BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – A new bill making it’s way through Florida legislature could mean more money for public school coaches.

When you think of school athletics, you often think of the players, the games, and the team’s accomplishments.

But behind those achievements are the coaches, who put in just as much time, or even more, than the players

“You just have such an impact on kids and families. I mean, you’re a father to a lot of kids. Sometimes you’re their ride home, you’re the one who gets them a meal,” said FCC Northeast Regional Director Jeffery Gierke.

According to Gierke, most coaches in Florida are paid a small stipend in addition to their teacher salary, even though most sports require a year-round commitment.

“Not only football, but most sports are year-round sports now. Cheerleading is lifting weights in the off-season. All your sports across…it’s a year-round product and if you’re not participating year-round, you’re probably going to be left behind…even though I’m working 12 months out of the year, usually 6, 7 days a week, we’re only getting paid from August 1st to when we get done playing…all those off-season workouts, all the seven on seven, recruiting, you’re not getting any extra money for that,” Gireke said.

In Florida, coaches’ salaries are currently bargained under teacher unions, which bars them from receiving money from any outside sources.

Coaches said that between the long hours and low pay…it’s getting harder for the state to keep coaches.

House Bill 731 and Senate Bill 538 would change that.

If approved, they would allow coaches to accept money from booster clubs.

“The biggest thing is like our peers in Alabama and in Georgia are compensated a lot higher and if you look across the state of Florida, several coaches are making that jump into those other states. The state of Florida is losing really good coaches every single year. So it’s a push to try to compensate coaches to keep them here in the state of Florida,” said Mosley Head Football Coach Joe Whiddon.

The current bill will provide some immediate relief.

But Gierke says the long-term goal is to establish set salaries for all coaches.

Both the House and Senate versions of the bills are moving through subcommittees.

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