What Athletic Directors Really Look for in Coaches Beyond Wins and Losses

Jun 24

Winning matters. Let's start there.

As a former Division I athletics director, I hired, evaluated, and worked alongside coaches across multiple sports. Over time, I noticed something surprising.

The leadership challenges that placed coaches at risk were rarely related to strategy, recruiting, or technical knowledge of their sport (wins/losses).

More often, they involve communication, relationships, culture, staff management, emotional intelligence, and leadership. In other words, the very skills that most coaches receive the least formal training to develop.

That realization is one reason I became a certified executive leadership coach.

Many coaches spend years mastering the technical side of their profession but receive little structured support in developing the leadership skills that ultimately determine long-term success. Winning matters. But athletic directors are evaluating much more than the scoreboard.

And the coaches who understand that ongoing leadership development is not optional—it is part of the job—consistently thrive.

In fact, I've seen coaches survive difficult seasons because they possessed leadership qualities that created long-term value for their institution. I've also seen talented coaches struggle despite competitive success because leadership challenges eventually outweighed the wins.

After serving as a student-athlete, coach, athletics director, and now a certified executive leadership coach, I've come to believe that athletic directors evaluate coaches through a much broader lens than most people realize.

Trust Is the Foundation

Before athletic directors evaluate recruiting, fundraising, or competitive success, they evaluate trust.

Can this coach be trusted to represent the institution?
Can they be trusted with student-athletes?
Can they be trusted to navigate challenges without creating unnecessary problems?
Can they be trusted to lead others?

Trust influences everything else. The most successful coaches I worked with built trust with student-athletes, assistant coaches, administrators, donors, alumni, and campus partners.

They understood that leadership is relational before it is operational. When trust is strong, organizations can withstand adversity. When trust is weak, even winning programs become fragile.

Not surprisingly, trust-building is one of the most common leadership advantages I explore with clients in executive coaching and leadership development.

They Develop People, Not Just Players

One question I often asked myself as an athletics director was, "What impact is this coach having on the lives of student-athletes?"

Winning seasons matter. But college athletics should also be a developmental experience.

Early in my career, I worked with a coach whose record was impressive, but what stood out most was the relationship former student-athletes maintained with him years after graduation. They continued to call him, seek advice, and credit him for helping shape who they became as professionals, parents, and leaders.

That taught me something important. Great coaches don't simply develop athletes. They develop people.

Years later, most former student-athletes won't remember every score or statistic. They remember how they were treated, what they learned, and who they became.

They Build Culture Every Day

Culture has become one of the most overused words in leadership. Yet culture remains one of the strongest predictors of long-term success.

Culture is not what a program says. Culture is what a program consistently does.

Athletic directors pay attention to how coaches respond to adversity, handle conflict, develop assistant coaches, communicate expectations, and model behavior. The strongest cultures are built through daily habits, not occasional speeches.

In many leadership coaching conversations, cultural challenges often reveal leadership challenges. Leaders create culture, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

As I discussed in my article, Why Leadership Coaching Is Becoming Essential in College Athletics, leadership behaviors often have a greater impact on organizational performance than leaders realize.

They Understand the Business of College Athletics

This is where many conversations about coaching leadership fall short. Not every sport operates under the same expectations.

A football coach at a Power Four institution faces different responsibilities than a coach leading a non-revenue Olympic sport. In many athletic departments, football and men's and women's basketball drive ticket sales, donor engagement, sponsorship opportunities, media attention, and institutional visibility. In some regions, baseball or hockey may play a similar role.

The most effective coaches understand this reality. They recognize that leadership extends beyond the locker room.

They engage donors. They support fundraising efforts. They connect with alumni. They help generate enthusiasm around their programs.

Strong culture matters.

Student-athlete development matters. But in many environments, leadership also requires business awareness.

Executive coaching can help leaders transition from managing a team to leading an entire program and understand the broader responsibilities that accompany the role.

They Leave Programs Better Than They Found Them

The very best coaches think beyond the next season. They develop future leaders. They mentor assistant coaches. They strengthen systems. They create sustainable success.

I've seen talented coaches achieve short-term success while leaving behind fractured relationships, staff turnover, and cultural challenges. I've also seen coaches build programs that continued thriving long after they moved on.

As athletic directors, we notice the difference. One question often reveals the answer:

"If this coach left tomorrow, would the program be stronger because they were here?"

The best leaders consistently answer that question with a yes.

Final Thoughts

Winning will always matter in college athletics. It should.

But the coaches who create the greatest long-term impact understand that leadership extends far beyond the scoreboard. They build trust. They develop people. They strengthen culture. They understand the business realities of college athletics. And they leave programs better than they found them.

Having experienced college athletics as a student-athlete, coach, athletics director, and certified executive leadership coach and examined them through the lens of a doctoral student in Strategic Leadership, I've learned that leadership challenges often appear long before they show up in the standings.

The coaches who consistently succeed are rarely the ones who know the most about their sport. They are often the ones who continue developing themselves as leaders.

Continue the Conversation

What qualities do you believe separate good coaches from truly exceptional leaders?

I'd love to hear your perspective and continue the conversation around leadership, coaching, and the future of college athletics.

About the Author

Doug Knuth is a certified executive leadership coach, NCAA Division I athletics director, higher education fundraising executive, and doctoral student in Strategic Leadership. Drawing on experience as a student-athlete, coach, administrator, fundraiser, and leadership coach, he helps coaches, athletic directors, and organizational leaders strengthen leadership effectiveness, emotional intelligence, organizational culture, and executive presence.

Learn more: https://www.dougdknuth.com/about