Exploring the Career Needs of Intercollegiate Head Coaches: A Kaleidoscope Career Perspective

The Kaleidoscope Career Model (KCM) is one of the newest career models used to help explain women’s career choices (Mainiero & Sullivan, 2005). The KCM proposes during different periods in people’s lives, authenticity, balance, and challenge are career needs that influence career development. Collegiate coaching, a profession known to be demanding and stressful (Weaver, 2010) has been studied extensively. However, there is little understanding of the career needs of college coaches. Through a kaleidoscope lens, this study explored the differences in the career needs of head coaches working at the NCAA D-I level. Job satisfaction, conflict levels, and the obstacles and opportunities coaches’ experience in their careers were also assessed. An online survey was e-mailed to all head coaches working at D-I colleges and universities across the U.S. At the completion, there was a final sample of 840 (N = 840) and a response rate of 17%. Sullivan, Forret, Carraher, and Mainiero’s (2009) 15-item KCM scale was used and a MANOVA was conducted to determine differences in coaches’ career needs as it related to gender and career stage. Cammann, Fichman, Jenkins, and Kelch’s (1983) three-item job satisfaction scale was used to determine coaches’ job satisfaction levels. Netemeyer, Boyles, and McMurrian’s (1996) 10-item work and family conflict scale was used. An additional MANOVA was conducted to determine differences in coaches’ conflict levels as it related to gender and career stage. ii Lastly, frequencies were calculated to verify the primary obstacles and opportunities coaches experienced during their careers. The results posit the challenge career need was found to best describe coaches. There was a significant difference between coaches’ need for balance, with male coaches expressing a greater need for balance than their female counterpart. Also, regardless of gender, coaches’ need for authenticity was significantly more important in early career compared to those coaches in mid and late career. Coaches were highly satisfied with their jobs despite experiencing work-family conflict. Male coaches’ experienced higher levels of family-work conflict than female coaches. Coaches in early and mid-career reported experiencing higher levels of work-family conflict than coaches in late career. The top three obstacles coaches’ faced were recruiting, in-season demands, and coping with stress. Networking, mentoring, and training opportunities emerged as the top three opportunities coaches had to develop their career. This study opened the door for further inquiry into understanding coaches’ career needs. The KCM proposes women’s desire for balance is greater than men across the career span. However, in a sport context, male coaches expressed a greater need for balance. Future study should address this issue. Coaches in early career reported a strong need for authenticity. With the changing scope of the workforce, athletic administrators should explore ways to help younger head coaches make decisions that suit the self above others. Lastly, despite the decline of women entering the coaching profession, female coaches reported loving what they do. Athletic departments must make it a priority to