Lack of Minority Head Coaches: It is that Time of Year Again

There’s a rant posted below. You’ve been warned.

Every year about this time, the BCA (Black Coaches and Administrators) begins to rise issue with the percentage of minorities working in college football. Whenever coaching positions begin to open up, there’s a big stink about it. It makes me roll my eyes, to be honest.

Listen, I know I’m white, but I am not a stranger to fighting persecution. I’m female and writing about sports – I’ve been told time and time again to shut up and that my opinion doesn’t matter because girls don’t know anything about football. Another topic I write about is video gaming…another male- dominated industry. In short, I know how it feels to be a minority on some level.

I get it. Some people are still very racist. The country, as a whole, however, just elected a bi-racial man to our highest office in a landslide win. We’re moving forward. In football, there are definitely cases of racial discrimination. But is that the norm? No way.

I truly believe that there are a number of factors dictating the percentage of minority NCAA-F head coaches. Racial discrimination is a very small factor. Sure it hurts, but I ask you this – why should the job go to a black man if there is a white man better for that job?

Frankly, athletic directors just want to win games. They see talent, not color. That’s like saying that NBA basketball coaches are discriminatory because there are more black starter than white starters. They aren’t…there are just more talented African-American players in the system.

For example, last year, Mississippi hired Houston Nutt without interviewing any minority candidates. The BCA gave them a grade of F on last year’s reports.

But come on…there’s an award-winning coach with two SEC West Championships in just 10 years who’d be perfect for your job resigning at another major BCS school, and you’re going to talk to a no-name black candidate with no experience as a head coach instead? Give me a break. That had NOTHING to do with race.

Or how about Dayton? That school also got an F after not interviewing any black candidates. Why didn’t they? Oh yeah, they didn’t interview anyone. They promoted an alumni coach who had been at the school for over 30 years.

I’m just sick of hearing about the race issue. After all, one third of the candidates interviewed last year were black, even though far less than one third of all people interested in general were black! To me, that is racist – giving someone an interview just because his skin is black and you want to please the BCA. No wonder only 4 were hired in the 31 positions open. Schools were interviewing black coaches who didn’t have a chance at all, just to be pc.

With the firing of Tyrone Willingham (pictured above) and Ron Prince, the BCA is raising a fuss once again, but you know what? A good coach is a good coach, and if you have losing seasons and unhappy fans/players, then you’re going to get fired regardless of your skin color.

If you’re black and want a head coaching job, here’s what you do: work you way up the ranks. If you’re getting road blocked by someone racist, you look for a new job, because if you’re honestly good at your job, another school will hire you. Make yourself a viable candidate for a head coaching position, and then start applying. Again, if you’re really good at your job, you’re going to get hired. I think it is pretty unlikely that 27 out of 31 ADs last year were racist.

Pictures via Newscom.