On April 23rd, Northwestern University announced the launch of the Kellogg Coaches Leadership Academy, an initiative designed to provide their coaches with targeted business and leadership training.
The program is designed to prepare coaches for the expanding demands of collegiate athletics by providing them with essential leadership and management training. In today’s landscape, coaches are not only expected to instruct and mentor athletes, but also to act as strategic leaders, business managers, and organizational decision-makers.
The initiative was launched under the direction of Mark Jackson, Northwestern’s Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation. Recognizing the evolving nature of coaching roles, Jackson partnered with the Kellogg School of Management to create a resource that supports both current and future head coaches in navigating these complexities.
“At Northwestern, we have very talented coaches that inspire excellence and develop our student-athletes in extraordinary ways every day,” said Jackson to Northwestern Athletics in a presss release. “What better way to invest in the talents of our coaches than by tapping into the world-class faculty right here at Northwestern. The Kellogg Coaches Leadership Academy will help further train our coaches and staff in the critical skills needed in today’s collegiate athletic world.”
The Kellogg Coaches Leadership Academy will offer a wide-ranging curriculum focused on essential areas such as data-driven decision-making, crisis response, evolving team dynamics, complex negotiations, and leadership under uncertainty.
This new program is made possible through the support of Northwestern alumnus Harreld N. “Kip” Kirkpatrick III and his wife, Sara Kirkpatrick. A former three-year starter on the Wildcats’ men’s basketball team, Kip now serves as a University Trustee, sits on the Kellogg Global Advisory Board, and is Co-CEO of The Vistria Group, a private investment firm.
“Today’s collegiate coaches are essentially CEOs of complex organizations,” said Kirkpatrick. “They manage multi-million-dollar budgets, lead diverse staffs, and navigate complex, new regulatory environments, all while expected to compete at the highest levels of sport. As both a business leader and a former student-athlete, I see tremendous opportunity in sports leadership, and this new program brings to coaches a business and sports framework and leadership strategies that will be critical to future success. Sara and I are so impressed with Northwestern’s coaches and love that they, along with Mark, recognize that their impact extends far beyond wins and losses – they’re developing the next generation of leaders, and they deserve the best professional development tools available.”
Per Northwestern Athletics, the first cohort will consist of head coaches and essential staff members from all of Northwestern’s varsity programs. The Academy is set to begin in August, aligning with the start of the 2025-26 academic year.
Kate Drohan, Head Coach of Northwestern’s Softball program and a member of the inaugural cohort, expressed excitement for the initiative, stating, “The business of college athletics has never been more complex. Having access to world-class faculty from our business school will give our coaching staff tools that directly translate to program success while continuing to create a remarkable experience for our student-athletes.”
