February 24, 2020 (Jackson, Miss.) - Students who want to pursue a career in coaching, high school and college athletics, sports franchises and business management can now earn a Bachelor of Science in Leadership and Coaching from Belhaven University.
“This degree is special because of its foundation in business,” said Dr. Antwon Woods, Belhaven's Chair and Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Sport Management. “It is the sole connector for individuals who have dreams of working in this particular profession within the sport industry, and will serve its purpose in providing more opportunity for our graduates.”
Similar to Belhaven's Master of Science in Leadership, this program provides the opportunity for students to grasp leadership from a literary and practical perspective.The focus on both business and sports gives students a variety of careers to pursue such as head or assistant coach in college or high school, recreational director, director of operations, recruiting coordinator, and more.
Woods observed, “This new degree will serve as a bridge for aspiring students who desire to become coaches and athletic directors. For those students who might not want to work in high school athletics, this program can help them use their degree in a corporate setting.”
The program will also prepare students to take the PRAXIS exam and become certified to teach. “Students with aspirations of becoming junior high or high school coaches can take 18 hours towards a specific discipline such as math, history, or English,” said Woods. This will assist the student in the K-12 setting, and these hours will help them reach credentialing in that context-area.”
The courses are taught by experts in their fields, and are rooted within a business structured curriculum that will prepare students to take on the biggest challenges of the modern sports environment. Classes in recruiting and budgeting, developing a sports program, forecasting, NCAA compliance, and theory of coaching will give students the specialized knowledge they need to have successful careers. Opportunities such as Phi Beta Lambda business club, speaker series, and internships in coaching and athletic administration give students additional resources.