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Special ones? The effect of head coaches on football team performance

Author

Listed:
  • Alex Bryson
  • Babatunde Buraimo
  • Alex Farnell
  • Rob Simmons

Abstract

Using data from professional football leagues in four countries, we assess the effects on team performances following head coach turnover, distinguishing between voluntary and involuntary exits. We use entropy balancing to deal with the endogeneity of coach departures, by reweighting pre‐departure covariates to obtain a comparable control group. Results reveal little, if any, positive effect from either type of turnover, though some longer‐term benefits are possible if teams experience no subsequent turnover. We discuss how these findings fit with previous literature and theory, and discuss the wider practical implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Bryson & Babatunde Buraimo & Alex Farnell & Rob Simmons, 2024. "Special ones? The effect of head coaches on football team performance," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 71(3), pages 295-322, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scotjp:v:71:y:2024:i:3:p:295-322
    DOI: 10.1111/sjpe.12369
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    Cited by:

    1. Raphael Flepp & Egon Franck, 2021. "The Performance Effects Of Wise And Unwise Managerial Dismissals," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(1), pages 186-198, January.
    2. Kaori Narita & J.D. Tena & Babatunde Buraimo, 2022. "Causal and Consequences of Multiple Dismissals: Evidence from Italian Football League," Working Papers 202226, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • Z22 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics - - - Labor Issues

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