conversational in Spanish a plus

We have a strong commitment to student athlete safety and well-being. All candidates must pass a fingerprint background check and complete SafeSport training. We encourage all individuals who share our commitment to community and soccer to apply. SDFC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We offer competitive compensation starting at $135k + bonus, excellent benefits including multiple health plans, lifestyle & wellness plans, over 30 days of paid time off, and a 4% company match on your 401(k).