Coaching Requirements

• NFHS Complete Course Listing
• NFHS Courses - FAQs

Coaches that are not licensed to teach are required to take a coaching fundamentals course as well as a sports first aid course before they may coach their second year at a WIAA member senior high school.

These two courses can be taken either through the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) or the American Sports Education Program (ASEP). Note: The coaching course through ASEP is called Coaching Techniques.

Cost for courses through NFHS:
$35 for Fundamentals of Coaching
$35 for First Aid, Health and Safety for Coaches

Contact ASEP at asep.com for current pricing of their courses.

The following individuals do not have to take an approved course:

• A student teacher while student teaching.
• An individual with an administrator or counselor license.
• Guest lecturers (one time appearance).

The following individuals must take an approved course before they can coach a second year:

• Anyone that does not fit one of the above listed categories.
• Anyone that does not have a current license to teach in Wisconsin's public schools.

The following conditions do not exempt a person from the requirement:

• Holding a license to teach that has expired.
• Being a volunteer.
• Being unpaid.
• Being an occasional, but regularly scheduled lecturer or demonstrator.
• Having been a student teacher, but is no longer officially in that capacity.
• Being a nonvarsity coach.
• Being an assistant coach.

Course requirements may be waived if individual shows documentation of study in Sports Psychology, Injury Prevention and Treatment (Sports Medicine), Teaching Techniques (Pedagogy) and Litigation/Liability (Risk Management).

NOTE: Athletic Directors must complete CNLT form and submit to the WIAA for all coaches who are not licensed to teach.

• Summer Coaching Contact Recommendations
• Nonschool Contact Checklist 

NOTE:  Coaching out of season is NOT allowed during the school year.  Sanctioned school contact and Nonschool program contact apply only during the summer.

All sport coaches have sanctioned school coaching contact opportunities during the summer, from June 1 through June 30 and July 7 through July 31. Sanctioned school opportunities allow you to use school support and facilities as you would during the season.  Sanctioned school  coaching contact means teams can assemble with coaches, school monies and resources can be applied, and schools can sponsor the events/activities. Sanctioned school contact days are open to any and all interested students in your school.  They are not allowed during the school year.

NOTE:  In 2026, football begins on August 4 (equipment/fitness testing & practice).  Sanctioned school football coaching contact must end on July 25, 2026 in order to meet the dead week rule.  Football must follow the acclimatization plan if school resources are used.

For coaches in all sports except football, non-school program contact may be used by coaches during the summertime provided, such non-school programs are not limited to students on the basis of school or team affiliation.  The summertime being defined as when school is not in normal session (the last day of school to the first day of school).

An 'acceptable non-school program' is a program which is not limited based on school and/or team status and no school monies or resources can be applied.  Schools cannot sponsor these nonschool events/activities.  Use of school support and facilities must be done in the same manner as any other non-school group such as 4-H, boy scouts, or local rotary.

Nonschool programming must be open to any and all interested students in your community and other communities along with being voluntary.   

During the summer and school year out of season, athletes may assemble in any manner they wish without school or coach involvement (other than the sanctioned school contact days). The booster club is considered non-school.

What Types of Contact Allowances are Provided to Coaches in the Summer?

Sanctioned School Contact

Students on your school teams can assemble with coaches, school monies and resources can be used, and schools can sponsor the events/activities.

• Contact is limited to the time period from June 1 through June 30 and July 7 through July 31 (football is July 25).
• Days do not need to be consecutive.
• Football must follow fall acclimatization if school resources are used.

Non-School Programming (all sports except football)

Open to any and all interested students in your community and other communities. NO school monies and resources can be used, and schools cannot sponsor the events/activities.  School facilities must be contracted for in accordance with your school district policies.

• Contact may occur from the end of school (including the last day of school) until the first day of school in the fall.  

What Type of Contact Can Coaches Have With Their Athletes?

All Sport Coaches

• Sanctioned School Contact (see definition above)

All sports except football. 

• Sanctioned School Contact (see definition above)
• Non-School Programming (see definition above)

How Can Athletes Assemble on Their Own?

Summer (Last day of school until first day of school in the fall)

• During the summer, athletes may assemble in any manner they wish.  There are no restrictions as to the number of athletes from the same school allowed on a given team.
• During the summer, captain’s practices are allowed.    

School Year (First day of school until last day of school)

• During the school year, students may voluntarily assemble at any time without school and/or school coach involvement.
• During the school year, captain’s practices are allowed provided the opportunity is voluntary and there is no school and/or school coach involvement.

Using Athletes As Clinicians

During the school year, you may only use your athletes as clinicians during the sport season.  In the summertime, a school may conduct a clinic for students in grade 8 and below, where high school varsity and junior varsity coaches may use some or all of their athletes as clinicians from June 1 through June 30 and July 1 through July 31.  Using students as clinicians in such a manner may not occur after July 31 (except FB must comply with the dead period).