An athletic director is a person who is involved in the hiring and overseeing of coaches and the management of the department’s financial and physical resources. Along with this responsibility, an athletic director works closely with other college and university officials to ensure the institution’s academic standards are maintained. Athletic directors …show more content…
Television media rights contract values can be as high as one-hundred million dollars, which make it all more important to have a strong business mind as well as a passion for sports. Many positions may require that you have some background in economics. Athletic directors also hire coaches and make tough decisions regarding the athletic department, which is why athletic directors need to have critical thinking skills and able to handle scrutiny and pressure. They also need to be a people person, and to have a background with media and public speaking.
An athletic director needs to be well informed and well trained. All universities require that you have at least a bachelor’s degree in physical education, marketing or business. Many higher-tier jobs require at least a master’s degree in any of the previously mentioned majors or in sports administration.
The training to become an athletic director is almost as important as the education involved. Many athletic directors train for several years within different departments of a university. Also, many may have had internships within high schools and front offices of professional teams or leagues. It is crucial to try to gain as much experience possible because of the high-volume of applicants for a small number of jobs within the sports