Head Coaching Inequity in WBB Hires

The racial disparity in head coaching hires is a well-known trend across the sports industry. A new study shows how that pattern extends to women’s basketball.

Between 1984-2020 — the period after women’s basketball took off in the wake of Title IX — white coaches have dominated new hires in the Power 5, the study found.

“Outside the HBCUs, African American head coaches are not afforded as many opportunities at high resourced universities,” the study said.

• Of the 172 women hired between 1984-2020 in the Power 5, 78.5% were white, about 20.9% of women hired were Black, and one coach identified as Latina.
• 63 of the 68 men hired were white.
• Zero coaches identified as Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Native/Indigenous.

Since 2006, hiring for white female coaches has declined — but white women still hold more positions than any other demographic.

Conversely, there’s been a “dramatic increase” in white male head coaches in women’s hoops since Title IX was enacted and the jobs became more enticing. 

“The increased number of head coaching opportunities afforded by Title IX has been beneficial to white men head coaches relative to all others,” the study said.