INDIANAPOLIS—Minorities are getting more interviews but are still not getting enough jobs in college football, according to the Black Coaches and Administrators.
The study released Wednesday by the group said almost a third of the candidates interviewed last year were minorities, but only four were hired among the 31 openings in the NCAA’s two levels of Division I football.
The recent firings of Ty Willingham at Washington and Ron Prince at Kansas State—both effective at the end of the season—left the Bowl Subdivision, the NCAA’s top division, with only four blacks, one Latino and one Pacific Islander as head coaches.
“In the world of college football, the facts and statistics reflect an unmistakable bias and a systemic problem that has yet to be fixed. My deep concern is, ‘Why are the college football hiring practices out of synch?'” said BCA executive director Floyd Keith, who did not have an answer to that question.
“The message in this report is the process is being followed, but the poor hiring results continue,” he said.
Among the 31 schools in the FBS and Championship Subdivision, formerly I-A and I-AA, that hired head coaches in the past year, 16 received overall grades of A, which is up from 11 that received the highest grade in the 2007 report, 12 in 2006 and just four in 2005.
On the other hand, three schools—Mississippi, West Virginia and Dayton—received grades of F. That, too, was an improvement from the 10 that had failing grades in the last report.
“The hiring report card has made the FBS and FCS search processes in football more transparent than they were … and to some degree more accountable,” Keith said.
“We’re about results. We’d like to see the numbers increase.”
The overall grades were based on composite scores in five categories—communicating with the BCA, the number of minorities on the schools’ hiring committees, the number of minority candidates given official interviews, the time frame for hiring and adherence to affirmative action hiring policies. Schools that hired minority coaches were given two-point bonuses to the grade-point total.
Those with overall grades of A were Colorado State, Duke, Georgia Tech, Northern Illinois, SMU, Arkansas, Michigan, UCLA, Houston, Drake, Eastern Washington, Georgia State, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, South Alabama and Western Carolina.
Hawaii, Nebraska, Rhode Island and Richmond each received a B. Baylor, Texas A&M, Navy, Southern Mississippi, Washington State, Eastern Kentucky, Southern Utah and VMI each received a C.
All three of the schools that received a grade of F hired white coaches.
Ole Miss fired Ed Orgeron after last season and hired Houston Nutt without interviewing any minority candidates. Athletic director Pete Boone said at the time he regretted not going through the BCA’s suggested interview process but felt he had to act quickly after Nutt resigned from Arkansas.
West Virginia filled its coaching vacancy with Bill Stewart after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan, and defensive coordinator Rick Chamberlin took over at Dayton after Mike Kelly retired last January.
Dayton athletic director Ted Kissell said he expected the F grade from the BCA.
“We hired someone without a search, someone who had been with us for 32 years … so we felt he was the right man for the job and we hired him,” Kissell said. “But I recognized that I would be pushing a domino that would lead to a grade of F.”
However, he said he supports increasing minority hires.
“What we need to do is increase the pool and bring more young men into the profession (as assistants) and give them the oppportunity to learn and grow,” he said.
Telephone messages seeking comment on the BCA report were left by The Associated Press at the offices of the athletic directors at the two other schools that received F.
To improve communication, the BCA is setting up an 800 telephone number for potential coaching candidates. It will give them “the opportunity to discuss confidentially … what exactly is going on, what are the issues, what are the dynamics of each personal situation,” said Everette Scott Jr., a Philadelphia lawyer and NFL and NBA agent who is working with the BCA.
Scott said the purpose is not to put legal pressure on the schools but to evaluate the facts in particular situations and make recommendations.
“This is an individual situation, not an attack on the institutions. … We believe we should be able to close this final gap. We can see the end zone. We have a few more plays to run to get in the end zone.”
The NCAA, meanwhile, has no authority to impose hiring guidelines such as the NFL’s “Rooney Rule,” which requires teams interview at least one minority candidate for each head coaching vacancy.
“The NCAA does not hire coaches. The athletic directors are responsible for hiring and thus responsible for the hiring process and results,” said Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president of diversity and inclusion.
Still, she said, the NCAA supports the goals of the BCA and the hiring report card and will continue sharing information with athletic directors and college presidents.
“The talent is out there, ready, willing and able to head a college football team,” Westerhaus said. “But interviewing is not hiring. The true measure is when ADs actually hire head football coaches of color.”
