By Kevin McGinniss
(August 12, 2026)
While this study examined the leader development of NCAA Division III athletics directors, its findings have important implications for coach development. Athletics directors are uniquely positioned not only to lead athletics departments but also to cultivate the leader capacity of the coaches they supervise. Consistent with Day’s (2000) conception of leader development, these findings suggest that the role of athletics directors extends beyond supervision to intentionally cultivate the individual leader capacity of the coaches they serve, particularly at the NCAA Division III level. The themes of environment, experience, and time identified in this study suggest that coach development extends beyond formal professional development opportunities or technical coaching education. Instead, coaches develop as leaders through supportive organizational cultures, meaningful developmental experiences, trusted mentoring relationships, and opportunities to learn and grow over time. If athletics directors intentionally create these conditions, they can influence not only coaches’ effectiveness but also the long-term health of their athletics departments.
To read about the study: Cultivating Leader Development in Collegiate Athletic Directors: The Influence of Environment, Experience, and Time
Viewed through a coach development lens, the findings of this study encourage athletics directors to consider three practical questions: Am I creating the right environment? Am I providing the right developmental experiences? Am I allowing sufficient time for growth? These three questions mirror the central themes that emerged from this study—environment, experience, and time—and provide athletics directors with a practical framework for intentionally developing coaches as leaders. Creating the right environment means fostering trust, psychological safety, and alignment with departmental values. Providing the right experiences involves intentionally challenging coaches with meaningful leader opportunities while supporting those experiences through mentoring, reflection, and constructive feedback. Finally, recognizing that leader development unfolds over time reminds athletics directors that leader capacity is built through the accumulation of experiences rather than isolated professional development events. Just as the athletics directors in this study described their own growth as cumulative and shaped by years of relationships and experiences, coaches likewise require time to translate experience into leader wisdom.
For athletics directors, the practical question shifts from “How do I evaluate my coaches?” to “How do I intentionally create the conditions that develop them as leaders?” The answer begins by moving beyond managing coaches toward intentionally developing them. This means cultivating trusting relationships, providing increasingly meaningful leader opportunities, encouraging reflection, and learning, and recognizing that leader development is an ongoing process rather than a destination. By investing in these developmental conditions, athletics directors not only strengthen individual coaches but also create a culture in which coaches are better equipped to develop student-athletes and future leaders, building a community of leaders.
Editor’s Note: All articles in Sport Coach America are authentic and original work by the author(s).
