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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9105-5117

Date Available

4-7-2026

Year of Publication

2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Education

Department/School/Program

Education Sciences

Faculty

Sylvia Mendez

Faculty

Maria Cahill

Faculty

Neal Hutchens

Abstract

Leadership practices within NCAA Division I athletic departments can shape the professional climate, well-being, and stability of the coaching staff. Yet, limited research has explored how senior administrators influence the experiences of coaches who lead women’s teams at mid-major institutions. This phenomenological inquiry study explored how head coaches interpret their interactions with senior athletic department staff and how these relational dynamics inform perceptions of support.

Twelve Division I head coaches participated in semi-structured Zoom interviews about their experiences at former institutions. The interview protocol integrated the LMX-7 framework with open-ended questions to capture the significance of the head coaches’ lived experiences. Data was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, supported by analytic memoing, and utilizing Dedoose, a qualitative data analysis software. Trustworthiness was enhanced through reflexivity and member checking.

Six themes emerged describing coaches’ perceptions of senior leadership: leadership accessibility, administrative advocacy and support, program valuation and visibility, psychological safety and trust, mid-major resource strain, and career sustainability and decision-making. Coaches described varied experiences with leadership engagement, communication, and recognition, noting that these dynamics shaped their sense of professional security and program legitimacy. Gendered patterns also emerged, as both male and female coaches perceived women’s sports as receiving lower visibility and fewer institutional protections. These findings may contribute to research on leadership, gender, and organizational life in collegiate athletics by illustrating how relational and structural factors may shape head coaches’ experiences. Implications highlight the importance of transparent communication, equitable resource structures, and relational importance for leadership practices that strengthen psychological safety, enhance program need credibility, and support long-term coach retention.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.16

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