by J. Lee Kenser

Created on: February 04, 2011   Last Updated: February 06, 2011

The idea of mandating the hiring process of any institution by governing bodies of any kind is leading us down a road that is far from the visions of true equality as viewed by those leaders who put themselves in harms way decades ago.  Hiring of any person, coach or otherwise should be the person believed to be the best person for the job; be it a female, male, Black, White, Asian or of Hispanic origins.

Hiring of anyone based upon the color of their skin with less of a regard to their ability to lead young men or women in collegiate athletics, sends the wrong messages to future leaders of our nation and the world.  How can one be a proven winner based upon their skin color?  

The answer is that isn’t actually possible since it isn’t the color of their skin that teaches, leads and makes better people out of athletes and others, these individuals interact within our society as a whole.  There can be no valid solutions merely by hiring someone based upon what ethnic background they are from to be found.

Individuals who are of the same ethnic backgrounds might be able to better understand others from similar circumstances but that does not mean winners will be made from this idea.  True leaders are those regardless of color who stand up and show others what is right and wrong - period.  Often regardless of the coaches, background athletes still manage to get into trouble during their college years either with drugs, alcohol or in some instances other crimes.  This shows there is little connection to color of skin, of coaches and their players respectively, regardless of public opinions that are made these days.

This can be exampled by such choices by famous coaches in our history of sport like Bill Belichick with the cheating using video taping of opponents play calling.  He isn’t the only example but he is one that many are familiar with or the choices that famous Olympic athlete Marion Jones, who was caught using illegal substances and connections to the Balco investigation with her ex-boyfriend Tim Montgomery, who was also banned for using illegal substances connected with the Balco investigation. According to a report found on Wikipedia about Marion Jones.

Given this kind of information, can we truly be convinced that because of a coaches skin color they will automatically not just produce championships nationally but provide good leaders for our future? Not necessarily, which is why the NCAA should avoid making such rules regarding hiring of minority coaches in general.

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