European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 28, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday november 26,1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary color Barrier extends to the sidelines there was a time not so very Long ago when Black quarterbacks and coaches were rare specimens in football. Found mostly at Black colleges and almost no place else. Thai has changed at least for the quarterbacks. Three Blacks Houston s Warren Moon Doug William Al Washington and Randall Cunningham with Philadelphia will Start nil games sunday. Another Black Vince Evan of the los Angele raiders is a backup. Eight or the top 20 College teams including no. 4 Syracuse with Heisman Tro Phy finalist Don Mcpherson have their attacks directed by Blacks. No. I Oklahoma has three Black quarterbacks on the roster. Bui while some Blacks now cat signals rarely do they Call plays there Are Only three Black head coaches in Divi Sion i a Mcaa football Francis play at Northwest Lem Wayne nunnely at Nevada Las vegas and Slevc Bryant at Ohio University. And no Black has held a head coaching Job in the nil since Fritz Pollard doubled As player coach of the Hammond ind., pros from 1923-25, when the league was just gelling suited with franchise like the Rock Island independents the Orang indians the Kenosha maroons the Frankford yellow jackets and the Duluth Keltys. There were few Black players in the nil Hen and none at All from the mid 1930 s until 1946 when running Back Kenny Washington and end Woody strode both teammates of Jackie Robinson at Urcla joined the los Angeles rams. Their appearance made the nil the first Inte grated major league one year ahead of baseball and four Yean ahead of the Aba. Since then the Black player population of the nil has steadily increased until it now accounts for approximately 55 percent of rosters. But while baseball and basketball have had Blacks in charge of teams three have managed in base Ball tour arc head coaches in the Aba Fritz pol lard remains the Only one to function As a head coach in the nil. And thai was Well Over a half Century ago. Most Black assistants considered head coaching prospects arc taking a Low profile on this simmering Issue. Tony Dungy defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Sie Elers and Long believed to be the no. I Black head coaching Prospect simply refuses to Dis cuss it any further. Deacon Dan Towler one of the Pioneer Black players when he broke into the league in 1950, understands the reticence. In thai business if you re aggressive it destroys you he said. You be got to let somebody open the door and Eive you a Chance. If you try to break it in it will close tighter. There Are people in this country who will keep this country All White if they can and the Only Way that can change is through economics. If it is economically Good then it will happen. There Are very few Branch Rick cys who will open the system und give people a Chance just because it is he right thing to Tow err remembers when teams frowned on the idea of Black quarterbacks that s changed he said. So will this. I am a Man of great Hope. It will happen in its Dennis Green one of four Black assistants on Bill Walsh s san Francisco 49cr staff is an Optimist. I think it will change quickly he said. All of the attention focused on the Issue has made people aware. In 1979, there were nine Black assistants. Now there arc 40, those Are people gaining experience and know How. Not too Many Gas can afford to hire four head coaches in 12 years and not look for the Best available candidate. It lakes someone with he courage to think out Side that Safe Little Square Box and make a bold move to get the Best available Guy. Regardless of race Sherman Lewis who works with Green said i Don t have an answer for Why a Black has t been hired before now. It s not experience. There Are Guys with a ars of coaching experience two of those Are Jimmy Raye and Billie mat thews who have a combined 33 years of College and pro coaching experience. Both lost coordinators jobs last year when staffs were turned Over in Tampa Bay and Indianapolis. Both got nil assistant jobs a step Down the coaching ladder elsewhere. People hire their friends said Lewis who was an assistant at Michigan slate for 14 years and has been an nil assistant for five years. Blacks Don t have anyone in position to name a head coach. We can t make them hire the assistants jobs offer Hope he said at least we re getting exposure meeting general manager and presidents of clubs maybe someone will say one Day this is the Guy you Don t hire people you Don t know. It s networking and we re not in the despite the absence of a Black head coach the nil is proud of the Progress it has made in minority hiring. In 1980, there were 14 Black assistant coaches. Now there Are 41, including seven hired since the end of last season. Attorney David Cornwell was named the nil s director of equal employment and assistant Legal counsel last summer. Commissioner Pete Rozelle said Cornwell s primary function is to broaden of intr Lucilius Ful . We feel Progress has been made in the minority employment area rpm clue said but we recognize that our Job is unfinished. We Are prepared to do something about the 49crs established a four week coaching Fellowship for minority assistant coaches last sum Mer n nil a number of other clubs will pursue similar program in 1988. Since 1981, More than 1,400 coaches from 48 predominantly Black schools have attended another program to Orient them on nil techniques. All of this though still leaves the nil without a Black head coach. They la come just like the quarterbacks did. When they can win said Tex Schramm president of the Dallas cowboys. It s Schramm said a club searching for � head coach has a single priority and it has nothing to do with skin color. You look for somebody whoa win hcs Aid. Yet when the Atlanta Falcons fired Dan Henning after last season they shopped the Job for i to months being turned Down by a variety of Candi dates All of them White finally the Falcons promoted defensive coordinator Marion Campbell who had been fired from the same Job 10 years earlier after compiling a 6-19 record in three seasons. Campbell s career head coaching record was 23-48-1. Which would hardly seem to fit Schramm s no. I criteria. Many thought Grambling s Eddie Robinson would be the nil s first Black head coach. He has the credentials including 341 career victories in 11 years More than any coach in history College or pro. Robinson turned out scores of Black players who have developed into pro stars and although he has been interviewed for nil jobs he s never been offered one. He was a serious candidate for the los Angeles rams Job in 1973 and later with the Tampa Bay Bues. Each Lime he Job was Given to someone else and Robinson went Back to Grambling to develop More Blacks for the nil players not coaches. College basketball season hits High gear this weekend a Anark do ukr Murgint. ,. Different supporting cast by the associated press it s a Long Road to the Mcaa Basket Ball championship in Kansas City april 4, especially when you Start the season in Taiwan Ireland or puerto Rico. The College season kicks into full swing this weekend with an International Lair featuring 18 major tournaments including the great Alaska shootout the Maui classic in Hawaii and the Windup of the big Apple nit. The flying time 13 hours is Long enough but when you have a 4 a hour delay in Tokyo and an extra hour in Seattle it makes for a Long Oregon stale coach Ralph Milter said from Tai a i. Taiwan where his team was to play Clemson Friday night. In Cork Ireland the Lona gaels play the Irish National team and Canisius faces St. Louis University. In the carib bean Virignia Commonwealth and a Kansas stale Are in the san Juan shoot out. Al Madison Square Garden in new York no. 14 Florida was to play Iowa state while Seton Hall was to meet new Mexico in Friday night s semifinals of the big Apple nit. The Best action May be in those hotbeds of Early season tournament play. Alaska and Hawaii top ranked Syracuse no. 9 Michigan and no. 17 Arizona Are in Anchorage for the great Alaska shootout. The Orange men lost their opener to no. 3 North Carolina in last weekend s Tipoff Clas sic but figure to have an easier Lime in its opening round game against Host Alaska Anchorage. I think the idea is to get us National exposure playing the Best in the nation Anchorage coach Ron Abeggen said. We re probably going to Uke some jumps with the Caliper of teams that Are in Michigan begins its season with three starters Back from the team that went 20 12. Arizona has All five starters Back from ils 18-12 team plus Steve Kerr. A Tine three Point shooter who missed last season after knee surgery. Among teams opening in Hawaii Are no. 7 Kansas. No. 11 Iowa and no. 16 Georgetown. Kansas and Iowa Are in the Maui Clas sic. Georgetown plays at Hawaii Loa West Virginia and Oklahoma slate Are in the Ala Moana tournament while Ala Bama facts new Mexico state Kansas first round game is against Chaminade an naia school whose past victims include no. 1 Virginia and nationally ranked Louisville and sum. That s what you did before Silver swords coach Mery Lopes said. Thai does t mean anything All America Danny Manning leads Kansas which should be helped Fay 6 fool to Junior College Transfer Marvin Branch and 6-6 Archie Marshall who missed last season with knee surgery suffered in the 1986 Mcaa semifinals. Well be much stronger inside this sea said Kansas coach Larry Brown whose team went 25-11 last season. Iowa and coach Tom Davis open their season against Stanford. Davis was Stanford s coach for three years and recruited most of the players his Ion a team will face. I hate these games. 1 just dislike Davis said it s difficult because you Don t like to see them Ose and of course you Don t Tike to us your own lids lose fifth ranked Kentucky begins its sea see College on Paga 26
