Assessing Professionalization: A Comparison of College Baseball and Basketball Coaches

Abstract

This study explores variation in concern about professionalization among NCAA Division I baseball and basketball coaches. Questionnaires were sent to 100 baseball and 100 basketball coaches randomly selected from this population, 129 (65%) of whom responded. Basketball coaches were more inclined to show concern about professionalization than were baseball coaches. Also, older, more experienced baseball coaches showed more concern about professionalization than younger, less experienced coaches; this relationship did not hold for a subsample of basketball coaches, and we offer reasons for this. Finally, coaches who place greater off-field demands on athletes are more likely to show concern about professionalization. Based on this evidence, we conclude that, far from reflecting differences in personalities of coaches, the variation in coaches' concern about professionalization suggests underlying differences in the structure of recruiting in the two sports and their evolution toward the professional model.