This is crazy to say coaches should have their own APR. They are not the ones who admitted the kid (admissions) they are not the tutors (academic services) they do not assign the classes (advisors) they do not teach the classes (professors). It is not one sided it takes a whole for a student to graduate. Everyone has a part. A coach just has a piece of the puzzle. Not only that there are many coaches that are at institutions that don't have the same resources for these extra services, why should they all be judged equally? The APR is good but it is more an institutional than any individual.

Its only a matter of time until we start hearing "Oh Canada!" at some NCAA events.

". . .whether coaches should be held responsible for the academic success of their student-athletes through the academic progress rates. . ."

Its the student who rakes in the glory or scorn whether he achieves or fails in the classroom. Why are we taking this responsibility away from him?

The APR, in my opinion, is simply an example of the success of the Support System that the coach/AD has put in place around their sports programs, not the coach.

I've always seen the coach as a >victim

The coach never takes a test for the player. The coach never does the players homework. The coach is not the one cramming for finals. Yet, if Johnny Jumpshot fails out of school, the coach is looked down upon. I dont get it.

While coaches do not admit, tutor, assign classes, or teach, they play a significant role in each of those areas. In fact, athletes have identified coaches (along with parents) as the most influential people in their lives. Coaches are the ones who recruit athletes to attend the university - often disregarding athletes' ability to succeed academically. The scheduling of practices, weight training, film, community service, etc. - all under coaches' control -- significantly influence the amount of time an athlete can spend on academics. There is little doubt that the 20-hour limit per week is universally dismissed and that athletes have been discouraged from pursuing certain majors, study abroad programs, etc. because of athletic demands. See http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004147443_rboverview27m0.html and http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/academics/. So, coaches must be held more accountable than they currently are in regards to academic performance.