ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—New Mexico may be without fired head football coach Mike Locksley.
But Saturday’s Rio Grande Rivalry between New Mexico and New Mexico State continues one recent tradition that is still a rarity in Football Bowl Subdivision games—two black head coaches going against each other.
Earlier this week, New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs introduced associate head coach and defensive coordinator George Barlow as the school’s interim coach. The appointment meant the former James Madison assistant coach had just days to prepare for a game against NMSU coach DeWayne Walker.
However, it kept alive a tradition that began during the 2009 season.
In December 2008, Locksley and Walker were hired by their respective programs days apart. At the time, only a handful of FBS schools had black head coaches and the Black Coaches and Administrators, a group that advocates for the hiring of coaches of color, praised the hires as a sign of progress.
When the two finally faced off the following season, observers noted the rarity and praised New Mexico, a state with a small black population, for outpacing the rest of the nation on hiring.
NMSU won that game and again in 2010. Earlier this week, Locksley was fired after going 2-26 and a number of embarrassing off-the-field events, including the arrest of his son’s friend on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in an SUV registered to a Locksley family member.
Floyd Keith, executive director of the Black Coaches and Administrators, said it wasn’t surprising to see Locksley lose his job. “Ultimately, a coach’s success, regardless of color, will be determined by wins and losses,” Keith said.
But since the two men’s hiring, the field has seen more black coaches. Keith said that today around 11 percent of FBS and Football Championship Subdivision football coaches are black. And while two black college football coaches facing off is still a rarity, times have changed. “It’s not as unique as it used to be and I think that’s a sign of progress,” said Keith. “That’s a good thing.”
Last year, for example, when Eastern Michigan and Virginia played each other it was the first time both schools had black coaches and black athletic directors.
In addition, since 2007, a number of high-profile FBS universities hired black coaches. The University of Houston hired Kevin Sumlin and recently the University of Colorado hired Jon Embree.
Still, Keith said overall parity of black football coaches remains a problem. He said for every four black college football players there’s only one black coach on staff at any level.
But the presence of that first generation of black head coaches is already having an effect. Keith said they naturally brought black coaches on staff who later might be given an opportunity to move up the ranks.
That’s what happened to Barlow, who credited Locksley for bringing him on staff with the Lobos at a news conference announcing his interim appointment.
“My intention is to go out and win games,” said Barlow, who filled in for Locksley during his one-game suspension in 2009 for allegedly choking an assistant coach. UNM lost to UNLV in that game, 34-17.
Krebs said the UNM coaching job could be filled after the end of the season.
When asked if Barlow could be a candidate for the job, Krebs smiled. “If George goes 8 and 0,” said Krebs, “he’s a candidate.”
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