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Getting on my soapbox for a minute

Discussion in 'College Sports' started by KB21, Sep 8, 2009.

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  1. KB21

    KB21 Almost Never Wrong Club Member

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    I was reading through the morning news while drinking coffee this AM, and I came across an article on USA Today. Sorry, I forgot to copy the link and do not want to go find it right now. Anyway, this article is on a topic that burns me up everytime they talk about it. It is yet another article on the lack of black head coaches in college football.

    Here's my take on the issue. The media will always spin this into a racial issue, saying the black coaches are just not getting the opportunity. They even mentioned my alma mater Mississippi State in the article and talked about the SEC having three coaching openings with none going to a black head coach. My alma mater was the first program to hire a black head coach in the conference, and it is very debateable whether he was actually qualified for the job at the time. After the fact, with only one winning season in five years, the results show that he probably wasn't qualified. To chide Mississippi State over hiring Dan Mullen, one of the top assistant coaches in all of college football and a coup for our program, instead of giving a black coach a chance is foolish.

    I don't disagree that there are some black coaches out there that deserve a chance to be a head coach. Here is where I disagree though. When a black coach doesn't get hired, it isn't always about race.

    IMO, this is a racial issue to the media only, and of course the few black coaches that have gotten snubbed for jobs. My biggest beef with all of this is that the media tries to pass it off as opportunities for minorities, but they focus on only black coaches. The fact is, two of the best candidates from the assistant coaching pool to be head coaches soon are minorities. Those two candidates are Norm Chow at UCLA and Robert Anae at BYU. Where is the media outcry that a coach with an asian background and a coach with a Samoan background haven't gotten an opportunity to be a head coach?

    IMO, the media should let minority coaches stand on their own and quit making them out to be a victim of big money white donors who, according to the media, don't want an black face as the face of their program. IMO, when you start saying so and so isn't being hired because of his race, then you are demeaning that race.
     
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  2. Skeet84

    Skeet84 New Member

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    I agree with everything you posted. It does bother me on the same level that when a coach is hired its a huge deal whether they even interviewed a black candidate. Charlie Strong however does deserve to be a head coach and many people have pointed to him being married to a white woman as the reason why he has not.


    I had no problems with Croom but he just turned out to have no offense with a very solid defense. I don't know if Mullen will fair much better
     
  3. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    I think for awhile there was outrage because there were black coaches that deserved jobs and didn't get them. I agree that it's not always about race, and I think some universities may feel some pressure to hire a minority coach, which isn't right either.

    FWIW, I'm interested to see where Florida D Cord Charlie Strong ends up. He may be one of the most sought after candidates for a HC job after this season.
     
  4. Motion

    Motion New Member

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    After this season? He's at least 3 seasons overdue. As Skeet mentioned not only is he black but his wife is white and unfortunately that has very unjustly cost him some potential jobs. He doesn't even get nearly enough interviews.
     
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  5. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Strongs been a legit hc candidate since he was a dc at south carolina. The claims about him not getting a hc job because he married a white woman have been going on since then. That's as messed up a thing as I've ever heard but I can't totally dismiss it.

    As far as the rest of it I agree and disagree. I agree the people, not only coaches should be hired on merit and that race plays a big role in some hirings. Its unfortunate that it comes down to that.

    Where I disagree is on the croom/mullen thing. At the time croom was pretty highly thought after and they risked losing him. Mullen, 5 years ago did not strike me as a head coach.
     
  6. KB21

    KB21 Almost Never Wrong Club Member

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    I respect Coach Croom, but at the time of his hiring he had been out of the college game for 13 years. There is a group of people that believe the NCAA forced that hiring on Mississippi State in return for less penalties for the probation we were getting put on. There is also a group that say Larry Blakeney at Troy wanted the job back then. Jimbo Fisher was another name mentioned for the job at that time as well.

    This past coaching search was more inclusive, IMO, though Greg Byrne set out to hire a coach that would run the spread offense.
     
  7. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    I think this is his final year at UF. It has to be. I can't imagine a legitimate school turning him down because of who he is married to. I doubt (if infact it did happen) that it could be a well respected program.

    Or, if the Urban Meyer rumors are to be believed, maybe he takes over as HC of UF.
     
  8. Motion

    Motion New Member

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    We've been hearing "This has to be the year" for awhile now.

    Don't believe the racial stuff? Don't take my word for it, take Charlie's.... http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3813793

    I find it extremely hard to believe someone in that position would have the balls to say something like that unless it were made pretty clear to him.
     
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  9. Muck

    Muck Throwback Uniform Crusader Retired Administrator

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    The Charlie Strong stuff is true. He's been told straight up.

    Turner Gill seemed to lose out to the Good Ol Boy network at Auburn last year too. Gill's wife is also white.

    It does appear to be tough for a black man to get a job in the SEC.
     
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  10. HardKoreXXX

    HardKoreXXX Insensitive to the Touch

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    Sad. Auburn's been in the tank since Ronnie/Cadilac/Campbell left anyhow.
     
  11. finsincebirth

    finsincebirth Well-Known Member

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    I would love to see Strong stay at UF and then take over when Meyer leaves/retires. He can be our Jimbo Fisher.

    Edit: I also agree with you KB. I'm sure there could be a time when a black candidate just simply isn't as qualified, but the media says he didn't get the job because of his race. I'm not saying this is always true, because there is still some racial discrimination. I do however look forward to the day when this is no longer a problem.
     

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