How to Become an Athletic Director: Your Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re a natural-born leader and passionate about the world of sports, the role of an athletic director could be just right for you. Serving much like CEOs of a school’s athletic program, athletic directors have huge influence and lots of responsibilities, with a hefty paycheck too.

This guide will explore exactly how to become an athletic director at a college or university, or even high school.

What Are the Job Responsibilities of an Athletic Director?

Before we get into the details of how to become an athletic director, let’s first explore what the role entails.

An athletic director is basically the big boss of athletics and sports programs at educational institutions like colleges. They’re in charge of all key decisions relating to the athletic department, with typical responsibilities including:

• Reviewing and hiring new coaches and other sports professionals
• Planning and organizing sports events
• Supervising teams and overseeing the development of student-athletes
• Raising funds to help improve the athletic program and its facilities
• Managing the institution’s physical education and sports budget
• Firing coaches and dissolving teams when necessary

As you can see, it’s a big role with a lot to do.

Note, however, that athletic director jobs can vary from one college or school to the next. Some directors may need to be more hands-on with a wider range of responsibilities, while others may not have quite as many duties, but still play a massive role in the school’s sporting endeavors.

What’s the Ideal Skillset to Be a Successful Athletic Director?

Given the broad array of responsibilities that come with a career as an athletic director, you’ll need an equally broad set of skills to succeed in this job.

Indeed, there are many crucial skills that define the most esteemed and successful athletic directors, including:

• Leadership Skills: Naturally, you have to be a good leader to head a school’s sports department.
• Communication: You’ll need to communicate with teams, players, coaches, stakeholders, and many other partners and professionals to get things done.
• Sports Knowledge: It helps to have a strong understanding of sports, which is why many people in athletic director roles were once young athletes themselves.
• Organization: With so much to do, you have to be an organized person, capable of managing tasks and teams, and meeting deadlines.
• Decision-Making: You’re the top decision-maker for all things sports-related, so you have to be capable of making the big calls.
• Strategic Planning: It also helps to have a strong strategic mind when making those large decisions, hiring coaches, and planning for the future.

How to Become an Athletic Director in 7 Steps

Now you know all the basics of being an athletic director. Next, let’s see how to an become athletic director, step-by-step, starting with education and progressing to a full-time director role.

#1 – Learn About the AD Role

Before pursuing any kind of career, it’s wise to take the time to learn as much as you can about it. That’ll help you decide whether or not it’s the right path for you to tread while also helping you make the right moves early on to get ahead and avoid wasting time or resources.

So, the first thing to do is simple: learn all about the athletic director role. Find out what’s involved, speak to people in sports administration, and use the many resources available to you online or in books to educate yourself.

#2 – Earn Your Bachelor’s Degree

Naturally, this kind of role requires a strong background in sports education. So, if you hope to obtain an AD position, you’ll need, at the very least, a degree. In terms of what to study, there are several options available, including sports management, physical education, and exercise sciences.

A bachelor’s degree in sports management is a fine way to start, or you could seek out a hybrid program that allows you to major in sports and minor in business. These types of courses will help you gain the wide range of skills you need to succeed in the future.

#3 – Earn Your Master’s Degree

For many colleges, especially the top ones, a bachelor’s degree won’t suffice. They’ll require you to have a master’s. So, it’s worth continuing your education to a higher level, if you’re able to do so, again focusing on fields like sports management and exercise sciences.

#4 – Gain Relevant Experience

Even with strong qualifications, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to just walk into a role as an athletics director. Instead, you’ll need to build up your skills through experience, working your way up the ranks.

A lot of aspiring ADs start in fields like coaching or sports admin, where they can learn and cultivate their skills.

#5 – Obtain Certifications

While gaining experience, try to find time to obtain more training and certifications from leading bodies like the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. Some useful certifications to consider include:

• Registered Athletic Administrator
• Certified Athletic Administrator
• Certified Master Athletic Administrator

#6 – Foster Leadership Skills

Leadership is one of the most fundamental skills for any athletic director, and it’s something you’ll want to work on and build up continuously if you hope to succeed in this field. There are lots of ways to improve your leadership skills, like:

• Taking roles where you can practice and demonstrate your leadership
• Volunteering to lead teams and head up projects
• Accepting additional responsibilities whenever they’re available
• Seeking training or mentorship from proven leaders

#7 – Network and Build Relationships

In athletics, skills and experience will get you so far, but it also helps to know the right people. Indeed, a lot of skills hire athletic directors based on recommendations or professional networks, not traditional job posts or recruitment drives.

So, focus too on building your network. Attend events, get yourself involved in the sporting scene as much as possible, and meet, greet, and engage with key people at schools near you (or schools you want to work for) to unlock doors and obtain opportunities.

How Can UC Help You Become an Athletic Director?

Now you know how to become an athletic director, and the University of Cincinnati is the perfect place to take your first steps. UC has a strong history of educating and producing excellent athletic directors, with both in-person and online courses, like our Master of Science in Sport Administration program, to help you learn the skills you need to succeed.

UC Is Affectionally Known as the #CradleOfAthleticDirectors

The faculty at the University of Cincinnati take great pride in the network of alumni who have gone on to become athletic directors. In fact, the success in the field has led to Dr. David Kelley, Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator of the MS Online Sport Administration program, deeming the program the #CradleOfAthleticDirectors. 

Becoming a Registered Athletic Administrator or a Certified Athletic Administrator are both great options for helping to advance your career in athletics. As a student of UC Online, you can take advantage of our partnership with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) to complete your accreditation. Many of our students graduate from the online program having already obtained RAA or CAA certification while in the program. This course sequence can help give you a leg-up over the competition and provide some additional education related to the profession.

Our online curriculum is built around providing you with the tools to succeed working in an education setting. Dr. Kelley continues to network and stay engaged at the interscholastic level. He was recently awarded the SWOADA/NFHS Citation Award for his impact on high school activities. There are plenty of pathways to get started as an athletic director, and the faculty and staff at UC Online are here to guide you and help you achieve your goals.

Contact Us Today and Take the First Step Toward Becoming an Athletic Director

So, if you dream of being an inspiring, game-changing athletic director someday, guiding your school to a golden place in sports history, UC is here to help. Get in touch with our team today to learn more about relevant degrees and your best options to move forward with your AD dreams.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is being an athletic director hard?

It certainly can be, as it involves a lot of different responsibilities and duties. However, many ADs also say that this job is immensely rewarding, not just financially, but in terms of personal and professional fulfillment, as well.

Do you need an MBA to be an athletic director?

Not necessarily, but a lot of athletic directors do have relevant master’s degrees. So if you want to have the best chances of success and an easier time getting an AD job, it helps to have a master’s.

What are the best degrees to become an athletic director?

The best degrees for becoming an athletic director typically include sports management, physical education, or exercise sciences. A bachelor’s degree in one of these fields provides a solid foundation, while pursuing a master’s in sports administration or a related area can further enhance your qualifications and career prospects.

What skills do you need to be an athletic director?

To be a successful athletic director, you’ll need strong leadership and communication skills, along with a deep understanding of sports. Organization, strategic planning, and decision-making are also crucial, as you’ll be managing teams, budgets, and key decisions for your institution’s athletic program.