Racial Differences in the Career Success of Assistant Football Coaches: The Role of Discrimination,Human Capital,and Social Capital1

The purpose of this study was to examine competing hypotheses (human and social capital vs. discrimination) concerning the differential career outcomes of Black and White assistant football coaches. Data were gathered from 328 NCAA Division 1‐A assistant coaches (224 White coaches, 104 Black coaches). Results demonstrated racial differences in the career satisfaction of coaches, number of promotions received, and organizational proximity to the head coach position among the coaches, with Black coaches scoring lower on each outcome. MANCOVA results and subsequent tests for mediation showed that these differences could not be explained by racial differences in human and social capital, thereby providing support for the discrimination hypothesis.