The Organizational Structure, Roles, and Responsibilities of an Elite-Level Basketball Coaching Staff

Abstract

The Coaching Model theorized that coaching consists of three primary components: (a) training, (b) competition, and (c) organization. Unfortunately, researchers’ attention to the organization component has been scant compared with the keen focus given to training and competition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the organizational: (a) structure and (b) roles and responsibilities of an elite-level basketball coaching staff. The study employed a case study approach, utilizing interviews, observations, and artifacts as data sources. Data analysis identified the organizational structure as bureaucratic, or functional, in nature as (a) there was a clear chain of command, (b) roles and responsibilities were assigned based on staff member expertise, and (c) staff members had similar skill sets that allowed for easy communication and role overlap. Organizational roles were “Delegator,” “Recruiter,” and “Promoter.” Results provide insights into the manifestation of the organizational component among a staff, an exemplar of a staff managing the complexity of coaching, and support for the contention that coaching involves more than being the traditional teacher/psychologist.