When it comes down to coaching Division I athletics, are women being overlooked in terms of pay and coaching positions?
The Chronicle of Higher Education seems to think so.
In an article released last week, the publication reported that more men than women coached female teams in 1999-2000, by a 1,394 to 1,245 margin.
There are not many women coaching men’s teams. In fact, only 57 women were listed as head coaches of men’s teams last year, and most of those teams were sports such as golf and swimming.
The Chronicle also said coaches of women’s teams are earning far less than those who coach men’s teams and this has barred women from a majority of the best-paying jobs in college athletics.
But a couple of MSU coaches say there’s no gender bias in their pay or in the opportunities given to coach at the university.
“If someone is a good coach, that is not gender-based,” MSU head volleyball coach Chuck Erbe said.
Erbe, who is one of nine male coaches of women’s volleyball in the Big Ten, said you have to look at each sport individually to determine if the coach is being underpaid. Erbe said it’s based on a sport’s history and “you have to look at the coaches’ responsibilities” to determine if the pay satisfies what the coach does.
MSU women’s basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie agrees with Erbe’s approach. She said schools should hire “the best coaches for the situation.”
“I think that can happen,” McCallie said. “I’m confident we can grow.”
McCallie came to East Lansing from the University of Maine, and during her time there she saw her pay rise from the low $40,000 range all the way to the $90,000 range. Her pay increased accordingly after the women’s basketball program’s success claimed status over the men’s basketball team and eventually the hockey team. When she left Maine for MSU, the new Maine coach was hired for about $70,000.
“My experience has always dictated the market,” McCallie said. “If you have been on the market, they’re going to pay you more.”
McCallie now makes $150,000 a year as the Spartans’ head coach, but her men’s counterpart, Tom Izzo, earns $267,000. Neither base salary includes the bonuses the coaches earn throughout the season, nor any endorsement deals.
It’s a fact that coaches of MSU women’s teams make predominately less than those coaching men’s teams.
Coaches of some teams do have similar salaries. The women’s and men’s golf coaches, Stacy Slobodnik and Mark Hankins, respectively, earn identical salaries of $42,900.
But McCallie said the women’s market is growing and she applauds those coaches doing well in women’s sports who have given her a chance to make a larger salary.
“The top dogs need to keep what they’re doing,” McCallie said. “It pulls us along.”
McCallie said it will be awhile before men and women coaches earn similar salaries, but it’s something she said “doesn’t bother” her a bit.
Despite the coaches’ beliefs that gender bias isn’t reflected in their salaries at MSU, the financial share of the salaries for coaches of women’s teams is about 25 percent of the total coaching budget. MSU’s ratio is the lowest in the Big Ten, followed by Ohio State and Minnesota.
