Although Title IX has greatly improved opportunities for female students to participate in college athletics, female coaches have not benefited as unequivocally.  One of the unfortunate side-effects of Title IX’s success is that the percentage of women’s teams that are coached by women is steadily declining. Although there are more female coaches overall than there were in 1972, only 42% of women’s teams now have female head coaches, the lowest percentage on record, down from 90% in 1972. There has been no corresponding increase in the percentage of men’s teams that are led by a female head coach — it is still barely 2%.

This disparity can be attributed to a number of factors. Title IX has created better funded, more prestigious women’s sports teams that are able to offer coaches higher salaries, all of which attract male coaches to apply for the positions. Women’s athletics are also becoming more demanding, and coaching women’s teams is a fast-paced career, involving a lot of travel time. Pregnancy and childbirth can make it difficult to maintain this pace, and women today have better-paying, less-demanding options.

Discrimination almost certainly plays a role in the reduced number of female coaches. 91% of athletic directors overseeing women’s programs are male: men determine budgets and salaries, and oversee hiring. Outdated stereotypes about women’s ability to play sports, compete, and lead can affect hiring decisions. This discriminatory perspective is not limited to administrators: surveys have shown that a majority of female athletes are less comfortable with female coaches and have less respect for them. And in fact, one study has shown that female coaches, on average, win fewer games than their male counterparts.

However, there are a number of valid reasons to be concerned about the declining numbers of female coaches. Male coaches, who have no experience playing women’s sports, may not fully understand the different needs and dynamics of women’s teams. It is also important for athletic young women to have strong female role models to demonstrate the falsity of stereotypes about women. And regardless of the statistical success of female coaches as a whole, hiring a less-qualified male applicant rather than a successful female one is employment discrimination.

Most female coaches who chose to take a university to court for sex discrimination sue under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act or under the Pay Equity Act. However, some may sue for Title IX violations, if, for example, the head coach salaries for women’s and men’s teams are drastically different.

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