People make the difference: The influence of the coaching staff's human capital and diversity on team performance

In following the resource‐based view of the firm, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of coaching staff characteristics on team performance. Specifically, the effects of codified knowledge, previous playing experience, previous coaching experience, and racial diversity were examined. Data were collected from members of Division I‐A football coaching staff (N = 323) and aggregated to the staff level (n = 77). Hierarchical regression analysis with a stepwise process indicated that, after controlling for the previous season's success, collective collegiate coaching experience, collective professional coaching experience, and racial diversity all held significant associations with team performance, accounting for 14% unique variance. The findings have implications for human resource professionals and athletic administrators, particularly in the areas of hiring decisions and organizational culture.