BCA Seeks More Minority Head Coaches In College Football

Univ. Of Miami's Shannon One Of Few Black Coaches In FBS

The Black Coaches & Administrators (BCA) yesterday "stepped up pressure" on Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs to "increase the number of minority head coaches ... by announcing it will retain an employment lawyer to provide free consultations for job candidates," according to Mark Alesia of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Attorney Everette Scott, Jr. "will be available to consult with candidates pursuing coaching vacancies." BCA Exec Dir Floyd Keith "tried to avoid talking about a possible civil rights lawsuit but acknowledged information from job candidates 'could be followed through on a legal avenue.'" Floyd: "This is the way we have to deal with it at this point." At the end of the '08-09 season, FBS is slated to have four black head coaches among 119 schools: Univ. of Buffalo's Turner Gill, Univ. of Houston's Kevin Sumlin, Univ. of Miami's Randy Shannon and Mississippi State Univ.'s Sylvester Croom. Among players in D-I football, 46% are black (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 11/13). Keith: “We just got through with a presidential election and that pales in terms of we’re talking about, trying to hire a football coach. And (if electing an African-American president) can be done in this country, why can’t we fix this?” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 11/12).