Behara et al. Social Network Analysis of NFL Coaches DECISION SCIENCES INSTITUTE Exploring Leadership in Services: A Social Network Analysis of NFL Coaches (Full Paper Submission) Ravi S. Behara Florida Atlantic University
[email protected] Preston J. Huang Spanish River Community High School
[email protected] C. Derrick Huang Florida Atlantic University
[email protected] ABSTRACT This study examines coaching leadership in the NFL from a social network perspective. Specifically, the role of coaches is explored based on team coaching staff networks across all NFL teams. Utilizing coaching staff data from all NFL teams for the period of 2000-2013, we find the eigenvector centrality as a useful measure to identify influential coaches. In addition, contrary to the general belief of the importance of degree centrality, we find that this network measure is more of an indicator of “journeyman” than “winning” coach. We further explore the networks of successful coaches and identify different “schools” of coaching. KEYWORDS: Social network analysis, Centrality measures, Leadership, National Football League, Coaching INTRODUCTION The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional sports league in the U.S., generating annual revenues of more than $9 billion. The value of a NFL team ranges from just below $1 billion to over $2.3 billion (http://www.forbes.com/nfl-valuations/list/). Its total operating profits and franchise valuation of the NFL with 111 million fans are twice as much as those of the MLB, the next largest North American sports league (Quinn, 2012). Based on revenues, the NFL would make the Fortune 300 list: it is half the size of the pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb and about a tenth the size of Citi Group, Microsoft, or Boeing.