A Bloggeur's Rant on Minority Coaching, Southern Stereotypes, et al

Hey, did you know that Syracuse turned Turner Gill down? Yes, the program which most resembles the bombed-out and depleted Afghan countryside turned down the man who coached Division 1A’s previous Afghan lookalike to a conference championship.

What, you didn’t know? Well, why in the hell not?

Oh yeah, because you couldn’t hear over Charles Barkely (and others) crying “race” because of Auburn’s snubbing of Gill for Gene Chizik.

Was racism involved in the whirlwind circus that was the Auburn head coaching search? It’s hard to say for sure, but I, for one, would be inclined to think so. Of course, the fans, players, university, and athletics administrators could not likely care less about their head coach’s ethnicity (and I mean this with absolute sincerity). The network of G.O.B. boosters which exist at many, many schools including Auburn and who ultimately control who are and aren’t hired are the likely source of this problem. Yes, crusty, old, white men who still think the world works in a way akin to an episode of Leave it to Beaver likely don’t take incredibly kindly to minorities; especially the empowered variety who decide to *gasp* marry white people.

It is a problem and it is real.

But why is it that in many, many sports issues when the SEC is involved, race immediately becomes an issue?

Let’s be frank: a great deal of unwarranted pressure is placed on the SEC with regards to minority coaching. Nebraska turned Gill down last season and, as previously mentioned, Syracuse did the same this season. Yet, nobody’s out to paint the Big XII or Big East as racists. Neither the Big XII, Pac 10, Big 10, Big East, nor the SEC have black head coaches. The only black head coach in BCS football is Miami’s Randy Shannon who, after doing an excellent job thus far in rebuilding the proud Hurricanes program, has just as much job security as the next guy.

Maybe this is because, as the nation’s premier conference (don’t even get me started, Big XII dissenters), all eyes are upon us.

Maybe this is because the talking heads both really seem to like Tommy Tuberville and Turner Gill. While they’re both certainly deserving of media love, the admiration could explain the heightened attention to the situation.

Or maybe, just maybe, this is because the idea of the SEC being populated (or perhaps simply controlled) by a slew of bigots fits neatly in the ideas and perceptions many have about the South. Let’s be honest: we’re supposed to be backwards, racist, illiterates who have but the slightest clue of modern technology. The fact that our football conference leads the college football universe in attendance, revenue generation, NFL star production, BCS titles, and TV deals (ESPN = the new SEC network) does not fit into these preconceived notions.

Look, America is confusing. Never before have so many different peoples been so agreeably and successfully unified. We’re all so very different yet all so very alike. Because of this confusion, people fabricate ideas (poor, racist Southerners; arrogant, latté-sipping Bay Area dwellers; rude, smartassed New Yorkers; et cetera) in an attempt to make sense of everything and, when these prejudices don’t exactly work out as hoped, they freak out a little.

In all fairness, many people couldn’t give much more of a shit. But to pretend as if anti-Southern prejudices do not exist is some real-deal, Auburn-booster-style ignorance.

Racism certainly is a problem in college football, but it’s certainly not as big of a problem as the Charles Barkleys of the world would have you believe. Furthermore, the problem is not isolated to a particular geography. You’d be ignorant to suggest otherwise.

How can it be fixed?

Honestly, I feel this problem will remedy itself over the next few seasons. Many (white) head coaches have hired diverse assistant coaching staffs which have put several minority coaches on the fast track to head coaching status. As we all know, being a majorly contributing coordinator is the easiest way to get your foot in the door to becoming a head coach. Schools are hesitant to hire folks with little experience and success beyond the coordinator level regardless of race. If a concerted effort was placed in preparing minority candidates for eventual head coaching roles instead of simply crying “race” when big-name programs don’t put all their eggs in an inexperienced, overvalued basket we would relatively quickly and agreeably eliminate this issue.

There are plenty of deserving candidates of varying backgrounds for numerous coaching positions across the country. If the fans, players, and administrators had a greater say in these matters, I feel we’d be able to realize this more clearly.


To coach Gill: you'll get your shot one day. Keep-on keepin'-on with that wifey of yours.

The SEC's New Head Coaches - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good - Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

Alright, Bulldogs, calm down. Breathe slowly, ok now count backwards from 10. Good, you'll be alright. Yes, the Red [REDACTED] Cup did just commend your coaching hire and, yes, we labeled it as "good." But, really, when compared to the two other brand new SEC head coaches and your former head coach, how else can you rate this? Croom was not a good coach (we've been saying this for quite a while) and his "doin' it da right way" charade was wearing very, very thin. To keep the Bulldog faithful, players, and boosters happy, new AD Greg "忍者" Byrne had to hit a figurative homerun with this coaching search. After being turned down by Boise State's Petersen and after rumors of Tommy Tuberville heading to Starkville (no, I'm not kidding) proved to be just that, snagging an OC from a big-name program on the verge of winning a BCS title was a damn good move.

Homerun? No.

Standup double with 2 RBI? Sure.

One thing that Mullen will be able to do is keep many of the recruits that Croom had gotten commitments from. Tyler Russell, the Meridian HS star QB should keep his commitment and I wouldn't at all be shocked if Chad Bumphis, the Tupelo HS standout receiver, commits to State sometime soon. While it may take a while for his offense to gel in Starkville, Mullen could make the Bulldogs competitive.

Well, at least more competitive than the Walrus had them in 4 out of his 5 seasons.

Furthermore, nobody can truly judge Mullen's ability as a head coach because, well, he's never been one. That does not automatically lead to failure at the HC level (Tuberville, circa 1995) but it does not at all guarantee success (O, circa 2004). Who knows what Mullen will do? I don't, and I doubt many of you do either. Hell, Greg Byrne probably doesn't even know.

But, the potential is there. That is what Byrne and the Bulldog faithful are betting on over the next few years.


The Bad - Lane Kiffin, Tennessee

Stand alone, Lane Kiffin is not a good hire. He does bring more name recognition than the other two new hires to the table, which should be able to help Tennessee's standing both within the media and the mind of potential Volunteers. Aside from that, however, few are impressed with his coaching abilities. Many laud his "success" as a developer of talent at USC as if half of the big name USC players aren't ready for D1 football by their junior years of high school. Furthermore, to commend his recruiting "prowess" at Southern Cal is not saying very much at all, in my opinion. A lot of people could successfully recruit to USC. Observe:

"Hey, you, 17 year old boy. Would you like to live in Hollywood, have Will Farrell and Snoop Dogg hang out at your football practices, be on ESPN all of the time, and have aspiring actresses blow you in the VIP room of a dimly lit nightclub?"

"Yessir."

"Great, sign here."

Doing the same at Tennessee will be tough.

In my view, Kiffin's real value as a head coach will come with his ability to build an excellent staff. His father, legendary NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffen, will become the Vols DC and if the rumors of Kiffin hiring Ed Orgeron to become his recruiting coordinator are true then Tennessee should have a solid coaching staff come next fall.

Oh, and his wife is hot.

One last thought: citing his lack of success in Oakland as reason for his potential failures at Tennessee isn't going to do it for me. A lot of college coaches simply cannot win in the NFL and vice versa. I'll cut Kiffin some slack there.


The Ugly - Gene Chizik, Auburn

I don't care what you think, Herbie, this is not a good hire. I know that Iowa State is not a traditional Big XII power or anything, but 5 victories in two seasons is pretty damned pathetic. And to somehow parlay that "success" into a head coaching job at one of the SEC's top programs is downright baffling.

Gene Chizik in his natural state of "awful"

I could go on and on about his poor record at ISU, the lack of fan satisfaction among the Cyclone nation, or the fact that every coach worth half a damn turned down the Auburn job, but the best indicator of just how horrible this hire is should be the absolute lack of a honeymoon period out on the plains.

Remember the man crushes that many got (and still have) for Coach Nutt when we hired him? Do you see how goo goo and gah gah the Bulldogs are over Mullen? Have you read the Petrino apologetics in our comment threads? People love new coaches. They bring new energy and potential to their programs. They excite their fans and players. They increase sales of tickets and goofy, pun-laden t-shirts.

Chizik does none of the above. People at Auburn aren't excited over this hire. Many are accepting of it, but most are simply upset. They didn't like him when he left Auburn after 2004. Iowa State fans and media don't like him. Hell, he was even on the third hottest seat of the season according to coacheshotseat.com.


Let's be frank: this is all the fault of Auburn's overly controlling boosters. Bobby Lowder and his posse of cock-envied millionaires can't stand seeing Nick Saban have the success he is having at Alabama. So, in purely illogical fashion, they fire one of the SEC's best coaches to hire the single worst in the Big XII. Of course, they wanted to go after a bigger name but, after seeing how Tommy Tuberville was not appreciated by those in power, a bigger name was not going to waste his time on the Plains. The fans didn't want Tuberville gone, nor did the players; but a few rich, old assholes who can't stand hearing their golfing buddies brag about St. Nick while criticizing the hors d'œuvres at the Country Club's brunch became jealous and intervened. Bobby Lowder and anyone else who had anything to do with all of this are professional dumbasses.

I will say, though, the rest of the SEC West and the Bulldogs of Athens are pretty pumped about this. Have fun filling your stadium next year, Auburn.

"The next opposing coach that Chizik outsmarts will be the first." -A clever-as-hell ISU fan

Wow. Take THAT Alabama!

Auburn University has announced that they are hiring Iowa State head football coach Gene Chizik to replace Tommy Tuberville. This is spectacular.

How do you fire a coach with Tubbs' track record in the SEC for a single down year (when his team went 5-7) and then turn around and hire a coach whose head coaching credits include only a 3-9 season and a 2-10 season? Tommy Tuberville is one of the top fifteen coaches in the country. It blows my mind.

I expect this to splinter the fan base a good bit. We'll get Rodney Scott and probably Raymond Cotton now. That's exciting.

Don't expect Auburn to be competitive next season. They'll have coaching that is significantly worse with a roster that's not significantly better. Good job Auburn administration. You did something I didn't think was possible. You showed Ole Miss fans that there is at least one school in the country with an AD that satisfies their fans less than ours does.

We're happy too Tommy.