Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Georgetown's John Thompson and Temple's John Chaney spoke out, threatened to boycott, walked off courts in protest, and helped build the Black Coaches Association into a powerful institution. Thompson was not only bold but also was erudite. College professors and presidents listened to him and helped broaden his impact. Division IA college football has had no such presence. Like the early days for black college basketball coaches, jobs were scarce and speaking out on issues of race could cost you your job.
College football is still like that.
Dr. Fitzgerald Hill, now head coach at San Jose State, can be such a person, especially if his teams win. San Jose hired him knowing he was a spokesperson for more opportunities for black coaches. Here are some of the questions he asked on the survey of coaches I mentioned earlier. Influential white alumni and fans often hinder the hiring of a black coach as head football coach. A major barrier for black coaches is the reluctance of athletic administrators to admit there is a problem with present hiring procedures.