By: Victoria Lux
As Coach Muffet McGraw says, “I’m getting tired of the novelty of the first female governor of this state, the first female African American mayor of this city, when is it going to become the norm instead of the exception? How are these young women looking up and seeing someone that looks like them, preparing them for the future? We don’t have enough female role models. We don’t have enough visible women leaders. We don’t have enough women in power.”
In today’s society, specifically in our sports industry, there is a serious issue with the gender pay gap with our coaches. In this blog, I will be specifically talking about NCAA Collegiate Basketball Coaches. This has been a topic of conversation for quite some time now, and yet, nothing has changed. As The Sport Digest said, in one of their recent posts, “An interesting but often overlooked area that is covered by Title IX legislation entails equitable pay of the coaches of men’s and women’s athletics teams at NCAA colleges and universities. Although the law is well intended, the facts clearly indicate that men’s coaches are paid much more than women’s coaches across the board and that colleges have found ways around the federal law.”
So this leaves me with the question on why are the pay gaps so staggering?
According to The Sport Digest, “If the salaries of outliers coaching women’s basketball teams such as Pat Summit at Tennessee and Geno Auriemma at Connecticut were removed, the median salary for women’s coaches would be even further behind those of men’s coaches.” Does this mean experience and awards matter when it comes to “total” salary?
In all divisions of NCAA Women’s Basketball, female head coaches are making an appallingly lower than that of their male counterparts. How is this still possible?
To me and plenty of others, this is a serious matter regarding Title IX matter, but how long have we been saying this? Why can’t change be made?
Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve had a basketball in my hands. And I can admit that I’ve looked up to several college and professional players. I had the opportunity to play Division II basketball on a full scholarship and am now in my first year as an Assistant Coach for a Division III Women’s Basketball team.
As an inspiring head coach myself, I’m very much in it and want to understand what the underlying issue really is. And honestly, I don’t want to be paid unfairly when my number is called.
There are certain steps that are being made in the right direction. After taking a step back out of basketball, and looking at the big picture, Katie Sowers is the name to know.
Sowers has worked as hard as anyone else to become the ‘first female coach in the NFL’ and ‘first female coach to coach in the Super Bowl’.
“I’m not trying to be the best female coach, I’m trying to be the best coach. All it takes is one, and then it opens the door for so many”, as Sowers said.
She is now paving the way for others, while changing the direction and stigma that surrounds female coaches in male dominant professional and collegiate sports. Individuals, like Sowers, need to go after their dreams and not let numbers, people, politics, etc., stand in their way.
Check out the full preview, it’s a must see. Katie Sowers
Keeping with stepping in the right direction, for women coaches, check out this website #BossWomen Coaches in NBA. This site highlights how some of the former WNBA professional athletes are now stepping into the coaching role, along with some front office roles, in the NBA. Kara Lawson is the Assistant Coach for the Boston Celtics. Kristi Toliver is the Assistant Coach for the Washington Wizards. Becky Hammon is the Assistant Coach for the San Antonio Spurs. Swim Cash is the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. And the list goes on.
If you have a passion to be a coach, go out and make it happen. When people ask you what you do for a living, you say “I’m a coach”, proudly. That’s what I do. There should be no “female” before the word coach. You are a coach. Period.
Instagram: @bballthruacoachslenz
Twitter: CoachVLux
Basketball Through a Coach's Lense 