The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lack of women coaching women more than lack of opportunity
When Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffett McGraw announced in 2019 that she was done hiring men, it raised some eyebrows around the coaching world.
“When these girls are coming out, who are they looking up to to tell them that’s not the way it has to be?” McGraw told reporters before the 2019 women’s Final Four in Tampa. “Where better to do that than in sports? All these millions of girls that play sports across the country, we’re teaching them great things about life skills. But wouldn’t it be great if we could teach them to watch how women lead?”
McGraw has captained the Fighting Irish since 1987, and during her 33-year tenure as head coach has transformed the program, leading it to two national championships and five national championship games.
She’s done all of this women’s college basketball has seen a decline in women head coaches. Currently, 62 percent of NCAA Division I women’s basketball coaches are women.
A majority yes, but a surprisingly low amount, when compared to the 100 percent of D-I men’s basketball coaches who are men.
Shrink that down to the local level and the percentage drops even lower.
Of the 23 schools in the Morning Journal’s coverage area, seven girls basketball teams have women calling the shots on the sideline. That’s 30 percent.
One of those seven is Westlake head coach Karen Swanson Haan, who has a special connection to McGraw. Swanson Haan was a member of the 2001 Notre Dame national championship team, after walking on for the Irish.
The Demons head coach
has a different perspective than her former coach at Notre Dame.
“I don’t think it’s a problem of opportunity or interest,” She said. “I think it’s more sort of a lifestyle thing. Like I know for me, the only reason I am able to do it is because I have an incredibly supportive family who are behind me all the way.”
Most high school head coaches are on auxiliary contracts, and are teachers first or work jobs outside of coaching. And as Swanson Haan can attest to, coaching is an endeavor that takes up a large amount of time.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize how demanding a head coaching position is,” she said. “And it’s still an auxiliary contract I think for most public schools. So nobody is doing it for the money. We do it because we love the game, we love our girls and we want to impact lives.”
It shouldn’t matter whether or not a woman is coaching young women. It should matter why the person is coaching, is the heart of Swanson Haan’s argument.
“It sounds funny when you say it, because it sounds like you’re taking
away from my male counterparts. But in no way am I. A great coach is a great coach and a great male coach can impact lives in the same way and be a phenomenal mentor and role model for young women, too.”
It should also be noted that while most area schools do not have women as their head coach, many do have women on staff as assistants. Something Swanson Haan is familiar with, as a former assistant at Gilmour under current Bay head coach John Curran.
So while women may
not be in top roles among girls sports, they are still involved.
What will change the distribution of coaching in girls sports, and particularly basketball? Time and luck of the draw.
As more time passes, there may be a rise in women coaching, and there may be a fall, it all depends on the willingness of candidates to sacrifice their time for something they are passionate about.