Thirteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the impacts on intercollegiate student-athletes subsequent to a head coaching change. This study utilized case study interviews to achieve a rich description of the phenomenon of a head coaching change in one mid-major NCAA Division 1 institution in the Southeast. Psychological Contract Theory and Social Exchange Theory were examined to cognize the concept of athletics as a business and student-athletes as employees. Using inductive analysis and the constant comparative method, three emergent themes were identified: Student-athletes seem to accept head coaching changes. Head coaches are essential to team success. The student-athlete-coach relationship is the core factor of the intercollegiate experience. All participants articulated a metamorphic shift in thinking that began with the shock and anxiety of losing a head coach, followed by a discussion of the coach’s importance, or unimportance, to the success of the program. The participants in this study appeared to be aware of their role as “employees” of the programs and identified a common understanding of their role in the overarching “business”. Administrators, coaches, and support staff can use this information to provide improved programming for student-athletes who experience such a change.