Abstract
A growing amount of research is being conducted on racial diversity in college football head coaching positions in the United States. However, very little has been conducted on the entry-level positions in college coaching: Graduate Assistants (GAs), Quality Control assistants (QCs) and restricted earnings coaches. These positions represent natural professional trajectories for student-athletes, who constitute the future pool of applicants for college coaching positions. In the United States, the majority of student athletes are nonwhite, but white coaches still dominate the world of college athletics. This paper investigates the pipeline issues that obstruct the matriculation of nonwhite student-athletes and produce what I call the diversity deficit in college football coaching. Existing analyses of empirical data from member institutions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) demonstrate the existence of racial inequality in the profession of coaching. This paper will explain the perpetuation of the diversity deficit by employing Critical Race Theory (CRT) to illustrate how whiteness, color-blindness and tokenism structure college football coaching. The paper then presents new research data that illuminate how power shapes NCAA member institutions and that can aid participants in addressing pipeline issues and the diversity deficit.
Highlights
A growing amount of research is being conducted on racial diversity in college football head coaching positions in the United States
The following research questions guide this study: 1) What are the experiences of Graduate Assistants (GAs) and Quality Control assistants (QCs) of color, and how are their entrylevel roles and positions interpreted within the professional pipeline of college coaching? 2) What do administrators, staff, full-time college coaches, GAs, QCs and restricted earnings coaches believe is limiting the ability for coaches of color to be promoted to full-time staff positions? Citing the experiences of people who work in the GA, QC and restricted earnings positions, this paper examines their varied levels of perception of the importance of racism, stereotyping or tokenism in shaping the coaching profession, and offers suggestions for making entry-level positions points of access for the advancement of coaches of color
Summary The findings of this study directly addressed the two research questions: 1) What are the experiences of GAs and QCs of color, and how are their entry-level roles and positions interpreted within the professional pipeline of college coaching? 2) What do administrators, staff, full-time college coaches, GAs, QCs and restricted earnings coaches believe is limiting the ability for coaches of color to be promoted to full-time staff positions? The findings indicate that whites generally perceive the diversity deficit from a colorblind perspective and value meritocracy, while nonwhites fault the good ol’ boy network, racism and stereotypes
Summary
A growing amount of research is being conducted on racial diversity in college football head coaching positions in the United States. Under the head coach are nine full-time coaching positions with salaries that vary depending on the financial strength of the athletic program These coaches are responsible for the recruitment and core position development of the players. My research examined issues that restrict or enable the diversification of college football coaches by reviewing the head coach, full-time coaches, staff/administrative support positions, athletic directors, and the QC, GA and Restricted Earning positions. These positions occupy the football offices at NCAA member universities and are responsible for recruiting and coaching student-athletes.
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