ABOUT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY:

Our Vision: To be the preeminent Catholic University in Canada, known as a centre of academic excellence providing a vibrant and engaged student experience that prepares authentic leaders committed to the service of others.

Our Mission: Open to all and grounded in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, St. Mary’s University educates the whole person to inspire and empower tomorrows engaged, global citizens for the future.

Our Values: As a Catholic community, we value being Welcoming and Serving of all, Academic Excellence and Faith.

As an independent Catholic university in Canada, with a strong emphasis on liberal arts and sciences, St. Mary’s University prepares its students to live with integrity, compassion and confidence while embodying a compassionate commitment to ethics, social justice, and respect for diversity of opinion and belief. St.

Mary’s is focused on developing the whole person: mind, body and spirit. For more information about St. Mary’s and our Strategic Plan, visit https://stmu.ca/ and https://stmu.ca/about-us/strategic-plan/

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY:

St. Mary’s University looking for a coach who is excited by the opportunity to build something special. Passionate about creating a winning volleyball culture, committed to recruiting outstanding student-athletes, and dedicated to developing people as well as players.

Administrating and leading a high-performing varsity program, the ability to build meaningful relationships with athletes, staff, alumni, and the volleyball community, and the competitive drive to help establish St. Mary's University as a destination program in the ACAC and beyond.

Lightning Athletics is a leader in promoting academic, athletics and personal excellence through participation in intercollegiate sports. Our intercollegiate teams compete in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) and within Canada (CCAA). The athletics department is seeking a coach to build one of the newest varsity programs in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) from the ground up and establish the foundation for long-term success.

Lightning Athletics is entering an exciting new era with the launch of varsity volleyball and the opening of a new athletic facility in 2027. We're looking for a coach who is energized by building culture, recruiting exceptional student-athletes, and creating a program capable of competing for ACAC championships—not simply participating.





The successful candidate will be responsible for recruiting student-athletes who contribute to both institutional enrollment goals and competitive program success while establishing training and performance standards aligned with varsity expectations. The ability to establish positive relationships with student athletes, staff and faculty, peers, media and the volleyball community is essential.

Contract Term: 1 year term with possibility of ongoing renewal

Main responsibilities for this position will include:

Program Leadership & Competitive Performance

· Lead the varsity volleyball team (men or women), which may include recruitment, supervision and supporting assistant coaching staff.

· Design and implement year-round training plans aligned with ACAC and CCAA competition standards.

· Establish performance standards and benchmarks for varsity participation aligned with Lightning Athletics competitive standards and scholarship consideration.

· Apply appropriate tactical and technical strategies during competition and provide performance analysis and feedback to student-athletes

· Support measurable competitive improvement within ACAC competition and prepare athletes capable of qualifying for CCAA championships.

Recruitment & Program Development

· Develop and execute a recruiting strategy focused on attracting student-athletes not otherwise attending St. Mary’s University who contribute to varsity competitiveness and institutional enrollment goals.

Program Administration & Compliance

· Program administration including annual planning, scheduling, team operations, travel, equipment and program documentation.

· Ensure the volleyball program operates in accordance with ACAC, CCAA, University and Athletics Department policies, procedures and standards.

· Coordinate team travel, competition logistics and scheduling in collaboration with the Athletics Department.

Student-Athlete Development & Success

· Foster a safe, positive, inclusive and high-performance team culture that supports the academic success, personal and athletic development of student-athletes in alignment with Athletics Department expectations

QUALIFICATIONS

· Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree with additional education as an asset.





· Minimum of 3 – 5 years coaching experience and demonstrate experience recruiting student athletes. (preferably at the post-secondary level or high-performance club level)

· NCCP Volleyball Train to Compete Certified is an asset (must be prepared to complete). Appropriate and comparable certifications will be evaluated.

· Enthusiasm/passion for the sport, as well as skill in analyzing the sport

· Strong communication skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate others

· Ability to identify and recruit competitive student-athletes

· Organized, patience, determined, flexible and adaptable

· Ability to support student-athletes within a high-performance varsity environment

VALUES & ATTRIBUTES:

· Alignment with institution values and strategic plan pillars.

· Upholding core competencies associated with the institution’s four pillars.

· Ability to promote, or at least respect, the institution’s Catholic mission and identity

· Ability to foster equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as Truth and Reconciliation.

OUR COMMITMENTS:

St. Mary’s University is committed to Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation. Our land acknowledgement and Indigenous initiatives information can be found at https://stmu.ca/campus-life/indigenous-initiatives/.

St. Mary’s University is an equal opportunity institution. We hire on the basis of merit and are passionate about building and sustaining an equitable and welcoming campus environment where diversity in all areas is celebrated and valued.

If you require support services or accommodations during any stage of the recruitment process, please include this in your application. All requests will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

APPLICATIONS:

Please email application packages to Human Resources at [email protected] in one .pdf formatted document with the Subject Line of: “(Gender) Head Coach” by October 16th, 2026. All applicants must submit a cover letter with salary expectations, resume, and contact information of three most recent supervisors and/or written letters of recommendation. Previous employees should submit an updated resume and updated credentials if applicable.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. Canadian citizens, permanent residents and others currently legally authorized to work in Canada will be given priority. We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those applicants being interviewed will be contacted. No phone calls please.

Benefits

- Casual dress
- In office gym
- On-site parking

Work Location: In person

📌 Founding Head Coach – Varsity Volleyball (Part time Contract position) (Calgary)
🏢 St. Mary's University
📍 Calgary