A theoretical model for predicting potential coaching success in women's intercollegiate basketball based on the centrality theory, coaching theories, academic preparation and related variables

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to test a theoretical model for predicting potential coaching success in women's intercollegiate basketball. This was accomplished by investigating the variables of gender, race, previous playing position, highest level of personal competition, styles of play learned during the coach's playing days, and academic preparation in relation to styles of play a coach teaches his/her team and win-loss percentages. Specifically, the variables were tested in regard to three groups of hypotheses: (1) the variables' association with finding an individual in a women's intercollegiate basketball coaching position; (2) the variables' association with the styles of offense and defense that a coach chooses to teach and implement; and (3) the variables' association with the success, based on win-loss percentages, a coach achieves in his/her profession. A questionnaire was utilized to collect the desired information. This information was obtained from a stratified sample of coaches of women's intercollegiate basketball teams from all 50 states and the 5 major levels of collegiate play (NCAA I, NCAA II, NCAA III, NAIA, NJCAA). A total sample of 470 programs was selected. Returns were received from 213 head coaches yielding a 46% return rate. Analysis of the data was limited to descriptive statistics and a regression analysis on the theoretical model. Results indicated that there were several significant variable combinations from each part of the theoretical model of coaching success. The model was found to reliably predict 20% of coaching success.