Northwestern's head coaches and senior athletics staff spent the past year learning business strategy, recruiting pitches, and data analytics alongside Kellogg School of Management faculty. As college athletics reshapes itself around NIL deals, revenue sharing, and the transfer portal, the university built a program to help its coaches navigate the business side of their jobs.

The Kellogg Coaches Leadership Academy, announced in April 2025 and funded by a gift from University Trustee Harreld N. "Kip" Kirkpatrick III and his wife Sara, wrapped its inaugural year with three full-day sessions at the Kellogg Global Hub in Evanston. The program brought together coaches and staff from all 21 varsity programs.

"Sara and I wanted to find a meaningful way to support the coaches who shape the Northwestern student-athlete experience," Kirkpatrick said in a university statement. "My personal experience at Kellogg showed me what happens when exceptional leaders are given the time and space to learn and grow."

Kirkpatrick earned his undergraduate degree from Northwestern in 1994 and his MBA from Kellogg in 1997. He is also the donor behind the Kip & Sara Kirkpatrick Stadium, a new softball facility under construction in Evanston.

What the sessions covered

The first session, held Thursday, June 12, 2025, focused on data analytics and artificial intelligence. Kellogg Professor Eric T. Anderson led the day. Sports agent David Falk spoke on NIL, revenue sharing, and the future of the athlete-agent-university relationship. Pat Ryan Jr., CEO of Ryan Sports Development and the figure behind Northwestern's $850 million Ryan Field project, also presented.

Session two on Monday, December 8, 2025, tackled recruiting messaging under the theme "Uniquely Selling Northwestern." Craig Wortmann, clinical professor of marketing and executive director of the Kellogg Sales Institute, led coaches through how to articulate the university's value to recruits, families, and donors. Softball head coach Kate Drohan ran a roundtable on building program vision, and Northwestern alumnus Luke Donald, who captained Europe to back-to-back Ryder Cup victories in 2023 and 2025, joined for a conversation on leadership.

The third session on Monday, June 8, 2026, extended the recruiting curriculum to staff retention. Women's lacrosse head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, who has led Northwestern to nine NCAA championships, shared her approach during a coaches roundtable. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti closed the day with a presentation on the conference's record $1.47 billion in revenues.

Each session also included peer-to-peer roundtables on topics including recruiting strategy, NIL, and roster management.

No dates for a second year of the Academy have been announced.