Posted on 12/19/2001 7:36:07 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Notre Dame has never had a black head coach in any sport. The Rev. Jesse Jackson urged the Irish to start with football.
``They should consider one, at least put credible black coaches in the mix,'' Jackson said Wednesday. ``A university of that magnitude, if they were to hire an African-American coach, it would be a huge breakthrough.''
Jackson is working with the Black Coaches Association to help promote black candidates for all Division I-A openings. The BCA sent a list of prospective black candidates to all Division I-A athletic directors and university presidents in October.
Jackson first issued a statement asking Notre Dame to hire a black coach on Dec. 10, a day after the school introduced George O'Leary as Bob Davie's successor. But O'Leary resigned five days later after admitting he had lied about his athletic and academic background.
There were only five black Division I-A coaches this season.
Jerry Baldwin was fired by Louisiana-Lafayette after going 6-27 over three years. Tony Samuel is 19-35 in five seasons at New Mexico State. Fitz Hill was 3-9 in his first season at San Jose State. Bobby Williams is 12-11 in two seasons at Michigan State.
The other coach is Stanford's Tyrone Willingham, who has a 44-35-1 record over seven seasons. According to published reports, athletic director Kevin White received permission to talk to Willingham before hiring O'Leary, but never interviewed him.
Willingham declined to comment Wednesday.
``I don't get into speculation and I don't try to discuss rumors,'' he said.
Notre Dame spokesman Lou Nanni said the university agrees the percentage of head football coaches who are black is ``deplorable.''
He said, though, that the university has made progress in diversity since White was hired in March 2000, pointing to the hiring of an associate athletic director and two assistant athletic directors, all of whom are black.
``There needs to be better representation,'' Nanni said. ``It's something we need to do because it's the right thing to do. But that's not the sole criteria ever. ... When the right person surfaces, whether it be in the football position or in some other position, it certainly will be a priority for Notre Dame to have a minority coach, African-American or otherwise.''
Oregon coach Ernie Kent last year interviewed for the head basketball coach's job at Notre Dame, saying he got as far as talking money, but decided he was not interested. White has never said who he talked to other than Mike Brey, who was hired.
Since the end of the 1995 college football season, there have been 112 head coaching jobs at Division I and five have been filled by minorities, BCA executive director Floyd Keith said.
The key, Jackson said, is for alumni to support black candidates.
``They've gotten over the issue of recruiting black athletes. They've gotten over recruiting black quarterbacks, they've come to grips to that. Every step is some trauma,'' he said.
The successes of Dennis Green with the Minnesota Vikings and Tony Dungy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has proven that blacks can coach at the top level, Jackson said.
Among the criteria White has listed for the next Notre Dame coach are head coaching experience and a record of success. Jackson said that leaves too many black candidates out.
``We must remove this idea that we set criteria that eliminate people from possibilities,'' he said.
I'm confused here, are you calling me a racist for saying that I believe more black guys should get the chance to be a head coach?
You are exactly right. In fact, using Jesse's logic, the argument could be made that the NFL and NBA are racist entities. He is not outraged at the disproportionate number of white athletes in either league? The NFL and the NBA are making many black men multi-millionaires while excluding the poor, opressed white man. The white man has it very tough trying to break through the color barrier into the high profile life of a professional athlete. There should be an investigation immediately. Oh, so the teams in the two leagues take the best athletes, regardless of their race? What a novel idea. I guess the discrepancy in the numbers point the wrong direction for Jesse to get involved.
Yes, like saying Notre Dame should hire a black coach, which would eliminate all non-black candidates.
No doubt. By the Rainbow dorks' logic, a white guy with a 486-210 record is supposed to be passed over for a black guy with a 386-380 record in the name of "fairness". Fair to who? The players, the school, and the public get screwed so that one guy (the worse coach) can get a better deal than he deserves. That's real fair (not).
Food for thought.
Food for thought.
I can buy into that argument.
That's the same line of thought I had. I think -in general- ND prefers to hire Catholics as coaches.
Wonder if Bears defensive coordinator Greg Blache, a ND alumnus and former ND football player is a candidate. He has been named as one of the leading minority candidates for a head pro coaching job in the past, before this year's success.
Hey, Jesse.....here we all thought John Thompson was the breakthrough 20 years ago.
'Ol John ain't gonna be too happy with you.
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