How to become An Athletic Director

• AD
• Coaching Director
• Athletics Administrator
• Athletics Leader

What do Athletic Directors do?

An Athletic Director (AD) would typically need to:

• Guide, direct, and facilitate their educational institution’s athletics program while managing the athletics department
• Ensure that academics and athletics are carefully balanced so that student-athletes can gain the most benefits from both
• Develop customized processes and procedures for all the athletic programs and ensure they are met
• Form a long-term vision and communicate it to the administration, donors, students, and the public
• Hire/fire, mentor, and evaluate the performance of coaches and athletic staff; create employee schedules; ensure staff members adhere to all organizational policies
• Prepare, document, and ensure appropriate disbursement of budgets for staff salaries, team travel, and equipment
• Collaborate with the coaching staff to schedule game days and practices throughout the sports season
• Ensure no scheduling conflict occurs between different teams for the use of shared facilities, equipment, and athletic trainers
• Manage logistics for the institution’s athletic events; take care of travel, facilities, and equipment for domestic or overseas trips inter-institutional sports meets
• Develop marketing, promotional, and fundraising strategies; build community and media relations; mediate any disputes between athletes and coaches or between coaches
• Track and file reports on team progress through analysis of past performances, recent successes, and areas for improvement
• Collaborate with conferences and leagues about scheduling issues; speak with league officials about subjects such as post-season play
• Stay updated on industry events and changes in regulations; keep track of policy changes from the school board and coordinate with organizations that set parameters within the field

Athletic Directors typically work with coaches and athletes and answer directly to the principal, dean, or educational institution board. They work within an office performing various administrative tasks while attending fund-raising events and sports practices and games on campus.

Often, those who work in a middle or high school split their time coaching and teaching PE or health classes. Most ADs may also need to travel to away games. The dress code may change depending on whether they need to spend their workday in the office, at a fund-raising event, or a sports practice or meet.

Athletic Directors primarily work full-time, but their workday often includes long hours, evenings, and weekends, depending on the nature of the athletics program. They will frequently be “on-call” or at least available to resolve any issues concerning the teams or the athletic program. 

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Athletic Directors can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies. Also, visit local schools and research school district websites for job openings for an AD or an entry-level position or apprentice opportunity that can lead to that career.

Athletic Directors are generally employed by:

• Universities
• Colleges
• High Schools
• Middle School

Professional associations and organizations like the International Association of Athletic Administrators & Coaches (i3ac.com) are a crucial resource for Athletic Directors interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications. Look for organizations at the local and national levels in your part of the world.

• Finding qualified coaches, who understand education-based athletic philosophy, in the face of declining coaching stipends
• Finding staff/volunteers for jobs like concession stands, ticket booths, and tournaments, especially when the last involves sports like wrestling, tennis, or volleyball that do not carry numbers similar to a football team
• The need to continually think outside the box to bring funding into the program
• Budgeting concerns lead to additional responsibilities while continuing to direct the program
• Lack of support for the well-established fact that students should play multiple sports since specialization does more harm than good
• Awareness of all activities outside of the high school program that students are involved in so the program itself is well-thought-out and balances in favor of the students
• Major headaches and undue pressure on coaches due to parents who may not appreciate the opportunity their child has within an athletic program
• Media scrutiny and accountability to the public in the wake of bad coaching practices, student-athlete injuries, or destructive behavior from teams
• Looming deadlines related to athletic budgets and approvals for equipment
• Long hours of work compounded by ethical decisions and the need to juggle multiple priorities

Since an Athletic Director’s role is highly visible and requires close supervision of an entire department, experience and knowledge, especially sports and how athletic programs work, are essential prerequisites.

Hands-on experience in voluntary work, internship, or as an assistant AD will help you learn the many ins and outs involved in the role.

Focus on internships or work opportunities that will help you build skills in select areas such as budgeting, organizational leadership, marketing, public relations, or managing personnel. You will also be able to gain new contacts and network as you begin your job search. Campus job counseling centers or regional sports facilities may offer part-time work or internships to students.

Schools usually require potential Athletic Directors with two to three years of coaching experience. Typically, students who pursue online bachelor’s programs in sports management participate in an internship experience.

A few larger higher schools, colleges, and universities may entertain applicants with a bachelor’s degree and significant athletic administration experience. However, most higher education centers require master’s degrees and three to five years of coaching and administrative experience.

The education and qualifications required to become an Athletic Director vary depending on where one might want to work. At the high school and middle school levels, where ADs typically begin their careers as coaches and teachers, candidates usually have a bachelor’s degree in education, physical education, or sports management.

Ensure the programs cover topics such as sports business, marketing, managing sport facilities, finance, and sports facility design. Promising candidates with an athletic coaching degree or athletic trainer major backed by significant experience may also have a fair chance in the job market.

Most larger high schools, colleges, and universities require online or on-campus master’s degrees in education/sports administration, educational/organizational leadership, or business/sports management. The programs may require a final project, thesis, or capstone experience and may include coursework in sports organization management, the economics of sport, sports law, research methods, and negotiation.

Some schools may require their Athletic Directors to earn a teaching certification. Certification demonstrates competence in a skill or set of skills, typically through work experience, training, the passage of an examination, or some combination of the three.

Increasingly meritorious accredited certification from an objective and reputed organization can help ADs gain professional credibility, stand out in a competitive job market, and become an independent consultant.

Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics. Investigating members that practice outside the Code earns trust and respect, which are the most critical elements in securing a professional’s future.

Since a position as Athletic Director is often the highest an individual may strive for in this field, incumbents seek career advancement either as Head Athletic Director if the institution is large enough to accommodate more than one AD or move into positions with a conference or league office.

College Athletic Director positions are available for those with proven, well-documented sports and coaching experience. Because these positions are difficult to obtain, they are rarely vacant. High school and middle school Athletic Director opportunities are more readily available if the candidates meet specific education and experience qualifications as required by a particular school.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the holistic commitment of Athletic Directors towards enhancing personal skills and proficiency throughout their active careers through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. There are many CPD courses, seminars, and workshops to help ADs refresh their knowledge of physical education, exercise, and related fields.

CPD allows individuals to upskill continually, regardless of their age, job, or level of knowledge. It prevents practical and academic qualifications from becoming outdated. It enables Athletic Directors to identify any knowledge gaps and progress to a new specialism while keeping track of constantly changing rules in the realm.

Trade-Offs

An Athletic Director occupies a prestigious position, especially at the university level. In addition to having control over the athletic future of the entire educational institution, they are tied into everything, even the medical team, in the instance that an athlete gets injured. ADs must have excellent staff and dedicated coaches to keep the programs running smoothly.

Although successful coaches may receive more public recognition than an AD, remember that Athletic Directors also act as an embodiment of their institution’s overarching beliefs. Without influential ADs, athletic programs may underperform, cease to grow, become underfunded, or never reach their full potential Whereas coaches carry out a team's day-to-day preparation, Athletic Directors take pride in the behind-the-scenes work, which puts teams in a position to succeed.

Different Domains

Athletic Directors provide hands-on leadership as an administrator at the high school level. At the college level, they may oversee the processes while delegating some of the responsibilities. ADs hired by colleges and universities need to work with a compliance officer to ensure the program is in keeping with the rules and regulations of relevant athletic associations.

Mistakes to Learn From and Not Repeat

An Athletic Director’s most important job is not limited to paperwork and the tiny details of running an athletic program. Do not get caught up in the tasks to the point that you miss interacting with and impacting the lives of your teams.

Ensure your top priority is the life-long impact on members of your athletic program through the inclusion of life skill lessons as an essential part of everyday practice plans along with strategy and athletic skill-building.

Value the time, energy, and financial support of parents and other volunteers who “own” the academic program as people supporting what they have helped create. The job can get lonely. Choose a team of helpers whose assistance can help you drive high performance and make the program a success.

Be wise. Choose wisely the few you invest your life in - the folks who are FAT (Faithful, Available & Teachable) - so you can maximize your time and effort. Give people who come to your office 100 percent of your attention so you can be a good listener and meet their needs.

Give yourself the chance to do better. Provide your staff with an evaluation tool to get practical and direct feedback about your work.

Details Matter

Checking and rechecking your schedules, transportation plans, and game management schedules daily is critical to your success and running an effective athletic program. Funding for something as simple as new uniforms or as complex as commercial endorsements Fundraising is more than just handing athletes catalogs of items to sell. Dedication, buy-in, motivation, and enthusiasm play a massive role in its success.

You need to create a fundraiser and then market it. Pull as many strings as you can as the Athletic Director. Visit local businesses, take an ad out in a newspaper, get the local news involved, make announcements during games, post to social media, and announce on the school website.

Make the best use of parents and alumni - great resources to help build publicity for the fundraising events and lend a helping hand. Having a business sponsor a fundraiser will ensure the word about the event spreads naturally and efficiently.

As the face of the fundraiser, athletes and coaches need to be bought in and enthused about the fundraiser. It is much easier to get donations when your athletes and coaches are hands-on, show emotion, build the picture for potential donors of what they are donating to and how it is going to help the team.

Another critical factor in fundraising is showing gratitude to donors by recognizing them publicly on the school’s website or with a name placard in the weight room.

Fill in the Gaps

Budgeting concerns around athletic programs mean that Athletic Directors need to assume additional responsibilities while directing the athletic program. While some have long combined athletic and assistant principal duties, they may also need to handle all activities, including band, plays, and anything else that falls under the umbrella of extracurricular activities. They may have to step into the shoes of the director of transportation or the director of testing even as they pick up the slack by teaching new classes or coaching teams.

David Williams at Vanderbilt who earns US$3,239,678 is the highest paid Athletic Director to date. He is also a tenured law professor and vice chancellor of university affairs.

If you are dedicated to athletics and thrive in a position of organized leadership, a career as an Athletic Director with all its challenges, responsibilities, and rewards may be a good fit for you.

Everything does not rest solely on your shoulders. Yes, your title says director, and you are in charge of the athletic program. However, sharing the load with others on your staff will allow you to keep your sanity and be successful.