The factors involved in the job performance evaluation of NCAA Division I-A and Division III head football coaches : a comparative study

No Thumbnail Available
Authors
McClowry, James E.
Advisor
Buck, Marilyn M.
Issue Date
1996
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (M.S.)
Department
School of Physical Education
Other Identifiers
Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to gather information from college athletic directors from Division I-A and Division III institutions concerning the factors that they deem the most and least important in evaluating their institution's head football coach for job retention. The study identified 10 factors that are instrumental in evaluating head football coaches. Athletic directors prioritized these 10 factors in order of importance when evaluating their head football coach.Surveys were sent to 106 Division I-A athletic directors and 106 Division III athletic directors. Of the 151 surveys returned, 47 from Division I-A athletic directors and 67 from Division III athletic directors were deemed usable.The surveys revealed that Division I-A athletic directors primarily evaluate their head football coaches by win/loss percentage and compliance with NCAA rules. Of the ten factors selected for this study, public relations and organizational skills were considered the least important factors in their evaluation process. For Division III athletic directors, the primary factors of evaluation for their head football coaches were knowledge of the sport, loyalty to the institution, and serving as a role model for student-athletes. The least important factors were win/loss percentage and public relations.These findings suggest that the philosophy of athletics for each of these two levels is quite different. Head football coaches at the Division I-A level are expected to win games to maintain their jobs while Division III coaches do not experience the same pressure to win. Differences in the evaluation factors are illustrated for each level of collegiate athletics and understanding these differences may better guide aspiring young coaches who are pursuing a career in college football coaching.

Collections