Thoughts on a minority coaching hire
by Brett Young
Publisher, TideFans.com
November 30, 2006
Note: This commentary could have been a normal post. However, as I was writing out my thoughts on a minority coaching hire at Alabama, it became less a random thought and more a commentary on the coaching hire selection process. Thus, it is presented as such.
The way I see it, the time to hire a minority coach would have been with Coach Croom four years ago. It would have been a great hire for us (from a PR standpoint) when the program needed it most.
However, I am not sure that we would be in any different situation, wins-wise, than we were with Coach Shula. The one thing that WOULD have been different is that Croom would have immediately instilled much needed discipline into the program. His ability to recruit in Mobile, Birmingham, Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville, and Huntsville inner city schools would have been enhanced, as well.
All of that is moot now that we are in 2006 and again looking for a new head coach. The Black Coaches Association sent out a letter to all schools with openings demanding details of the "process" that the school uses to select a coach. They, unlike the Reverend Jesse Jackson (which brings up the point of at which church does he minister? but that's a commentary for the non-sports board), were apparently satisfied when we interviewed Croom last time, even when we went a different direction.
The outcome will be much different this time. The BCA is probably not going to be satisfied with our "process" this time. We are going after the best coaches with the most experience. Is that right? Is it OK? Or, is it, as some suggest, just how these things happen?
There seem to be no big name minority coaches out there who are on our radar. I have seen a few people mention that we should go after the likes of Lovie Smith, etc.
That is not going to happen.
Coach Moore's criteria was for a big name. A proven head coach. There are not very many (are there any?) minorities that fit that bill, but it is mostly because the non-big-time college football have not yet hired minorities, either. Traditionally, coaches worked hard at lower levels or as long-time assistants at larger schools, became coordinators for a period of years, and then were offered head coaching jobs.
With the occasional notable exceptions, even the greatest of coaches became head coaches at minor schools and worked their way up through the system by being successful wherever they went. Remember that Coach Bryant coached at Maryland and Kentucky. Steve Spurrier was at Duke. Terry Bowden was a success at Samford before becoming a failure at Auburn. Gene Stallings proved he could coach - even if the wins did not come at tough places like Texas A&M in the Vietnam era and at the NFL's worst managed franchise, Arizona Cardinals.
From the standpoint of earning stripes before commanding troops, hiring coaches should be no different today than it has been over the last century.
If Bama has excelled at anything over the last 10 years it is in proving that The Capstone is not a training ground for inexperienced head coaches (see DuBose & Shula). It is also not the place for inexperienced-in-the-big-time coaches (See Franchione & Price) who did not understand the never ceasing spotlight on them.
What Alabama needs is NOT a token hire. We need the BEST available coach we can get - Black, White, or Latino. We need someone with a LOT of experience as a head coach in dealing with alumni, fans, and expectations. Not even Coach Croom can check all those boxes at this stage of his tenure.
Finally, I don't see Alabama hiring a minority coach (unless Rodriquez qualifies) this time. But not for the reasons that were presumed in previous hires. No. This time we need a Grand Slam. A Slam Dunk. Someone whose hiring will be unquestioned by all parties.
And, unfortunately, we may get slam dunked by the BCA by going with a "best of the best" selection process.
by Brett Young
Publisher, TideFans.com
November 30, 2006
Note: This commentary could have been a normal post. However, as I was writing out my thoughts on a minority coaching hire at Alabama, it became less a random thought and more a commentary on the coaching hire selection process. Thus, it is presented as such.
The way I see it, the time to hire a minority coach would have been with Coach Croom four years ago. It would have been a great hire for us (from a PR standpoint) when the program needed it most.
However, I am not sure that we would be in any different situation, wins-wise, than we were with Coach Shula. The one thing that WOULD have been different is that Croom would have immediately instilled much needed discipline into the program. His ability to recruit in Mobile, Birmingham, Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville, and Huntsville inner city schools would have been enhanced, as well.
All of that is moot now that we are in 2006 and again looking for a new head coach. The Black Coaches Association sent out a letter to all schools with openings demanding details of the "process" that the school uses to select a coach. They, unlike the Reverend Jesse Jackson (which brings up the point of at which church does he minister? but that's a commentary for the non-sports board), were apparently satisfied when we interviewed Croom last time, even when we went a different direction.
The outcome will be much different this time. The BCA is probably not going to be satisfied with our "process" this time. We are going after the best coaches with the most experience. Is that right? Is it OK? Or, is it, as some suggest, just how these things happen?
There seem to be no big name minority coaches out there who are on our radar. I have seen a few people mention that we should go after the likes of Lovie Smith, etc.
That is not going to happen.
Coach Moore's criteria was for a big name. A proven head coach. There are not very many (are there any?) minorities that fit that bill, but it is mostly because the non-big-time college football have not yet hired minorities, either. Traditionally, coaches worked hard at lower levels or as long-time assistants at larger schools, became coordinators for a period of years, and then were offered head coaching jobs.
With the occasional notable exceptions, even the greatest of coaches became head coaches at minor schools and worked their way up through the system by being successful wherever they went. Remember that Coach Bryant coached at Maryland and Kentucky. Steve Spurrier was at Duke. Terry Bowden was a success at Samford before becoming a failure at Auburn. Gene Stallings proved he could coach - even if the wins did not come at tough places like Texas A&M in the Vietnam era and at the NFL's worst managed franchise, Arizona Cardinals.
From the standpoint of earning stripes before commanding troops, hiring coaches should be no different today than it has been over the last century.
If Bama has excelled at anything over the last 10 years it is in proving that The Capstone is not a training ground for inexperienced head coaches (see DuBose & Shula). It is also not the place for inexperienced-in-the-big-time coaches (See Franchione & Price) who did not understand the never ceasing spotlight on them.
What Alabama needs is NOT a token hire. We need the BEST available coach we can get - Black, White, or Latino. We need someone with a LOT of experience as a head coach in dealing with alumni, fans, and expectations. Not even Coach Croom can check all those boxes at this stage of his tenure.
Finally, I don't see Alabama hiring a minority coach (unless Rodriquez qualifies) this time. But not for the reasons that were presumed in previous hires. No. This time we need a Grand Slam. A Slam Dunk. Someone whose hiring will be unquestioned by all parties.
And, unfortunately, we may get slam dunked by the BCA by going with a "best of the best" selection process.
Last edited:
