The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport in the School of Kinesiology recently released its annual Women in College Coaching Report Card (WCCRC) in collaboration with WeCOACH. The report documents the percentage of women in all coaching positions for women’s teams within seven select NCAA Division-I conferences (BIG Ten, Big East, Big12, Pac-12, American, ACC, SEC).

“Data in the 11th year of the WCCRC points to some firsts, good news, and a new era,” says Tucker Center Director Nicole M. LaVoi. “Based on the numbers, we are cautiously optimistic that the stagnation era is over and we are entering a new era for intercollegiate Division-I women sport coaches at the most visible, powerful institutions—a slow and steady incline.”

Report highlights:

• The percentage of women head coaches of NCAA D-I women’s teams in seven select conferences is up again for the ninth year in a row.
• The percentage of women head coaches increased by the largest margin (2.3 percent) in the history of the report card, and 2022 marked the second greatest increase (1.2 percent).
• For the first time, more institutions earned an A grade than a F grade. There were three times more As than Fs. For the last 10 years, the number of F grades far outnumbered the As.
• For the second time in ten years and for two years in a row, a majority of positional vacancies (58.1 percent) were filled by women.
• For the first time, a majority (65 percent, 15 of 23) of BIPOC coaches hired were women of color.
• The percentage of women coaches of color increased from 5.7 percent in 2022 to 6.2 percent this year.
• This year marks the first time all select seven conferences increased in the percentage of women head coaches.
• Basketball, the most lucrative, visible, and popular women’s intercollegiate sport, moved up to an A grade for the first time.