America is ready for Obama...well how about a few more Black coaches in NCAA football?
'Yes we can' was the slogan that propelled Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States of America. I wonder if WE can create a bit of fairness in NCAA football?
Of the 119 Bowl series programs only 4 have a Black coach. Are you kidding me?...Seriously.
7 of these head coaching positions (Auburn, Clemson, Kansas State, Miss. State, Syracuse, Tennessee and Washington) recently went to 7 white coaches with a combined 2008 head coaching record of 7-15 (of these 7 coaches only 3 were head coaches in '08). Coach Gene Chizik was responsible for the 2-10 effort at Iowa State and then was promptly rewarded by Auburn with the keys to the program? Huh...are you kidding me?
The answer to this dilemma rest with the people or should I say more specifically young Black men, those highly sought after 'blue-chip' recruits.
I think that it is reasonable to say, that if any major football program was boycotted by Black high school recruits that program would struggle. Just imagine if the Univ. of Florida or OU had half as many Black starting players. Do you think either would be playing for a National Championship?
Think that it could never happen?
Just look to my home state, the Great State of Texas and the pre- Coach Mack Brown era at UT.
The decade before Coach Brown the Longhorns struggled to a record of 65-50-1 (56% win%). If you remove the '90 and '95 seasons they were 45-46...horrible by UT standards to say the least. The question is why?
I am from Houston and it is widely known that many Black high school football coaches in Houston did not have a wonderful relationship with the UT program during that losing decade. Therefore many of these coaches did not, shall we say, encourage their top recruits to play ball for the Longhorns.
There may have been other factors that adversely affected the UT program during that decade but none so severely as this lack of Houston area talent. It is also well known, that Coach Brown upon his arrival prioritized mending the relationship with the Houston area high school coaches. Mack Brown's ability and a steady influx of Houston area (Black) talent helped ignite the once moribund program. Coach Brown sports a 103-25 record (80% win%) and a National Title with Vince Young as the QB. Need I say where Vince is from?
fyi- If you question the ability of the players from Houston... answer this.
Which two cities have the most players currently in the NFL?
1. Miami 2. Houston
Need I say more?
University athletic departments and their booster's are seemingly governed by no one when it comes to their voodoo of hiring a head football coach. Therefore the NCAA seems powerless when it comes to rectifying this glaring deficiency.
Only when young Black recruits begin to more closely examine the diversity of the programs that they consider, will the playing field be leveled for Black coaches.
Of the 119 Bowl series programs only 4 have a Black coach. Are you kidding me?...Seriously.
7 of these head coaching positions (Auburn, Clemson, Kansas State, Miss. State, Syracuse, Tennessee and Washington) recently went to 7 white coaches with a combined 2008 head coaching record of 7-15 (of these 7 coaches only 3 were head coaches in '08). Coach Gene Chizik was responsible for the 2-10 effort at Iowa State and then was promptly rewarded by Auburn with the keys to the program? Huh...are you kidding me?
The answer to this dilemma rest with the people or should I say more specifically young Black men, those highly sought after 'blue-chip' recruits.
I think that it is reasonable to say, that if any major football program was boycotted by Black high school recruits that program would struggle. Just imagine if the Univ. of Florida or OU had half as many Black starting players. Do you think either would be playing for a National Championship?
Think that it could never happen?
Just look to my home state, the Great State of Texas and the pre- Coach Mack Brown era at UT.
The decade before Coach Brown the Longhorns struggled to a record of 65-50-1 (56% win%). If you remove the '90 and '95 seasons they were 45-46...horrible by UT standards to say the least. The question is why?
I am from Houston and it is widely known that many Black high school football coaches in Houston did not have a wonderful relationship with the UT program during that losing decade. Therefore many of these coaches did not, shall we say, encourage their top recruits to play ball for the Longhorns.
There may have been other factors that adversely affected the UT program during that decade but none so severely as this lack of Houston area talent. It is also well known, that Coach Brown upon his arrival prioritized mending the relationship with the Houston area high school coaches. Mack Brown's ability and a steady influx of Houston area (Black) talent helped ignite the once moribund program. Coach Brown sports a 103-25 record (80% win%) and a National Title with Vince Young as the QB. Need I say where Vince is from?
fyi- If you question the ability of the players from Houston... answer this.
Which two cities have the most players currently in the NFL?
1. Miami 2. Houston
Need I say more?
University athletic departments and their booster's are seemingly governed by no one when it comes to their voodoo of hiring a head football coach. Therefore the NCAA seems powerless when it comes to rectifying this glaring deficiency.
Only when young Black recruits begin to more closely examine the diversity of the programs that they consider, will the playing field be leveled for Black coaches.
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