Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2024
Document Type
Dissertation (799 registration)
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership
Department
Graduate Studies
Committee Chair
Boyd Bradbury
Keywords
college golf, competitive advantage, national rank, NCAA, Division II
Abstract
Abstract
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) added Division II men’s golf in 1963. Since then, teams in the South/Southeast (S/SE) NCAA Region have been dominant, with the last nine of 11 national champions from schools in Florida. What are the pragmatic factors that make a top 50 nationally ranked team or an elite team in the top 25? This study had 14 head coaches of nationally ranked teams (or previous national rank) and included three former national champions in the participant sample. These coaches were interviewed individually or set into focus groups within the S/SE and Central/Midwest NCAA Regions. From these qualitative data, 12 codes formed the basic factors of discussion: scholarship, facilities, recruitment, coach leadership, schedule, team culture, climate, NCAA portal, history of winning, D2/D1 stigma, staffing, and administrative support. From these axial codes formed four selective codes of resources, coach control, external factors, and politics. Once the data became theoretically saturated, it produced a grounded theory, the Theory of Coach Control. Coach Control covers the aspects of recruitment, coach leadership, scheduling, and team culture. The most significant feature of Coach Control is recruitment. The data defines this as “actively recruiting at a high level”. This is the most dominant factor that can overcome climate, facilities, scholarship, or administrative support. Closely behind this factor is coach leadership, which is the philosophy and priorities of the head coach. On its own, the Theory of Coach Control can produce a nationally ranked team.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Ekren, "Pragmatic Factors of Nationally Ranked NCAA Division II Men's Golf Teams: A Grounded Theory Inquiry" (2024). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 921.
https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/921