The Anti-Intellectual Coach: The Cultural Politics of College Football Coaching from the New Left to the Present.

This article examines the role of big-time white college football coaches in the United States as influential conservative figures who have shaped political and cultural discourse through anti-intellectual rhetoric during America's culture wars. It traces how coaches historically positioned themselves as defenders of traditional American values—centered on white, capitalist, heterosexual masculinity—by opposing movements associated with the New Left, such as racial justice protests and Title IX gender equity reforms. The article highlights how coaches have used authoritarian leadership styles and conservative media narratives to dismiss athlete activism, scientific concerns about player safety, and social justice issues, thereby reinforcing a neoliberal and anti-intellectual culture within college football. Contemporary examples, including coaches like Mike Gundy, Larry Fedora, Mike Leach, and Dabo Swinney, illustrate the persistence of these dynamics, which continue to influence the sport's relationship with universities, athletes, and broader political debates.