Diversity in Coaching
Hannah Moseley-
The under-representation of minorities in coaching in college athletics is astounding and it’s up the NCAA to make changes.
It’s not a challenge to identify the lack of minority representation in coaching. According to the NCAA, 12.5 percent of college football coaches are African-American. African-American collegiate student-athletes make up more than half of the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision).
With black athletes accounting for more than half of the FBS and black coaches only accounting for only 12.5 percent, issues can arise. Difficulties relating and cultural and communicative differences could potentially occur and effect athletic progression and the team concept.
Looking at the 2016-2017 football season, 579 head college football coaches were white men.
The NFL has the Rooney Rule, a legislation that requires teams to interview a diverse group of applicants before hiring. This rule has brought in more minorities to positions of power. The NCAA does not have the Rooney Rule, therefore affecting the minority representation.
Diversity is not limited to just race. Women are highly underrepresented in positions of power within college athletics.
Title IX was passed decades ago, giving women the same opportunities and equivalent privileges in sports as men have. The NCAA reported that 60 percent of all Division I women’s sports are still coached by white men. It is essential for there to be equal representation of women head coaches and women in positions of power in collegiate sports.
Looking into NCAA basketball, 22.3 percent of all head coaches are African-American. Similar to football, African-American collegiate student-athletes make up the majority of basketball players. The 2016-2017 NCAA men’s basketball season had 880 white male coaches, compared to 187 black male coaches.
Looking at the 2016-2017 NCAA women’s basketball season, there were 390 white male coaches, 516 women coaches, 73 black male coaches and 96 black women coaches.
The NCAA does have a program established in 2003, the NCAA Men’s Coaches Academy. The mission of this program is to assist minority coaches in career advancement. Workshops of skills enhancement, networking and exposure opportunities are provided.
The NCAA to orchestrate efforts in equalizing diversity representation before equal gender and racial diversity are reached in collegiate sports.