by Barbara Akowuah

Created on: July 09, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The NCAA has proven to be a mega power house in generating money through its athletic programs such as football and basketball.

With all the money that the NCAA receives each year one wonders why there are hardly any efforts to recruit minority head coaches particularly in college football.

If you take a look at the sidelines during a college football game this season you're almost guaranteed to notice that the one calling the shots is neither a woman or a minority.

This is odd considering that the majority of college football players (usually 50 to 60 percent for Division I A athletics)tend to be minorities.

Of the more than 115 Division I-A football programs there are only a handful that represent the minority population.

The NCAA should realize that although it is important to be apart of a winning program it is more important to have a college/university athletic program that corresponds with the diversity of the school or the desire of the school to become more diverse and community oriented.

When Tyrone Willingham was let go from his post as head coach at Notre Dame he was reportedly quoted as saying, "We've gone too long with the numbers the way they are. We have to change what we're doing. "In this day and age, it's a shame and an embarrassment,"

Certainly one would think that in 2008 we could at least see a slight increase in the number of minority football coaches in the NCAA. But the reality is the numbers haven't really changed at all within the last decade.

The problem is not enough minority coaches are given opportunities to prove themselves. During the interview process for the head coaching position there will most likely be only two or three minority coaches interviewed for every 25 candidates that are considered.

This is a great flaw in the sport of college football simply because there are many qualified minority coaches that are not given the chance.

The NCAA has an obligation to consider everyone for a possible spot, if they do not discriminate during the admissions process for college students than why discriminate during the hiring process for head football coaches?

The bottom line is most people want to have a head coach that they feel can give them wins. If there are minority coaches out there (whether they are black, Asian, Hispanic or female) that can show they have what it takes than they should be allowed the opportunity.

How can we as spectators see whether or not a minority coach is certified for the job if he/she is constantly overlooked?

I think it is about time for the NCAA to undergo some wide spread changes as far as there hiring process goes, the future and integrity of Collegiate athletic sports depends on it.

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