Panel approves bill to extend certification/revocation authority to head coaches after safety concerns

The committee approved Senate Bill 365, which expands the State Board of Education’s revocation authority to include head coaches who supervise students in school-sponsored athletics.

Senator Burns, the bill's author, said the proposal targets head coaches who are not covered by teacher certification and therefore fall outside existing SDE investigatory authority. Brad Delozier, senior investigator at the State Department of Education, testified that many coaches lack certification, sometimes are young adults, and that when allegations surface the department has no administrative authority to track or act against them. Niku Byotfar, an attorney with the State Department of Education who oversees revocation matters, said the agency has seen repeated cases involving coaches and that adding head coaches into the teacher/code framework would allow administrative follow-up.

Committee members pressed the author on whether assistant coaches or other noncertified staff should be included. The author and agency representatives said the language could be broadened in subsequent drafts; title was stricken at one point and the author agreed to return with clarified language. The committee ultimately advanced the bill; the roll call recorded 9 ayes and 0 nays.

Supporters said the change is intended to protect students by giving the SDE administrative tools when alleged misconduct involves supervisors who lack teacher certification. Some senators expressed concern about unintended consequences for small or rural districts and the effect on volunteer coaching positions; the author agreed to work on drafting to address those concerns.