The Underrepresentation of African American Coaches at Division I institutions

• In Event: The Impact of Governance, Influence, and Representation in Higher Education

Abstract

While African American athletes have seen breakthroughs in attaining opportunities to play college football, the narrative is not the same for African American coaches. The arduous efforts put forth by African American coaches to acquire access to collegiate football displays the social struggle accentuated by the African American athletes. Cunningham’s multilevel model addresses Macro-Level factors, Meso-Level factors, and Micro-Level factors. Those factors, paired with theoretical frameworks of hegemony and critical race theory, help explain the reasoning for the underrepresentation of African American collegiate football coaches.

The purpose of this research is not to merely assert liability, but rather cultivate awareness of the racial disproportions of players and coaches in collegiate football, dig deeper to uncover the reasoning for the underrepresentation of African American coaches in collegiate football, and identify potential ways to bridge the gaps.

Author

• Rasheed Flowers, University of Kentucky