“When There Was No Money in It, There Were No Men in It”: Examining Gender Differences in the Evaluation of High Performance Coaches

Abstract

In this Insights paper, we examine the continued decrease in the numbers of female coaches of high-profile sports teams. The decline in number of female coaches of high-profile teams is alarming, especially considering the increase in athletic participation among women. Because of this, it is important to examine possible explanations for this issue as a starting point for action and reform. We first detail several relevant examples of recent hires and firings of high-profile coaches in different countries around the world. Then, we briefly examine the relevant literature on gender representation of those working in sport. Using recent women’s basketball coaching changes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a case in point, we aim to demonstrate that the trend of decreasing numbers of female coaches continues. We believe the specific setting of college coaches represents the moral global issue of gender inequity in regards to high-performance coaching settings. Specifically, we argue that a three-pronged conceptual approach—cultural capital, role congruity theory, and homologous reproduction—can provide insights into the hiring practices of female coaches in comparison with their male coaching counterparts.

Addressing Gender Discrimination in the NBA with a “Hammon” Rule

“…In addition to the statistics regarding who is allowed to serve in coaching and managerial roles within a given organization or league, elements of discrimination law provide a foundation to explore the historical effects on women's involvement in sports. Drawing on conceptual frameworks provided by the Ecological-Intersectional Model (EIM; LaVoi, 2016), women in leadership (Burton, 2015;Stangl & Kane, 1991), and societal expectations (Sagas & Cunningham, 2004;Schaeperkoetter et al, 2017), the literature review reviews the impact of legal, leadership, cultural, and advocacy concepts to support the need for such policy change.…”

“…Through the limitation of access to resources and varying treatment, women are consistently placed at a disadvantage and not given the same power and influence as male counterparts within an organization (Burton, 2015;LaVoi, 2016). In addition, should a woman be in a leadership role and make a mistake with her responsibilities, the level of scrutiny and loss of credibility are amplified, in contrast to when a male peer were to make a similar misstep (Schaeperkoetter et al, 2017).…”

“…Lastly, homologous reproduction may be the most crucial of the discussed concepts. Homologous reproduction occurs, for example, when predominately White male hiring managers select candidates with whom they can identify and relate (Lapchick, 2020a;Stangl & Kane, 1991;Schaeperkoetter et al, 2017). The decisions made by hiring stakeholders affect and influence fans, boosters, sponsors, and other financial supporters (Schaeperkoetter et al, 2017).…”

“…Women are qualified, experienced, and accomplished as former athletes, and can step into a coaching or managerial position, but are not selected for the top positions because of their gender (Schaeperkoetter et al, 2017). Furthermore, Schaeperkoetter and colleagues (2017) find successful instances in which women are selected to lead in various positions as publicity grabs by the organization or team.…”

“…A finalist for the coaching vacancy in 2018 for the Milwaukee Bucks, and in the most recent hiring cycle for the Portland Trailblazers, Hammon was not selected and remains as an assistant with the Spurs (McGregor, 2021;Velzaquez, 2018). Hammon, a 16-season veteran in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), two-time Olympian, and NBA summer league head coach, has the accolades and experience to be an effective leader in basketball and all of sport (Schaeperkoetter, Mays, & Bass, 2017;Velzaquez, 2018).…”