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Abstract
Through the lens of upper echelon theory (UET), this study advances the literature on the theory of expert leadership (TEL) by examining the degree to which National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball organizational performance outcomes are associated with the technical experience of the head coach leading the organization. UET assumes organizational outcomes are driven by differentiation in the personal characteristics of key firm leaders, while TEL assumes leaders with high-level expert technical experience in the same industry will lead their organizations to greater levels of performance. The sample utilized is a sixteen-year panel of data on programs and head coaches from the top seven spending basketball conferences, spanning from the 2004-2005 season to the 2019-2020 season. The sample contains 1,392 observations embodying 214 unique head coaches. Fixed effects panel regressions is used to analyze program organizational performance. The study reveals that head coaches with NBA playing experience significantly influence their teams' performance, particularly when they have had impactful and efficient careers, as measured by metrics like PER. In contrast, traditional value measures such as VORP show no significant relationship to coaching success. Collegiate head coaching experience emerges as a consistently strong predictor of team success, highlighting the importance of familiarity with the college basketball environment. Additionally, financial resources play a crucial role, with higher spending linked to improved team outcomes. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how different types of experience shape coaching success, guiding institutions in making evidence-based decisions for athletic program development.