College Football has some serious explaining to do
Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers for making a conscious decision to allow qualifications to rule the day in their search to replace long time coach, Bill Cowher. The Steelers have named Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator, Mike Tomlin, as just their third coach in the last 38 years. In case you didn’t know, Tomlin happens to be African American and is the Steelers first as a coach in their storied 74 year history. While the NFL has improved its progressive thinking in this regard, it appears that the NCAA has not.
Sylvestor Croom Turner Gill Ron Prince Randy Shannon Ty Willingham Karl Dorrell
Miss. State Buffalo Kansas St. Miami Washington UCLA
College Football’s Six African American Coaches
The math in 2006 was pitifully imbalanced: There were seven Black NFL head coaches out of 32 teams (21.9 percent) and five Black Division I-A college head coaches out of 119 teams (4.2 percent). You don’t have to be too smart to know how stupid this looks!! The shameful disparity in these numbers between the NFL and college football is as plain as Black and White. The concern about these numbers will undoubtedly be under a microscope as America will make history when two African American coaches take the sidelines for Superbowl XLI in Miami on February 4th. Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith’s achievement means this is one more barrier broken, one more cultural advancement, one more uncomfortable truth that can transition into past tense.
This year, all 10 teams that played in a BCS game had White coaches. Of the 64 coaches that made it to a bowl game, only 2 were not White. It is these kind of disparaging numbers that causes me to raise painstaking questions and concerns about Division 1A college football. While the pro sidelines have increased their diversity, the college sidelines are caught in a time warp. A profession that so desperately seeks a level playing field offers nothing close to one for the Black athlete who aspires to rise to the pinnacle of the college coaching profession. Plainly and simply, folks, this is discrimination. More precisely, this is one of the last and greatest bastions of discrimination within all of American sports.
If you are reading this you must know how I feel about a sport with roughly 50 percent Black participation at the athlete level, and such poor participation at the head coaching level, it’s a joke! In a place where kids are taught the value of education and are enlightened about our changing world, it seems unreal that college would be a place that struggles with this sad issue. Besides, a college student or graduate is supposed to be reformed and equipped (through his/her expensive education) to lead the way on understanding diversity. It seems a bit hypocritical to teach something that is obviously not practiced on the very campuses this lesson of life is learned. If there is a professor or professional that believes I have this all wrong, I would ask them to explain the numbers.
After one season as an assistant at his alma mater, Minnesota, Tony Dungy went the pro route. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in his fourth year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dungy has spent 20 of his 26 NFL seasons as either a coordinator or a head coach, and his regular-season record as the boss is 114-62. Lovie Smith, meanwhile, gave it the old college try. After 12 years at Tulsa, Wisconsin, Arizona State, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio State, he was still a position coach. By his sixth season in the NFL, he was defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, and by his ninth season, he was head coach of the Bears. Where he has done fairly well, I might add! Lovie’s record the past two years is 25-9. The career paths of Smith and Dungy show the contrast between upward mobility in college and upward mobility in the NFL. Somehow, the NFL decision-makers saw something in Lovie Smith that the college decision-makers missed. Willfully or not!
Marvin Lewis, head coach of the Bengals, found himself after 11 years working in college, he was still a linebackers coach. After four years with the Steelers, he made the jump to defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. By his 12th year in the NFL, he was the man in charge.
Why the difference?
The prevailing thought is that you’re usually dealing with one person in the NFL, the owner. The thought is owners are typically about business, and may understand that you hire people based on productivity and what you think they are capable of. Owners are largely not as influenced by others. On the college level, however, there are many more influences. And maybe those influences are not all positive. That’s another way of saying that a Black head coach can sometimes be a tough sell to a bunch of White boosters, who tend to get involved in the hiring process because they tend to write big checks to the athletic department. With the hiring of African-American Randy Shannon at Miami and Cuban-born Mario Cristobal at Florida International, the number of minority Division I-A head coaches has ballooned to seven. Woop-T-Doo! That’s two out of the 21 hires made to date, not enough to appreciably move the needle toward equality.
“What more do I need to do? If you put my resume next to some of these others, with no names on them, mine will look better. Still I can’t get a shot at it.” — Black College Assistant Coach
Charlie Strong continues to do great work as co-defensive coordinator at Florida — anyone see the Gators’ defense utterly crush Ohio State’s offense in the BCS National Championship Game? — but his shot at the big chair never comes. After 21 years as a college assistant, he’s still waiting. UCLA’s defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English — all their units had fine seasons and notable successes. Walker’s defense shut down USC’s offense and cost the Trojans a national title shot; English turned Michigan’s defense into a top-10 unit in his first season. All of them will be right back where they were again next season.
Maybe it’s time to try the NFL, where they do more than talk about diversity. They put it into action.
That’s how the Big Man sees it
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bringit
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6 Responses to “College Football has some serious explaining to do”
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January 23rd, 2007 10:01 pm
Big Man,
Big ups for a great website! It’s so refreshing to log onto a website that has well written and logically thought out articles. Plus, it’s so great to have a website that allows for a different perspective than what we get on a daily dose from the mainstream media.
I, too, hail from Palm Beach County (WPB to be exact) but am now living in Baton Rouge, LA for the past two years. And, again, like yourself, I am too stuck in this thing called corporate america albeit masquerading as state government. I once dated a young lady from Belle Glade back in the day (from 82 to 86).
Great piece on the state of black head coaches in the NFL and NCAA. As long we have white athletic directors who cowtow to the whims of white boosters, we’ll always hover around 8-10 black head coaches in division 1 football. The boosters would rather recycle a has-been rather than give a deserving black coach a chance to prove them wrong.
Lets keep it real. Division 1 major college football is a billion dollar corporation that just isn’t ready to name a black man as their CEO and make him the face of their company. Too many good ole’ boys are still alive and signing off on the checks for that to happen.
Best regards,
January 26th, 2007 3:29 pm
Great topic. It’s interesting to know, that on the professional ranks, it’s about putting ‘backsides’ in seats. End of story. They want someone to do it and owners are starting to give minorities more of a shot to prove it. If they do prove they got the goods, the owners LITERALLY get a two for one, a winning team and the chance to prove their organizations are the staple of diversity. Big ups to Mr. Rooney from the Steelers for making sure minorities get a legitimate shot at being interviewed. The NFL prides itself on taking the lead and ANYTIME a minority coach is hired or does well, they will always go back to the time when the rule requiring minority coaches to be hired was implemented. TONY and LUVIE make the NFL look good. From a diversity standpoint, a professional standpoint, and a financial standpoint.
Now, we have something happening that doesn’t happen very often. We’re seeing African American coaches being recycled. We saw Dennis Green in Arizona and Art Shell in Oakland. Who would have thought it possible? Keep it moving!!
Now, on to college football. It’s actually scary!!! What’s it going to take??? Whenever I see a big time program come available, I’m just sitting there waiting to see who they go after. BIG UPS to the U!!! Randy Shannahan has been DOING it for a few years but he’s young, he’s an alum, he’s hungry, and he was there when JIMMY JOHNSON was JUMPING on the backs of kids from rival universities (and daring their parents to say anything!!). As an African American coach, he is the FIRST in Florida to head a major Florida football program!! GO MIAMI!! I expect many years of 11-1 and 12-1 seasons (losing to the NOLES, of course).
What I find startling interesting is that I have not seen any significant HEAT put on the college ranks to change?? WE SCREAM at the NFL YEAR ROUND!! Why? Because we accept the corporate machine that it is and we DEMAND that it be held accountable.
But the NCAA still hides under the veil, the fog, the myth, and the illusion of being this harbor for student athlete excellence. Here’s a great chance to lead the way in what arguably the most HIGH PROFILE & LUCRATIVE job in all of NCAA (let’s face it, I know that the coach of OSU if Jim Tressel. Ask me if I know the president of the university’s name!). The NCAA can use this as a tool to show their African American college and high school football athletes that the head coach of a major college program is attainable.
But they won’t do it! For whatever, GARBAGE reason, they won’t do it (This group is the same group of people who along with the BCS presidents who basically want to snow ball you that college Division 1 A football players are so special that unlike 1-AA, II, III, JUCO football, baseball, softball, or basketball players, they can’t handle taking the time off for a play offs. That’s another topic and I’ll let the big man handle that!).
And the scariest thing? When our African American kids aspire at being a coach in a big time program and winning a BCS title, we can NOW tell them “YOu have a better chance at being an African American US President than being an African American coach in the National Championship game! FRIGHTENING!!!
January 26th, 2007 11:36 pm
Nice oratory, BeatsMe! You clearly have an understanding of what’s really happening in the world of major college football.
Unfortunately, their attitudes will never ever change because the players have no leverage in which to force a change. Or, do they?
The only way a change is affected is if the 3-4-5 star athletes, come Februry 7th-National Signing Day, start signing their names on Scholarship Grants with HBCU’s.
Sadly, Randy Shannon, for all his coaching prowess, was an afterthought for the U. They had to be turned down by several RECYCLED HAS-BEEN coaches before they “settled” on him. WHY IN THE HELL WAS THAT?? If you’ll recall, the same thing happened with Ty Willingham when he went to Notre Dame. Let’s pray and hope that Shannon doesn’t meet with the same fate as Ty did!
There are two black assistant coaches in the state of Florida that undoubtedly deserve head coaching stints somewhere. They are Odell Haggins, Defensive Line Coach, Florida State and Charlie Strong, Co-Defensive Coordinator, University of Florida.
Odell consistently churns out d-lineman to the NFL year after year after year, ever since his tenure began at FSU. Even greater than that, is the fact that he has taken young men, who might otherwise have been dead or in prison, and molded them into upstanding citizens and family men. He is an excellent role model for the kids that he brings into the Seminoles program.
Charlie Strong made the Gators a national champion just as much as Steve Spurrier’s “Fun ‘n Gun” offense did. As we all know, its defense that wins championships. Prior to coming back to UF, he was Lou Holtz’s defensive coordinator at the University of South Carolina where they consistently had a top 25 defense. And, let’s keep it real, it was Strong’s defense (led by the players that he recruited, by the way) that won the NC for the Gators this year. It wasn’t Urban Meyer’s so-called “innovative spread offense” that won the game. Never mind what the mainstream media tells you.
A black coach has already happened at UM - albeit relunctantly so. I can also see it happening one day in Tallahasee/FSU, Orlando/UCF, Tampa/USF and Boca/FAU.
However, we can forget such a sighting at UF. Hell, look at the abuse Chris Leak took and he was just a quarterback. Gainesville itself, and UF’s Bull Gator alumni, are bastions of racial prejudice and hatred. Therefore, a black coach is absolutely OUT OF THE QUESTION!
January 31st, 2007 1:55 pm
Big man, very nice segment there on the state of Black Head football Coaches in the NCAA. E- Daddy, you gave some insightful points on this subject as well, but I must say I was surprised to hear you say that the University of Florida is the ONLY school in Florida that has NO CHANCE of EVER hiring a black head coach! Gainesville is not the only city in this state that has a major college program that has racial prejudice or hatred & “good ole boys” on their alumni. I would think UF has just as good a shot as FSU, USF, or UCF does, and that’s not a shot against those schools by any means. I did want to ask you though, when you say Chris Leak took abuse as a quarterback for UF, are you saying he took racial abuse or exactly what abuse are you saying he took? Big man, keep up the good work baby. I look forward to your next show…..
January 31st, 2007 10:42 pm
KJ, I have no first hand or direct knowledge as to any abuse Leak to during his tenure at UF. My comments were based upon my frequent perusing of the message boards on gatorsports.com., and several articles in which Leak’s treatment by (some) UF fans was deemed to be racially tinged.
Mike Freeman of CBS sportsline.com penned an article on July 26, 2006, that speaks to some of the abuse Leak has had to deal with. The URL to the article is http://sportsline.com/print/columns/story/9565108.
He wrote “Leak is treated with disdain instead of a deserved delight, cursed and not coddled, taunted by some — not all, but enough — testy Gator-head fans…”
Chris’ dad also had a quote in the article in which he says “There are fans who don’t want Chris to break Danny’s (Wuerffel) records because Chris is black,” Curtis explained. “I can’t say it is every Gator fan. It’s not. But it’s enough. I hear about that from white friends and white fans that support Chris. It’s unfortunate it has to be that way, but that’s the way it is.”
KJ, the most insulting thing of all was Leak being forced to share playing time with an unproven, overhyped freshman. For all of Leak’s accomplishments to that point in his career, to be treated in the manner that he was, is utterly disgusting.
There is no plausible explanation Meyer could ever offer up to justify his sheer disrespect for what Leak has done for and meant to University of Florida Athletics.
Honestly speaking, I am hpoing that they, specifically,I mean Meyer, falls on their asses with their beloved Tebow under center. Not that I have anything against Tebow personally, mind you.
February 1st, 2007 7:25 pm
E-Daddy, thanks for that reply. I see what you were talking about. It is definitely a shame there are some so called fans of the Gator Nation out there that would think this way about Chris. I do think the media blew up the situation with Chris sharing time w/Tim mid-way through the college football season. They were playing LSU in Gainesville, & Chris was struggling, so they brought in Tim & he drove the Gators down field & got them inside LSU’s ten yard line. Urban pulled Tim & put Chris back in. The fans booed & the media said the Gator fans should be ashamed of doing that to Chris, but those boos were not against Chris. The fans just felt if your going to have Tim drives them down the field, don’t pull him when they get inside the ten. He has the momentum, let him finish the deal & score. The media didn’t see it that way & they made it into something else. I was glad to see Urban during his post game news conference of the BCS title game, give Chris the respect of saying he should be considered one of the top quarterbacks to ever play for the Gators right there w/Danny. The real fans of UF know that without Chris, the Gators don’t win the BCS title game, they don’t play in the SEC Championship game & they probably don’t even break .500 on the season. Again I appreciate your insight E-Daddy.