Transformative Coaching and Leadership - UCLA School of Education & Information Studies

The Transformative Coaching and Leadership master’s program prepares graduates to take on leadership positions in their professional careers. Students in the program are introduced to transformative models of coaching and leadership premised by holistic understanding of persons and develop their own coaching and leadership philosophy.

The program emphasizes the application of theory and evidence to practice and embraces the ethic of social justice and human dignity. Students are inspired to contribute to the creation of a more just, equitable and humane society through enlightened and socially conscious coaching and leadership.

“Coaching is Teaching.”

John Wooden (1910-2010), UCLA Men’s Basketball
Head Coach (1948-1975)

“The Most Luxurious Possession, the Richest Treasure Anybody has, is his Personal Dignity.”

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972): UCLA student athlete and first player to break the color line in professional baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Paul Grattan

Running Backs Coach, Duquesne University

“When I came to Duquesne, some guys were like, ‘You need to figure out what your style is and what your rules are.’ And I already had my philosophy and my own rules because I’d developed it during the TCL program.”

Following a professional playing career in the XFL, Grattan joined the Duquesne coaching staff in 2023, working with the offensive line. He played collegiate football at Villanova and UCLA, where he was an All-Pac 12 selection.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Patrick Cota

Assistant Coach, Ohio State University Field Hockey

“TCL is a great program for anyone who sees themselves as a lifelong learner and is willing to commit to continuing to evaluate and reevaluate themselves.”

Inducted into the USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame following his time at UCLA, Cota has mentored athletes at Michigan and Stanford in addition to leading Olympic Development Program teams.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Mackenzie Cole

Assistant Coach, Duke Volleyball

“TCL propelled me and helped prepare me for the coaching role I’m now in.”

Following her time at UCLA, Cole returned to her alma mater in Durham to serve as Director of Operations for the Blue Devils’ women’s volleyball program. Elevated to her current assistant coaching role in 2024, Cole works primarily with Duke’s defensive specialists and liberos.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Ramsen Golpashin

Assistant Coach, UCLA Football

“You’re learning from people who have won multiple national championships and are the best at what they do. In your head, you’re like ‘These are the experiences and connections you can only get at a place like UCLA.’ “

A veteran of the collegiate and NFL football coaching ranks, Golpashin has led teams at Hawaii, Oregon, Cal and UCLA.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Genny Tripler

Sports Performance Coach, Stanford University

A former collegiate swimmer at Ithaca College, Tripler has coached athletes at Cornell University, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. Now a Sports Performance Specialist for the Stanford Cardinal, she has also mentored U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes in Colorado Springs as a Team USA Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Academic Information

The program is undergirded by an understanding that “teaching” and “coaching” are sister disciplines born of a common parentage whose goals are nothing other than educational excellence and execution, in the classroom and on the court. Faculty of the program consists of experts and practitioners in the field of sports including legendary coaches and seasoned athletic directors as well as renowned faculty from the field of Education.

GOALS

Cultivating one’s own philosophy of coaching and leadership and applying it in practice.
Appreciating a holistic understanding of persons as physical, intellectual, emotional, social, & spiritual beings.
Embracing a transformational model of coaching and leadership (rather than merely transactional).
Commitment to a social justice ethic including commitment to equity, inclusion & diversity.
Appreciating the intersection of theory and practice and aspiring towards theory and evidence informing one’s practice.

CURRICULUM

Courses in the degree program include:

Principles of Effective Coaching and Leadership
Philosophies of Coaching
Diversity Leadership in Sports and Athletics
Ethical Issues in Sports
Mental Health in Athletics and Coaching
History and Philosophy of Sport and Physical Education
Leadership and Management of Athletic Departments
Issues in American Sports
Wooden: Intersection of Practice and Theory
College Student Athletes: Issues and Research
Introduction to Research Methods
Practicum / Field Experience

Candidates will also be able to devise an individualized plan of study according to their area of interest and be able to take electives from numerous departments and schools across campus, including Psychology, Anderson School of Management, Sociology and others.

One year full-time / Two years part-time