Since the passage of Title IX, a federal legislation that eliminates educational gender discrimination, the number of female college athletes has skyrocketed. However, the number of female coaches has dropped sharply - a problem that UB has avoided and even challenged.
According a Buffalo News article, women coached 44 percent of women's sports teams in all NCAA divisions last year - an astounding decrease when compared to the 90 percent of women coaches in 1972.
UB's percentage is far better when compared to the numbers in 2002: Women coach seven of the nine female teams here, almost twice the national average. The Spectrum strongly supports the hiring initiative that enabled this accomplishment.
William Maher, UB's senior associate athletic director, said UB considers gender when hiring new coaches.
"Whenever we take new applicants into account, we look for the best qualified individuals as well as the most diverse in order to best represent the students," Maher said.
Ironically, the drop in women coaches can be attributed to the widespread acceptance of female sports in both the collegiate and professional level. When Title IX was passed just over 25 years ago, women coached the few women's teams that were started likely because the position was not appealing or respectable to the male coaches. However, as times changed and women's sports became more accepted and widespread, men used this opportunity to get their foot in the door of the world of coaching.
While supporting Title IX is wonderful, it is a shame that it has taken so long for men to take interest in coaching women's sports. It is even worse that they ventured forth only because it is finally deemed "acceptable."
Another factor that may fuel the lack of women coaches is what The Spectrum believes is a misguided belief that women want male coaches. Tim Dillon, athletic director at Canisius College - where only three of the eight women's teams have women coaches - stated that a majority of female athletes say they would prefer a male coach to a woman, according to the Buffalo News, because males are more capable of providing discipline.
The record of UB Women's Basketball Head Coach Cheryl Dozier, however, contradicts such beliefs. The Bulls' record during the 2002-03 season was 18-11. The Bulls finished third in the East Division, advanced to the Mid-Atlantic Conference Tournament quarterfinals for the first time in three years to tie for sixth place. That is no easy feat, and as Dozier shows, a woman can keep up with the pressures and trial of coaching as well, if not better, than a man can.
The Spectrum believes UB's athletics program is taking the right path in making sure that Title IX is being upheld not just for athletes, but for coaches as well.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
