NCAA News Archive - 2010

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    DI cabinet wants to limit noncoaching staff members

    Jun 22, 2010 11:15:52 AM

    By Michelle Brutlag Hosick
    The NCAA News

     

    The Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet has proposed legislation that would curb the number of noncoaching staff members with responsibilities specific to several high-profile sports.

    After extensive study and surveys of the membership, the cabinet has sponsored three proposals addressing noncoaching personnel and setting specific limits. The proposals would:

    The current limit for coaches would not change. The cabinet gathered feedback from the membership and other constituents through surveys in 2009 and 2010, and found that most respondents believed that people in these types of roles (often identified as "director of operations" or "quality control personnel") should be limited.

    Cabinet chair Petrina Long, senior associate athletics director at UCLA, said the proposals were especially timely, considering the June 17 release of a report from the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics calling for a similar reduction.

    "The membership has made it  clear that there continues to be a proliferation of these noncoaching staff members," Long said. "Our survey also was clear, with more than 80 percent indicating that growth should be limited. The cabinet felt like we were justified in putting something before the membership."

    The issue is often one of competitive equity. Schools without the funding to hire as many people to help with duties such as arranging travel or keeping statistics must assign those responsibilities to assistant coaches.  Because the proliferation of those types of positions is concentrated in football and basketball, the cabinet addressed those sports with its initial proposals. Long cautioned that these three proposals are likely not the end of the cabinet's work in this area.

    "This is the initial round," Long said. "I don't think we've necessarily solved the problem. We know there's an issue with strength and conditioning coaches, and we haven't tackled that yet. We will be looking at it in the future because we really want to address the spirit of the concerns we see in the membership."

    The proposed limits would not affect individuals who may report to another unit or department within the athletics department or outside athletics (for example, sports information directors, athletic trainers, academic advisors, equipment managers and marketing staff). Clerical staff and managers are also excluded.The cabinet envisions the proposal will apply to noncoaching staff members with 50 percent of their job description dedicated to one sport.

    The legislation has been introduced into the 2010-11 cycle, and the Division I Legislative Council will cast its first votes on the proposals in January. If adopted, the rule would not be effective until August 1, 2012.