Study of the key determining factors for the NCAA Division I head strength and conditioning coach.

The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriate educational, competitive, and work experiences the aspiring strength and conditioning coach should attain in pursuit of a head position at the intercollegiate level. The study was compared to a doctoral study conducted by Frank Pullo in 1988. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, educational background, competitive experiences, coaching experiences, duties, and opinions of the head strength and conditioning coaches in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I intercollegiate body. These data were used to determine if differences occurred among the Division I-A, I-AA, and I-AAA coaches on these 6 indicators along with comparable items in Pullo's study. A total of 212 of 313 coaches returned the questionnaire. Each item on the questionnaire was examined with either descriptive statistics or frequency distributions. The results indicated that differences occurred among the 3 Division I subdivisions and between this study and Pullo's study along the 6 indicators measured.