WeCOACH, a nonprofit organization with a mission to recruit, advance, and retain women coaches across all sports and levels, has teamed up with Hudl, the global leader in performance analysis technology, to announce the launch of National Women Coaches Day (NWCD), an annual observance to celebrate, honor, support, and develop women in coaching. The initiative will be observed each year on March 7 (3/7), selected as a tribute to the 37 words that comprise the Title IX law.
National Women Coaches Day honors the powerful influence of women coaches who lead, mentor, and inspire the next generation of athletes and is a commitment to building a future where women coaches belong and thrive in every coaching arena. The day is also intended to raise awareness of the need for more women in coaching roles.
“National Women Coaches Day is more than a celebration — it’s a call to action. Women coaches shape the culture of sport, develop confident leaders, and inspire generations. On this day and every day, WeCOACH is committed to ensuring women not only enter the profession, but thrive, lead, and stay. We’re proud to champion this movement with Hudl and the incredible women who make an impact on and off the field,” said Vanessa Fuchs, CEO of WeCOACH.
Despite decades of growth in girls’ and women’s sport participation following the passage of Title IX, research from the NCAA Demographics Database, the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport shows that women remain significantly underrepresented in coaching leadership. In 1972, more than 90% of women’s collegiate teams were coached by women. Today, women coach 41% of women’s teams across all three NCAA divisions. Women of color lead only 7% of NCAA women’s teams and 1% of men’s teams. At the youth level, women coaches accounted for 26% in 2022.
“At Hudl, we’re right there with coaches and athletes every day, so we see the difference women coaches make at every level. Beyond being leaders on the sideline, they’re role models in their communities,” Hudl SVP of Product Michelle Henry said. “We’re proud to partner with WeCOACH to ensure women coaches receive the recognition, resources and support needed to make impacts that extend far beyond Women’s Coaches Day.”
The annual observance of National Women Coaches Day will engage athletes, coaches, administrators, parents, and sports organizations in conversations around equity, leadership, and access to professional development opportunities for women coaches.
“Great women coaches see not only where their teams are—but what they can become. They recognize potential, demand growth, and bring out the best in others,” said Carol “Hutch” Hutchins, the winningest coach in NCAA softball history and longtime University of Michigan coach who retired in 2022.
That forward-looking leadership is echoed by legendary volleyball coach Sharon Clark, who said “Great women coaches lead with clarity of vision—and the ability to bring others with them toward something bigger.” Clark won 368 games at Butler University, the most in program history, and led as the AVCA President in 2020 & 2021.
As part of the inaugural observance, WeCOACH will host a Regional Workshop on March 7, 2026, in Tampa, Florida. The one-day event will offer professional growth and leadership development programming for current and aspiring women coaches across youth, scholastic, collegiate, and club sports. Participants can register for the event here.
The date March 7 was selected as a tribute to the 37 words of Title IX, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. While Title IX expanded education and participation opportunities for women and girls, coaching leadership has not kept pace.
For more information and to access resources for celebrating National Women Coaches Day, please click here.