EDPE 519 - The Job of the Athletic Department

Being an athletic director requires much more than a knowledge and love of sports. Many aspects of the job are administrative in nature, and leading the department involves managing thousands of dollars of equipment, multiple team schedules, and several coaches and support staff. A successful athletic director must be able to balance all of these responsibilities on top of maintaining good relationships with school administrators, parents, and community members.

In this course, you will examine the various factors that make an athletic department run like a well-oiled machine. You’ll tackle difficult issues such as managing a large staff, creating budgets, navigating legal issues, and identifying characteristics to look for when hiring coaches. You’ll also develop strategies for communicating with students’ families and the community at large regarding athletic events, policies, and feedback. In addition, you will evaluate the benefits of sports for children and how to cultivate these values throughout your athletic department.

Using the techniques from this course, you will be able to balance the myriad responsibilities of running an athletic department and enjoy the fruits of overseeing successful student athletes and their coaches.