Black football coaches are going, going, almost gone

[ecstatic]

In 1998, just eight African-Americans walked the sidelines as head coaches at the 117 colleges playing big-time college football. It was, perhaps, the most striking symbol of racism entrenched in American life... On Tuesday, that number fell to just two.

What gives?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/usatoday/20041202/cm_usatoday/blackfootballcoachesaregoinggoingalmostgone

[Mojambo]

1. I have a sneaky suspicion that Willingham

is going to get the University of Washington job.

[frank frankly]

2. well, the fundies hate black people.

however, i'd say the War on Drugs is the most striking symbol of racism entrenched in American life.

of course, i'm not a complete fucking idiot, so what do i know about journalism?

[demosincebirth]

7. Lets not say its racism...please!

[frank frankly]

22. since you said please, i won't say it's racism

but i am thinking it.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

9. there are a lot of fundies

who ARE black people...nice broad brush there...

theProdigal

[frank frankly]

23. thanks for the compliment!

i just had my brush broadened!

[ProdigalJunkMail]

25. no problem...

i didn't broaden it...you did nicely! By the way, your website is very interesting. Cool concept...and I like the staff picture...

theProdigal

[frank frankly]

27. thanks and you're right...i should have said all the fundies i know hate

black people. certainly not all of them hate black people. some are too busy hating muslims!

peace
ff

[ProdigalJunkMail]

29. and some just hate indiscriminately

so...maybe you DO need to broaden that brush! :-)

theProdigal

[Marxdem]

54. What does religion have to do with any of this

You sound like theres quite a chip on your shoulder.

[Columbia]

3. Better hope UCLA does decent against USC on Saturday

Or that number may fall to one.

[Johonny]

4. Hard to tell

But I'd say NCAA football is the most backward of the college sports. What gives is the same thing that's keeping a playoff system out of NCAA football. The league is run by a collection of greying short sighted men. Other college sports such as basketball have done much better job in minority hiring.

Basically there are two problems: Too many african americans on the field and too few in the management ranks.

[tx_dem41]

48. Too many african americans on the field is a problem??

Or just when compared to the few in management?

[AliciaKeyedUp]

53. Has to be both

If it's OK for African Americans to be vastly over-represented in one area (leaving other groups out), then it's OK for them to be under-represented in coaching ranks. If it's not right in one spot, then it's not right in the other and we should have quotas for coaches and players.

[tx_dem41]

55. Well....I surely don't agree with that.

Open up the hiring process for coaches...put a spotlight on the issue...keep growing the minority coaches through the system....but do NOT have a quota system for either coaches or players (How in the heck would you even begin to impose quotas on players?!?)

[chicagiana]

58. Graduate Assistants ..

College coaching starts with graduate assistants. So don't bitch about the # of black head coaches. Bitch about a lack of black graduate assistants.

[Leilani]

5. This article is an editorial

which is opinion.

When discussing racism, it might be important to note this is someone's opinion.

[Johonny]

12. Yeah

But the numbers in it are facts.

[TheFarseer]

6. This is not racial

If black coaches won, they would be coaching. It's that simple. If Willingham went 11-1 he'd be coaching at ND. If he could recruit more speed and athleticism, he would still be coaching. If his teams wouldn't have gotten blown out in a few too many games, he would still be coaching. Maybe they pulled the plug on him before he got a fair shot, but that's just how big time college football is today. If you win, you stay, if you lose, hit the bricks baby.

[ecstatic]

10. Do all white coaches win?

Just wondering....

[TheFarseer]

17. of course not

and if they don't win, they get fired too. Cutcliffe was fired from Ole Miss. DiNardo was fired from Indiana. Crowton was fired from BYU. Why? Because their win totals didn't meet the expectations of the fans. Only no one is talking about them because they are white and also these are not as high profile jobs as Notre Dame.

[Johonny]

11. 8 out of 117

Not racial?

I agree in principal Ty getting the Axe was not about the color of his skin but the unreal expectations of Irish fans (many of whom never went to the school). But in general the lack of African Americans on the sideline is certainly amazing given the number on the field. There is a problem with the lack of African Americans in mangement positions in NCAA football. I believe there's a hint of racism there.

[TheFarseer]

21. You have a point in regards to hiring

As soon as a black coach wins a national championship, I predict there will be alot more black coaches. However, Ty Willingham was the poster child for a black coach doing really well, and now he's been fired from Notre Dame. Someone's got to lead the way here and prove that a black coach can win and win big. I can't remember if any black coaches have won a national championship in Basketball, but some are doing pretty well, which leads to more hiring of black coaches. It's a pretty simple formula really.

[ecstatic]

24. WTF

Why should we need a black coach to lead the path for other coaches to be hired? These universities should just do it! What you're saying supports the idea that they are refraining from hiring for racial reasons!

[theboss]

26. That's a pretty high standard

Granted, John Thompson winning a title at Georgetown (and how can you not remember him?....and Tubby Smith...and Nolan Richardson) did a lot to open doors for black coaches.

But, you can't hire anyone if the candidates aren't in the pipeline. They are in the pipeline in college ball; hell, Johnny Dawkins is more famous than 3/4 of the coaches out there. There aren't enough black assistants in college football. And there is no excuse for that.

[TheFarseer]

35. You just proved my point

And argh, wow, how could I not remember those three. Guess I'm just not in basketball mode yet. Last year at Nebraska, at least half of our assistants were black. There was some discussion of Turner Gill being head coach after Solich got fired. I know he could get a head coaching job somewhere and do a great job except he has turned down offers from other Universities. Maybe as recruiting starts to play a more and more vital role in college football, more black coaches will get hired because I think, in general, they are better recruiters.

[theboss]

37. Recruiting is not important now?

Um....what?

[TheFarseer]

56. I didn't say that very well

Recruiting has become the most important part of the game within the last 10 years and it will just grow more and more important.

[chicagiana]

59. Recruiting ...

Maybe as recruiting starts to play a more and more vital role in college football

You're joking ... right????

Recruiting has ALWAYS been the #1 factor in ALL college athletics.

The key is getting good black graduate assistants. Thats where the coaching pipeline starts.

Those assistants are typically the four year guys who aren't fit to play in the NFL. But they're smart, and they want to go to graduate school.

[theboss]

19. That still doesn't explain the lack of black candidates

Why aren't more blacks going into coaching. I mean, coaches are former players. And I don't see 22 white guys out there.

[DrWeird]

8. Funny how these threads bring out the trolls.

I see three so far.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

13. hi doc

do you believe this is racism? organized by the NCAA or is it just racism on the individual college level? or not at all?

theProdigal

OnEdit : I am not trying to harass you...we just disagree a lot and trying to see how you think...

[ecstatic]

14. my take

It's not KKK style racism, it's just institutional racism (mainly unintentional, but striking nonetheless as far as consequences). These coaches are all part of an elite club of wealthy white men. They know each other and look out for each other, and unfortunately, black coaches end up being overlooked as a result.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

15. i can definitely see that rationale...

is this the same in other NCAA sports? I don't follow much besides football and only a couple of teams, at that!

theProdigal

[theboss]

18. It's a little trickier than that

Head coaches don't spring forth magically from Bobby Bowden's forehead. They have to start at the bottom, making $8,000 a year as a graduate assistant, then $22,000 a year as a linebackers coach at a MAC school, then coordinator in a big conference, then head coach.

The problem is that the coaches are not hiring black assistants (and the universities aren't making them). No one wants a quota system, but the NCAA needs to develop a strong mentorship program of some kind.

It would also help if more parents did what Kellen Winslow, Sr. did and insist that there be black coaches on the staff of any school his son attended. (Granted, his original demand was a black head coach but he compromised with his son).

[TheFarseer]

28. I'm a troll because I can see the other side of the story???

If the black coaches that get hired have success, more black coaches will be hired! It's just that easy. The only black coach that has had alot of success was Willingham and he got promoted to arguabley the most high profile coaching job in college football. Was that racism? Other than Ty, no black head coaches have really had much success. I think we will continue to see only a sprinkling of black coaches getting hired until one of them hits it big and then you will see more black coaches getting hired. I resent being denounced as a troll for having a different opinion.

[ecstatic]

30. How did you know he/she was referring to you?

Things that make you go hmmmmm.... :)

BTW, you're advocating racial profiling. What you're saying is that the qualified black coaches out there should wait until another black coach has "success" in order to be considered.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

31. i think he was talking about me

:-)

theProdigal

[Johonny]

42. No

I thought he was saying that more Universities would be OK with a black football coach if a Black football coach became a winner. Sort of like Pete Carrol has made the failed NFL coach a hot NCAA prospect. I think there's some truth in the thought. The problem still lies in the lack of asistants. The sidelines don't have the same profile as those on the field. Yet almost all coaches are ex-players.

[theboss]

32. I'm not calling you a troll...I'm simply asking a question you won't answe

Why aren't there black assistants at the NCAA level? Why aren't there black graduate assistants?

How is a black coach ever going to win if one isn't in the pipeline to get hired?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

33. it is incredibly difficult to break into the Good-Ole-Boy's club

where cronyism is the primary mechanism by which one gets hired. The disparity is painful to see when shown in such a glaring light...

117...and only a few left...

theProdigal

[theboss]

34. That's the problem in a nutshell

The 117 is not the number to look at. The important number is 334. That's how many coordinator positions are out there. These are the future head coaches.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

36. agreed...

how is the problem/imbalance going to be corrected. With all the talented african-american ballplayers out there, you would think that they would naturally begin to filter up into the coaching posts...it has always been the natural progression. Will it take governmental action to fix it???

theProdigal

[theboss]

38. The NBA fixed the problem on its own

And the NFL is getting better; though, I still don't exactly like the Rooney Rule. It's just a matter of the schools making a concerted effort at the graduate assistant level. Once that happens, the problem will fix itself.

[Johonny]

39. It's probably worse than that

Because coordinators come from assistants... The other problem is the USC trend. Where NFL coaches are now hot prospects for college jobs. NFL has similar problems and is slowly changing but at least acknoledged. A coach like Mike Shula never coordinated anything and poof he's a head coach in college.

[theboss]

40. Shula was a coordinator in the pros

And, let's face it, he's a Shula. The rules are different for him.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

41. his daddy got him in

cronyism...at its finest...and the people at Alabama were more than anxious to have him in...at least many were. They wanted some new blood...but it had to be Bama-blood...but he WAS an offensive coordinator at Tampa if I am not mistaken...

theProdigal

[theboss]

43. Shula was a rare case

A. Alabama was on probation. They needed someone fresh-faced and pure to come in. And what name in football has more integrity attached to it than "Shula."

B. He's a freakin' Shula.

C. He's a 'Bama guy. West Virginia did the same thing in hiring Rich Rodriguez. Alumni love it when you keep it in the family.

D. He's a freakin' Shula.

E. He was a coordinator (albeit a bad one) at the pro level. Pete Carrol was a bad pro coach; that hire worked out at USC.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

44. nice analysis

I particularly like B and D. How do you NOT coach at the head-coach level with a name like that? I hope he can weather the storms there...here is a good guy (yes, I know him...and his dad).

theProdigal

[theboss]

45. He looks like a good guy

But the sons in that family seem to have fallen far from the coaching tree. They ain't the Bowdens.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

46. thanks for the laughs...

i think he'll get there...needs a little more seasoning and taking on UA as a first head-coach job is no small undertaking...it will certainly toughen him up. he knows the game...the rest will take time. At least Dave has that whole restaurant thing going for him :-)

theProdigal

[TheFarseer]

57. OK, here's the short answer to your question

Two things - Black coaches simply don't have a good track record yet. Bobby Williams at Michigan St "lost his team" and John Blake at Oklahoma proved he can recruit, but he just flat out can't coach. Others were not bad, but didn't take thier team to the next level. Willingham, the guy at Wake, and Tony Samuel come to mind. I could reserch this better if my internet connection wasn't complete crap.

The other thing is, it's just more familiar to hire a white guy. You're going out on a limb hiring a black coach. These ADs can get fired pretty easily too and they want to make safe decisions. Is it fair? No. But once black coaches prove they can win consistently, it won't be controversial and it will be done more often like in basketball.

[theboss]

16. The NCAA is disgraceful on this topic

And the problem is that it paralyzes schools who do hire black coaches. In reality, Willigham was probably not the right coach for Notre Dame. In a normal situation, he would be fired and people wouldn't think twice about it. But because he's black, it's a national issue. I would think that makes it more difficult to hire black coaches, because it makes it hard to eventually fire them. And as the saying goes, all coaches are hired to be fired (except Joe Paterno apparently).

Anyway, this issue needs to be addressed at the assistant coach level. There are not enough black graduate assistants, black assistant coaches, and black coordinators in the pipeline. To its credit, the NFL has started upping this number in the last few years and you are seeing the results at the head coaching spot.

I think graduate assistants may be the key in all this. Sadly, it's still going to take 10 to 15 years to make a real dent. But if you do it at that level, it will result in permanent change.

But Willingham will have a job in a few weeks, I think.

[Nicole]

20. If You Want More Black Coaches,

You Are Going To Have To “Groom” Them
by Gregory Moore

That's the title of a column at www.blackathlete.com that addresses this issue.


SAN ANTONIO, TX-- – The other day I was talking with one of my favorite people from Richmond, Virginia and he brought up the fact that the NCAA needs to break up the “good ole boy” system so that more Black coaches could be hired. Of course I couldn’t disagree more with him on this issue. We are all too aware of racism in this country but to say that Black coaches aren’t getting their fair shake is probably a statement that shouldn’t be made in 2004. If Sylvester Croom can get hired in the SEC and start turning around the Mississippi State Bulldogs, then anyone who is a good Black coach can be hired at the Division I level. Yet my friend says that there is a problem and to an extent he is very correct. However he is also very misinformed because it isn’t up to Athletic Directors to beg for Black coaches. Now what needs to happen in our own backyard is to do something that basketball has no problem doing. If the hood wants more Black coaches at the big name schools, then it is time for some of our kids to go ahead and realize that there is a good living at coaching in the college ranks.


Entire article is here:
http://www.blackathlete.com/artman/publish/article_0182.shtml

About the author:
Gregory Moore is the Managing Editor of the San Antonio Informer, a weekly African American newspaper located in San Antonio, Texas. He has also been heard on Sporting News Radio's "The Chet Coppick Show" where he has talked about a wide range of issues that affect the African American sporting community. He has been covering the NBA for eleven seasons.

[chicagiana]

60. Key to "good ole boy" network ...

The coaches do indeed travel in close circles. And in order to make the grade at graduate assistant, you have to impress your head coach.

Now, this could very well be a cultural thing. Because it's easier to relate to someone who does "the right things". It's a bit harder to relate to those guys with the weird tatoos and baggy clothes playing the "hippity hop" music all day.

The things that will give a kid "street cred" back home is likely to convince a coach that the person is not a good coaching candidate.

[YNGW]

47. I don't believe it's racism, not even close.

In today's climate, it's wins and loses, especially with the big name colleges. Wins turn into bowl games which equals big bucks to the football programs. This is simple supply and demand. The fans demand the team wins and the coach either supplies those wins or he doesn't.

A lot of these big schools want a coach with a high profile name or who is a former alumni in hopes of drawing talented recruits. Once a black coach becomes a part of that "high profile" group, then they'll be treated the same way. Guarantee you that if Dennis Green of the Vikings were to leave the pros and say he wanted to coach college, a big name school would snap him up in a second.

And I don't have any reason to believe that the alumni care what color the coach's skin is. If he wins, they love him. If not, he's history. To paint this as racist in any shape, form, or fashion belittles real racism. I agree with the others here who said that if Willingham had won he'd still be at ND. And if he wins with whoever hires him, they'll keep him.

[theboss]

49. Um, Dennis Green hasn't coached the Vikings in three years

He coaches the Cardinals now.

And I don't think Willingham's firing was necessarily racist.

However, there is something wrong in college ball since there are so few black candidates.

[theboss]

50. New rule

No one should be allowed to talk about sports if they don't know more than my mom. Anytime there is a sports thread on DU, I spend half the time correcting people who obviously don't watch sports. Thank you.

[ecstatic]

51. hehe I know jack about sports

But I know a glaring disparity when I see/hear of one!

[theboss]

52. This is pretty obvious

And at least you aren't trying to argue the intricacies of the West Coast offense.