Moving from NCAA Division II to Divsion I

Moving from NCAA Division II to Division I

I was recently contacted by a former player (and assistant) about a coaching position which would allow her to move from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I.  Coaching at an NCAA Division I university has always been her dream.  She has been a head coach for 10 years and contacts me to get my opinion each time one of these positions comes open that she may be interested in.

Well, this position that came open finally happened to be perfect.  It was a job she had her eye on for a while.  It would not require her to move and it would allow her to finally achieve her dream of coaching an NCAA Division I team and work in an NCAA Division I athletic department again.

I have always told her that being a head coach in a Division I program is not always as exciting as it may seem.  The pressure to win is now elevated to the highest level.  The recruiting of student-athletes is now a 24 hour 7 day a week job with an increasing number of prospects you can realistically recruit with having a chance to sign.  The Division I type of student-athlete is a little different.  While they may be extremely athletic and very good students, they can also be a little more needy and used to having things go their way because they have been the star on every team they have been on.  A Division I program has more staff members in various areas to assist in all parts of the program:  a strength coach, an academic advisor, a person from the compliance office, an athletic trainer, a person that deals with equipment, a director of operations, a staff member from the Life Skills office, marketing personnel, a sports information person, two assistant coaches as well as a volunteer coach and/or a graduate assistant.  So, while she has been very successful working with one part-time assistant, what now seems like a luxury of having a large staff will require her to become a better manager.  The good news is that the more people you have involved in your program the more you can get done.  The bad news is that the more people you have involved in your program the more seams there can be and more potential for conflict.

While giving up some of the day-to-day activities she has been used to doing she will need to learn to manage the overall program. She will need to make sure her vision of the program and goals are crystal clear to everyone.  It will require seamless communication and delegation of work on her part. Fortunately, she is a strong “people person.”  She enjoys what she does and will make others feel that same way with her coaching style.

So, she applied for the position, the administration saw her potential and gave her the opportunity she has always wanted. I look forward to watching a young woman I first met when she was in high school become one of the top Division I coaches in the country.  She has the knowledge, experience and the energy to make it happen along with a supportive husband and family assisting her along the way!