WOMEN IN COACHING - RESOURCES & INFORMATION
In 1972, before Title IX passed, approximately 90% of NCAA women’s college teams were led by female head coaches. In 1972, the federal government passed a civil rights law called Title IX protecting people from discrimination based on their sex in educational programs and activities that receive federal assistance. Women’s sports were then flooded with a surge of money and a subsequent increase in new jobs. In the 45 years since the passing of Title IX, the decline in the percentage of women’s head coaches is staggering, with about 40 percent of women’s college teams coached by women and only 3% of men’s teams coached by women. Of this 40 %, a large majority of these head coaches are accounted for in field hockey & lacrosse. For running specifically, women head coaches account for 20% in cross country and 18% in track and field. Men occupy approximately 75% of all head coaching positions in collegiate athletics. We are seeing record numbers of female sports participation at all levels, yet the number of women coaches continues to stay stagnant at near-record lows at both the collegiate, high school, and professional levels. At the last World Track and Field Championships in Doha, only 2% of athletes were coached by women. To top it all off, 89% of all collegiate athletic directors are male.