ROOTS OF GREATNESS: THE IMPACT OF COACHING TREES ON LEADERSHIP AND PROGRAM CULTURE IN NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Coaching trees -- networks of former players and assistant coaches who ascend to head coaching positions -- have been extensively studied in men's sports, yet their influence in NCAA women’s basketball remains underexplored. These coaching lineages provide a unique perspective on the transmission and adaptation of leadership philosophies, cultural values, and strategic approaches across coaching generations. This study examines the coaching tree of Courtney Banghart, head coach at the University of North Carolina, and explores how her leadership has shaped the coaching approaches of four former players and assistants who are now head coaches at Lehigh University, the California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Columbia University. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this research identifies shared leadership values, cultural strategies, and definitions of success among these coaches.Findings suggest that mentorship within coaching trees plays a significant role in shaping leadership identity, while also allowing space for individual coaches to adapt or evolve their own philosophies. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on leadership in collegiate athletics and highlights the power of mentorship in developing future coaching leaders in women’s basketball.