I think as a coach you have to protect yourself and the program's fitness. You have to be able to provide objective justification for your actions. They don't need to be justified everytime, but you should be able to do so just in case. Document interactions with Prospects and current student-athletes. We take stats all season long practice and matches. We track grades. We should most certainly be able to track fitness. Like with Stats and Grades some areas are stronger than others and we have to be able to take consideration of the athlete as a whole. Some of the goals the athletes and coaches set are just not realistic or safe. All activities should have clearance from medical personnel as all athletes should get cleared through a history review and exam.

I use the beep test (overall conditioning level), 40 yd Dash, T Test (agility), vertical leap, Body Comp, Push Ups, Sit Ups, and Pull Ups at the beginning of every season (fall and spring). Each category by itself doesn't mean the world to making or breaking the team, but together they provide a picture of the the athletes physical fitness. I also make a note during certain drills where a large number of reps take place over a short period of time how the athlete performs and responds to the stress. Some people live and die by standards set for gender/age. I think once you establish a baseline you should look to improve what can be improved. Cutting someone based purely on body comp seems like a cop-out.

Has your daughter talked to the coach about this with another team member present (i.e. a captain) and a neutral party? Definitely sounds like a cop-out, but I again I don't your kid or the situation. If a kid was gaining weight, I'd have a little chat with them about making better choices and working out more efficiently to make them aware that I have noticed and then given them a chance to redeem or improve before the axe.