NY Times Article about black coaches-R. Flanigan featured

[dc-democrat Mustang]

Division I-A Minority Hiring Still an Issue
By PETE THAMEL

Published: January 12, 2005


LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 11 - The North Texas offensive coordinator, Ramon Flanigan, arrived at the American Football Coaches Association convention this week with a loaded résumé and limited options.

Flanigan, 30, is the youngest offensive coordinator in Division I-A and has impressive experience. The Mean Green has reached four consecutive bowl games, and two different running backs have led the nation in rushing in Flanigan's offense the past two seasons.

But Flanigan has received no calls from Division I-A programs about becoming a coach, and he has not even been sought out for a coordinator position at a bigger university. The seeming lack of opportunity for a black coach like Flanigan is one of the big issues hovering over college football as the A.F.C.A. holds its annual convention in Louisville.

When Syracuse hired Greg Robinson on Tuesday, the last of the 22 Division I-A openings was filled. Only one job went to a minority applicant - Tyrone Willingham at Washington, after he was fired by Notre Dame. Willingham, U.C.L.A.'s Karl Dorrell and Mississippi State's Sylvester Croom are the only black head coaches among the 117 Division I-A teams.

"The numbers were abysmally low to begin with, and they've gotten worse," the N.C.A.A. president, Myles Brand, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "We continue to have the problem of assuring the best candidates get a fair hearing in the search process."

Two percent of major college coaches are members of minorities, in contrast to 51 percent of the players. Brand said there were five minority coaches last season and eight, the high-water mark, in 1998.

The reasons for the decline vary, but one issue that coaches and administrators have identified is that minority coaches are not becoming coordinators. Croom said that perpetuated the stereotype of minority coaches as recruiters instead of decision makers.

Croom, who became the first African-American coach in the Southeastern Conference last season, pointed out that he, Willingham and Dorrell had jumped into their head-coaching jobs from the N.F.L.

Croom suggested one change: allow more graduate assistants than the current four, only two of whom can coach on the field, to create more opportunities for young coaches. Without his graduate-assistant position, Croom said, he never would have been able to be a head coach.

"I look on the outside and I see minority coaches have been restricted in the business and don't get coordinator jobs," he said. "I don't fully understand it myself."

The only call that Flanigan received recently regarding a head-coaching job was from Division I-AA Southeastern Louisiana. Flanigan was interviewed Sunday and said he thought he performed well.

Part of his confidence stemmed from a three-day N.C.A.A.-sponsored course he took last year. The course is dedicated to helping minority coaches move up. Flanigan said the course taught him invaluable skills, including organizing his philosophies and strategies into a succinct package. He gave his program-building plan to the Southeastern Louisiana administrators.

The N.C.A.A. held its second coaching academy last weekend, tutoring 20 minority coaches. "Everyone has different aspirations," Flanigan said. "I don't want to be a running backs coach at a B.C.S. school and never become a coordinator. I don't want to be labeled as a guy on the staff who can just recruit. I want to have something to do with the games on Saturday."

Dan Boggan, a former N.C.A.A. and university administrator, spoke to the 20 minority assistant coaches last weekend. He said they faced a systemic problem that involved institutional and cultural bias.

He said college football needed some coaches to stand up for their beliefs, as Georgetown's John Thompson, Arkansas' Nolan Richardson and Temple's John Chaney did in the early 1990's. He said those coaches helped open the door for more minority basketball coaches (26 percent this season) in Division I.

"I think basketball is a little less contentious than football," Boggan said. "It's not as tied into the old athletic culture. It's hard to break the old networks down. For whatever reason, football coaches have not moved up."

The Black Coaches Association executive director, Floyd Keith, suggested that recruits could be informed about the hiring practices of colleges with a history of ignoring minority candidates. "We're going to have to start shopping in our own stores," Keith said. "Why would you go play at a program that wouldn't hire you as a coach or an athletic director?"

[GoRedGoBlue]

You gotta graduate to be a GRAD ASSISTANT. Check out the grad rate comparisons. www.NCAA.org

Div1A: c.37% grad rates for black football players vs. c.58% for white players -- and that doesn't consider the quality of the degrees. Moreover, African-Americans only account for 12.5% of the American populace, but only 4% of their college degreed populace. And the majority of those are women (by a substantial margin).

That doesn't leave much room for college-degreed male black coaches.

Also, most coaches in Div1A didn't play Div1A ball (They played Div1AA or II or III). Check out SMU's coaches:
http://www.smumustangs.com/coaches.asp?sport=football
Rusty Burns: long time OC in Div1A, played for Springhill College (DivIII?)
Jim Gush: long time DC, played for Bucknell (1AA)

Let's check out Texas:
Greg Davis, their OC: McNeese State (1aa)
4 of their 7 top coaches including MACK played non-Div1A ball.

Ok, let's be unbiased...let's go to Croom's staff:
Assistant Head Coach: Woody McCorvey, Alabama State
Shane Beamer, Va Tech (Div1, but didn't play)
Stan Drayton, RB, Allegheny College, (Div1aa or II?)
J.B. Grimes, Henderson State (Div1aa, or II?)
Brick Haley, Alabama A&M (Div1aa)
Guy Holliday, Cheyney (DivIII?)
Ellis Johnson, Citadel (Div1aa)
Amos Jones, Alabama (div1a)
Freddie Kitchens, Alabama (div1a)

Ok, so of NINE staff, Sylvester Croom (the standard bearer of black head football coaches now) he hired all of THREE Div1A coaches.
That's 33% of this coaching staff that played Div1A if you include FRANK BEAMER's son at VaTech.

...and ALL of the Div1A coaches he hired are WHITE.

Why didn't Sylvester Croom hire more black Div1A coaches?

Since when does playing make you a good coach? Do line workers on the factory floor rise to be CEOs? Rarely. Sure, it is good knowledge, and lends itself credibility with the players, but this old story is a tired bogus argument. (51% of players and only 3% of coaches). Lou Holtz.

Finally, it doesn't account for the 'time delay' it takes to get people in the queue. Croom was one of the first black PLAYERS to even play for an SEC team. He is just now at that age for an SEC team to take him as a head coach.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Ramon will get his chance. In a story around six weeks ago, he admitted to being way ahead of the curve. He needs a little more experience I would think, but I am pulling for him, that's for sure!

[NavyCrimson]

good synopsis red & blue - now that is balanced

[gostangs]

The original post must be a gag - there is no such thing as a democrat mustang.

[Dooby]

I think the limited interest by other Div. 1-A schools in Dickey is a better indication than anything else. Based on legitimate concerns or not, the schools in more prestigious conferences don't appear to be too impressed with the Sunbelt champs. In other words, I don't think it is racism. Both Dickey and Flanigan will get their opportunities; they just need patience.

[GoRedGoBlue]

As far as Ramon is concerned, he's 30 years old. What Div1a team is going to hire a 30 year old HEAD COACH? Let's see him as OC for a while develop a high powered offense, then let's talk. Struggling in Div1a in the SunBelt is certainly not dispositive of his greatness (nor should he be faulted considering he is in the Sun Belt) -- but if he were able to get a Top10 offense humming up there, then ok...

Until then, as young as he is, he will have to go the normal route of climbing the ladder as an OC at a better school, or dropping down to Div1aa as HC.

[dc-democrat Mustang]

The original post must be a gag - there is no such thing as a democrat mustang.

Yeah it's tough being Mustang Dem here in D.C. But I am a Democrat

[NavyCrimson]

tough!!!!!!

u got to be kidding!

u control the district every election with 99% of the vote!!!

LOL

[Stallion]

he's a little young to be complaining I would think. But his biggest problem may be the type of offense NTSU is running which is the opposite to the wide open attack in vogue today.

[Bergermeister]

Offense there doesn't give him the opportunity a Chuck Long has. He may have to do the time at a Valdosta State/Southwest Texas State/Georgia Southern to make a name for himself and D-1 consideration. One of the funnier controversies I've heard is the so-called dilemma with Major Applewhite. Texas staff supposedly had a summit conference regarding what direction his "career" should take... stay at UT or find the way to San Jose. Some armchairs and family think he is OC material (and they're serious). What is he... 24-25 years old? Politics of coaching is funny business... well, sometimes it's not funny.

[couch 'em]

African-Americans only account for 12.5% of the American populace,

[snip]

51% of players and only 3% of coaches.

So if only 12.5% of Americans are black, but they are 51% of players, that CLEARLY means that coaches are racist against white players. I demand equal rights.