If anyone has told you that you must be a teacher to be paid staff as a coach at a public school, they are incorrect. You would simply be nonfaculty paid staff. However, you wouldn't get paid until the conclusion of the season and would get a background check and submit various other paperwork to the county, take an online coaches exam, become certified, etc.. You can go to HCDE.edu for info or just inquire with any coach at a public school. I would recommend to get it ASAP, sort of a pain in the ######.