Harvard Seeks Men's Rugby Head Coach

09.23.2026College Men

Harvard men seeks new Head Coach.

Author: Alex Goff

The Harvard Rugby Football Club is seeking a new Head Coach.

With previous Head Coach Colton Cariaga moving on to take a position at the US Naval Academy, Harvard is seeking a new person to run the program.

The Head Coach is responsible for leading, developing, and managing the Harvard Rugby Football Club. This is a full-time leadership role for a club sport program, requiring the coach to partner effectively with student-athletes, club officers, alumni/The Friends of Harvard Rugby, parents, the Club Sports Office, the Athletic Department, and the Admissions Office.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership

   •    Develop and implement a year-round rugby program that supports competitive excellence, student-athlete development, and long-term club sustainability.

    •    Establish annual goals, budget and program plans in partnership with the Friends of Harvard Rugby and club officers.

    •    Recommend athlete care resources, in partnership with club officers,

    •    Recruit, hire, supervise, and develop assistant coaches

    •    Plan, organize, and lead training, match preparation, player evaluation, and performance review.

    •    Promote a winning culture

Recruiting and Player Development

    •    Recruit, retain, and develop both experienced rugby players and high-potential athletes who are new to rugby.

    •    Build a relationship with the Athletic Department/Admissions Office to identify prospective students who are strong institutional fits and contributors to the club.

    •    Cultivate athletes capable of achieving NCR All-American and Scholastic All-American honors, while creating advancement pathways toward representative sides and national team selection

    •    Support student-athletes in balancing rugby commitments with academic, personal, and campus responsibilities.

Campus, Alumni, and External Relationships

• Build and maintain strong relationships with alumni, students, club officers, parents, Harvard Women’s Rugby, the Club Sports Office, the Athletic Department, the Admissions Office, and National Collegiate Rugby.

• Engage with and advise the Friends of Harvard Rugby

Qualifications

Required
    •    Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

    •    Demonstrated success coaching rugby at the collegiate, senior club, or comparable competitive level.

    •    Proven ability to recruit, teach, and develop athletes who are new to rugby as well as experienced and high-performing rugby players.

    •    Experience managing budgets, program planning, travel logistics, equipment needs, and administrative responsibilities.

    •    Current or ability to obtain appropriate rugby coaching certification, and any required university, conference, or governing-body clearances.

Preferred
    •    Successful experience leading a college club rugby program at an academically rigorous institution.

    •    Established relationships within the rugby community in the USA.

    •    Experience engaging alumni and donors.

    •    Experience hiring, managing, and mentoring assistant coaches.

    •    Familiarity and relationship with National Collegiate Rugby (“NCR”), and the Liberty Conference, national championship pathways, and the expectations of competitive collegiate club rugby.

Performance Expectations
    •    Consistently finish in the top two of the D1AA Liberty Conference.

    •    Qualify for and progress into the D1AA National Championship playoff.

    •    Establish Harvard as a consistent national contender in NCR 7s

    •    Strengthen relationships with alumni, the Club Sports Office, the Athletic Department, and the Admissions Office at Harvard College.

Compensation and Staffing

This is a full-time coaching position. Compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. The Head Coach will have access to a designated budget for assistant coach support and is expected to recommend staffing needs based on program priorities, competitive goals, and player development requirements.

Application Materials

We will be accepting applications until October 9, 2026. Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, coaching philosophy, and references to jobs@hrfc150.org.