The Lack of Diversity in Leadership Roles in the NCAA
"[In the NCAA], there are way more white male coaches in the female game than there are black females coaching as head coaches, way more [1].” -Nolan Richardson former head basketball coach, University of Arkansas
Not only is there a lack of women in leadership positions but further statistics released by the NCAA show the lack of ethnic diversity within female head coaches. As of 2016, 79.4% of female head coaches are white while only 11.5% are black and 9.1% are of other ethnicities [2]. The glass ceiling has always been more profound throughout history for women of color and specifically for women of color within athletics. According to the NCAA demographic database, black female athletes make up 31.5% of student-athletes [3], yet only represent 11.5% of coaching. More specifically, women's basketball which has the highest percentage of black athletes compared to other NCAA sports with 45% of its athletes being black has only 17% of teams with black female coaches [4].
The NCAA is essentially a multibillion dollar company. Cable and network distribution licenses, merchandising, advertisement sales, etc. are all cash cows who have made college athletics, particularly football and basketball, into commercial powerhouses that make up an important part of our mainstream culture. In the purest form, that is interstate commerce. The reality that a large portion of this billion dollar revenue stream is generated by minority student athletes, but minorities are not at the forefront of the geopolitical and decision-making leadership positions.
The standard excuse for such inequalities is that as a result of social historical conditions. A common argument when faced with the disparities among racial diversity within the workforce is that African-Americans and people of color have not been on the job market long enough and have not had enough opportunities to develop the required expertise. This is an excuse that is inherently wrong as a general matter and definitely does not carry any water on the sporting business. African-Americans have a long-established and prosperous history in college athletics at the top level, and the talent stream for black coaches and athletic director applicants are filled with eligible candidates. There is absolutely no reason for this lack of equity in the highest ranks of college athletics.
Below is a transcrpit from the hearing before the subcommittee on commerce, trade, and consumer protection committee on energy and commerce under the House of Representatives one hundred tenth congress on February 27, 2007. Speaking on the topic of diversity within athletic administration is Richard Lapchick, chair, DeVos Sport Business Management Program, and director, Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, University of Central Florida College of Business Administration, Cliff Stearns, a Representative in Congress from the State of Florida and Nolan RIchardson, former head basketball coach, University of Arkansas [5].
Mr. Lapchick: There are a few African-American coaches but very few, and a significant percentage of African-American student-athletes. I think on the gender issue, it is also worth pointing out that 35 years after title IX, more men coach women's teams in college sport today than women coach women's teams
Mr. Stearns. Now, why do you think that is?
Mr. Lapchick. I think that men in some cases have gone for the opportunities to help them to move up to get a men's job. In the case of women's basketball, it has become pretty big time now so it is a prominent position now so the men are going for it and athletics directors who are overwhelmingly men are picking a lot of male coaches.
Mr. Stearns. So what you are saying is, a male coach is competing with a female coach and sometimes a male coach is beating out the white as well as the African-American and that is because of the selection process.
Mr. Richardson. Yes. There are way more white male coaches in the female game than there are black females coaching as head coaches, way more. So how are you helping them? You are making more jobs availability for men, white, and female, white women. It is just as simple as that [6].
Since 2007 when Nolan Richardson posed the question "So how are you helping them?" Black female represtation has only decreased as seen in the graph above. For years, women of color have been praised for their talent, commitment and skills presented in their athletic careers in the NCAA only to be stripped of their qualifications for administraive roles by the white men in charge.