May 19, 2010 8:53:10 AM

Data on the composition of NCAA member institutions' administrative and coaching staffs show only minimal gains for women and minorities in leadership positions over the last 15 years.

The NCAA's latest Race and Gender Demographics Report for 2008-09 shows a total of 205 female directors of athletics (18.9 percent) in all three divisions, which is up just 2.9 percent from the 150 female ADs in 1995-96, the baseline year of data in the report.

While the numbers are better for female associate athletics directors (624 in 2008-09 compared to 228 in 1995-96), the percentage has dropped from 36.6 in the baseline year to 34.3 in the most recent report.

In fact, only about 30 percent of the positions in athletics typically regarded as affecting decision-making (athletics director, and associate and assistant AD) are held by women.

Other positions most frequently populated by women are administrative assistant academic advisor/counselor, business manager, associate or assistant athletic trainer, compliance coordinator/officer and life skills coordinator.

Meanwhile, only about 4 percent of all athletics directors are black (35 males and six females at non-historically black institutions). There also are 30 other minorities as ADs at non-historically black institutions.

The 2008-09 data show that Blacks are most prevalent as academic advisors/counselors, administrative assistants and strength coaches.

Overall, the percentage of black athletics administrators (excluding HBCUs) increased slightly in 2008-09 – by 1.1 percent for black male administrators (not counting administrative assistants) and by 1.2 percent for black female administrators (also not counting administrative assistants) – since 1995-96.

The Race and Gender Demographics Report is compiled annually under the auspices of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the Committee on Women's Athletics. Those groups also oversee a number of professional-development programs that identify and encourage women and minorities to advance in athletics administrative and coaching positions.

"The NCAA must do everything it can to identify, foster and support the number of people of color and women mid-level athletics administrators and coaches in a manner that will promote them into senior leadership and head coaching roles within intercollegiate athletics," said Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion.

Joni Comstock, senior vice president for championships and the senior woman administrator at the NCAA national office, agreed with Westerhaus, noting that the percentage of women in campus leadership positions has increased by less than 4 percent since the report began being compiled.

"Overall, the sheer number of women in athletics – from entry-level to director-level – is up, which suggests an increase in opportunity, but there remains a concern about the number of women in leadership and hiring positions," Comstock said. "We'd like to see women positioned and trained to move into more of those top jobs."

Coaches

Both head coach and assistant coach data indicate that female coaching representation overall has increased slightly in men's teams and decreased in women's teams since 1995-96.

Female head coaches of men's teams increased by 0.6 percent but female coaches of women's teams decreased by 4 percent. The increase since 1995-96 for female assistant coaches of men's teams is 2.2 percent, while women's teams show a 6.6 percent decrease for female assistant coaches.

Overall, only 328 of the 8,600 head coaches of men's teams are women. For women's teams, 3,862 head coaches are women, compared to 5,880 male head coaches of women's teams.

Representation for minority head coaches for both men's and women's teams (excluding HBCUs) has increased since 1995-96 (3.0 percent for minority head coaches of men's teams and 2.9 percent for minority head coaches of women's teams).

In all three divisions in 2008-09, there were 124 black male men's basketball coaches (and 21 other minorities) at non-HBCUs, compared to 840 white male head coaches. In women's basketball, there were 371 white male head coaches, 508 white female head coaches, 34 black male head coaches (and eight other minority males), and 59 black female head coaches (and 11 other minority females).

In 1995-96, there were 13 minority male head men's basketball coaches, six minority male head women's basketball coaches and nine minority female head women's basketball coaches.

In football, there were 15 black head coaches and four other minority head coaches in 1995-96. In 2008-09, there were still 15 black head coaches but 11 other minorities.

Westerhaus emphasized, though, the gains for minority head football coaches in this past hiring season, as there are now 29 black head football coaches in all three divisions, plus four other minorities.

"Based on the recent increased numbers of racial minority head coaches – specifically head football coaches and female head basketball coaches, I am optimistic that there are a good deal of opportunities for enhanced racial and gender diversity in the near future," she said.

The latest race and gender demographics report for conference offices also is available by clicking here.