The effect of race on lateral moves to coach central positions

Racial discrimination in the coaching labor market has garnered substantial attention among researchers; however, scholars have struggled to empirically answer the question of why these disparities exist. The stacking of players into certain positions based on race in football substantially impacts future coaching candidate pools, as studies consistently find that incumbents of central positions experience more upward mobility in their careers. The purpose of the present study is to identify factors that allow coaches to make lateral moves into central coaching positions, specifically focusing on race. Examining all lateral moves among position and assistant position coaches across 32 National Football League seasons, logistic regression results indicate that, holding central position playing experience constant, Black coaches are less likely to lateral move to coach central positions. Moreover, earlier and later in the sample period, minority head coaches were less likely to assign Black assistant coaches to coach central positions. In addition to race, a separate effect of central position playing experience exists, which further emphasizes the effect of racial stacking, resulting in Black coaches experiencing discrimination still emanating from their playing careers. Based on these findings, implications within and outside sport are discussed.Black coaches are less likely to lateral move to coach central positions.Coaching staff diversity remained steady since the 2003 Rooney Rule implementation.Minority head coaches increasingly assigned Blacks to central positions until 2003.Minority head coaches decreasingly assigned Blacks to central positions after 2002.Central position playing experience increases chances of coaching central positions.