What Is an Athletic Director and How to Become One

An athletic director is a school administrator who runs all aspects of the sports program for a school or institution. An athletic director provides strategic direction for the program and all of its coaches, athletes, and staff. Athletic directors manage the program budget and administer recruiting initiatives, staff scheduling, and benchmarks. The athletic director of a college or university also works with regulatory agencies, such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to ensure compliance with policies and mandates.

To become an athletic director, you need to earn a bachelor’s degree in sports management or physical education, complete an internship with a school or sports facility for basic experience, and gain work experience as a coach, athletic trainer, or coaching assistant. Good next steps are getting a master’s degree in school administration or sports management and consider professional organizations such as MOAA, NCAA, or NACDA, to increase your proficiency in administering athletic programs and working with student-athletes.

There are many professional roles related to athletic director jobs. Depending on the type of school, and the size of the athletic department, there many be several high-level administrator jobs in the athletic department. An athletic director job may require either or both administrative and physical training or coaching duties. Some jobs titles related to athletic director jobs include assistant athletic director of operations & development, chancellor and director of athletics, associate athletic director for compliance and internal operations, high school athletic director, director of athletics/health and physical education, and senior associate athletic director. These different types of athletic director jobs can be found at high schools or universities.

The job duties of an athletic director are to administer the budget, oversee the hiring of staff, manage athletic programs, enforce rules, facilitate regulatory compliance, and plan programs. Athletic directors also oversee the recruiting of athletes and make the final decisions on student-athlete disciplinary issues. The athletic director’s role is to bring structure, guidance, and direction to a school’s athletic program.

The position of athletic director is a great job for anyone who loves sports. Athletic directors also have the privilege of shaping the experiences of young athletes positively. Some other benefits of being an athletic director include free or discounted admission to sporting events, ample opportunities for career advancement, good pay, and influence over the direction of athletic programming.

Job Summary

Our school seeks an Athletic Director to comprehensively run our sports program, providing insight on strategy and direction for coaches, staff, and athletes. In this role, you will manage budgets, implement recruiting initiatives, and oversee benchmarks and staff scheduling while ensuring compliance with national policies. Our ideal candidate has a bachelor's degree in sports management or physical education, relevant work experience, and excellent interpersonal skills. Having a passion for sports and for helping to shape young student-athletes is also expected of our candidates.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction for our school's sports program
• Collaborate and lead coaches, staff, and athletes
• Oversee the program budget, benchmarks, and staff scheduling
• Administer recruiting initiatives
• Work with regulatory agencies, such as the NCAA, to ensure our school complies with mandates
• Make decisions regarding athlete disciplinary issues

Requirements and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in sports management or physical education
• Completion of a relevant internship to gain experience
• Work experience as a coach, trainer, or coaching assistant
• Passion for sports and helping athletes succeed
• Interpersonal, leadership, and organizational skills