Percentage Of Women Coaching Women On Downward Trend

Percentage Of Women Coaching Women's Teams At College Level Has Declined Since '72

The percentage of women coaching women at the college level “is shrinking,” and many coaches and researchers claim that “sexism, at least in part, has driven women away from and out of the profession," according to Ken Fowler of the L.A. TIMES. While the number of female coaches in college has slightly increased since '72, when Title IX went into law, it is "mostly because the number of women’s teams has nearly tripled, to about 8,700.”  Vivian Acosta and Linda Carpenter, who write an annual report on Title IX, have found that the overall percentage of women coaching women’s teams has fallen from “more than 90% in 1972 ... to an all-time low of about 42%” in ’06. Statistics from the NCAA, based on a 74.2% response rate from its 1,054 schools, indicate that the number is only about 40%. In soccer, just around 37% of coaches are women. Meanwhile, 81% of ADs are male in all levels, and that increases to 92% in D-I. Among the contributing factors to the decline are “stereotypes, a lingering ‘old boys club’ mentality in athletic departments and a difficult work-life balance" (L.A. TIMES, 12/2).