The purpose of this study was to make clear the following: (1) the causal attributions about the athletes with problems, and (2) the relation between causal attributions and coaching methods from athletes' point of view. The subjects were 243 university athletes. They were asked to read 6 different fictitious scenarios describing the problems of the athletes. They wer then requested (1) to make causal attributions about the athletes' problems into 8 causal factors such as athlete's lack of ability and coach's inappropriate coaching method etc, (2) to assess the possibility for the athlete to show a better athletic record, (3) to indicate the degree of affective reactions to the athlete, and (4) to respond to two bipolar scales, describing how to coach the athlete; verbal feedback (encouragement vs. criticism) and personal coaching (required vs. not required). Main results were as follows: 1. The athletes attributed the causes of the problems to their inappropriate exercise, poor effort, personality problems, and coach's inappropriate coaching method. On the other hand, the lack of ability of atheletes was viewed as much less of a factor determining the problems of athletes. These results supported the ego-diffensive attributions. 2. From the path analysis, it was found that the extent of attribution to the athlete's lack of ability, poor effort, and personality problem, and coach's inappropriate coaching method could predict the coaching methods for the athletes. These results supported the Weiner's (1986) causal attribution model of motivation and emotion.