Title IX, introduced in 1972, aimed to eliminate gender discrimination in college athletics. While Title IX requires colleges to provide equitable opportunity to men and women to participate in sports through roster numbers, scholarship funds, and competitive opportunities, it does not have any regulations on gender equity in coaching.
In 2020, 95% of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s sports teams had head coaches[1] identifying as men, according to the Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics data. By comparison, less than half of women’s teams had head coaches identifying as women.
The gender disparity remains in the assistant coaching ranks in college athletics, making it more difficult for women to move up to a head coaching position in the future.
