AUHansel 0 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Black Coaches Association wants prospective football recruits and assistant coaches to stay away from South Carolina because the school ignored the group's recommendation for a more open coaching search. The group's director, Floyd Keith, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that South Carolina never contacted the BCA. The group sent the school search guidelines before Steve Spurrier was hired to replace Lou Holtz last month. "There was an announcement and a hire," Keith said. "That was so fast that a jackrabbit couldn't have had a family between all that." Three of the five black college coaches -- Notre Dame's Tyrone Willingham, New Mexico State's Tony Samuel and San Jose State's Fitz Hill -- won't be back with their schools next season. The BCA first announced its plans regarding South Carolina in The Chronicle of Higher Education. South Carolina athletic director Mike McGee said the mission of the BCA is important to college football. However, he said administrators faced a brief time frame to land someone as prominent as Spurrier. Keith said South Carolina administrators should have shown the same consideration he's seeing from other schools with openings. One athletic director, Keith said, visited his Indianapolis office to discuss its search. University of Mississippi chancellor Robert Khayat has said administrators are working closely with Keith's group as it looks to replace David Cutcliffe. Keith said his group hasn't gotten a response from the Gamecock athletic department since Spurrier was brought on board. "In my opinion and in the opinion of my association, what this says to us is they don't care," Keith said. "We want athletes and parents of color to start taking stock in the process that institutions take in choosing coaches." Keith had nothing but praise for Spurrier. "It's not about him," Keith said. "This is about the process." McGee said in a statement there were "unusual and extraordinary circumstances that we faced" when Holtz decided with several weeks left in the season to step down. "We had the opportunity to replace an accomplished and national championship coach with another," McGee said. "The window for that to occur was clearly uncertain. It certainly was not the normal type of coaching transition that an institution faces." Link I'm so sick of this stuff. South Carolina went out and got the best coach they could find...that is all. This is ridiculous. The coach that is the most qualified and has the best credentials normally gets the job. This is not racist and it is not discriminatory. I can't believe that they are making such a big deal about this. Like with the Detroit Lions when they hired mariuchi(however you spell it). Why should any team have to consider a lesser qualified coach when a proven coach is available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TitanTiger 20,471 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 Why just South Carolina? Why not Florida? Why not Illinois? Neither of them gave an African-American more than a cursory interview, if they gave one at all. Hypocrites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUesquire 1 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 You hit the nail on the head. The position was open(Holtz retired, not fired) and the hottest guy in the business was out there. Should they have waited and adhered to the guidelines that someone else suggested they follow? Or should they have snapped up Coach Superior? Oh Darn, someone else signed Spurrier when we could have had him. But at least we followed those guidelines the BCA laid out for us. We feel much better about ourselves and so politically correct. A kinder, gentler, more sensitive South Carolina. Puhleeease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 0 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 simple response by USC: "Steve Spurrier is arguably the most successful Head Coach in the History of the SEC. He has proven not only the ability to coach in the SEC atmosphere, but also run a clean, succesful program from top to bottom. Considering a coach with these qualifications was available, and considering we are an SEC school, we saw no reasons to conduct any other search." sheesh . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aubb2002 0 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 I believe the BCA and others with the same agenda are hurting black college coaching prospects rather than helping them. AD's are under the impression that 'if we hire a black coach and are not satisfied with him then it is going to be difficult to get rid of him without hearing from the BCA and others. Therefore let's hire the white guy and we can get rid of him when we want to, no questions asked'. Why, as an AD, would you want to take the risk of putting your school in the negative spotlight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny AU-92 0 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 "There was an announcement and a hire," Keith said. "That was so fast that a jackrabbit couldn't have had a family between all that." We, the members of Planned Jackrabbit Parenthood, find this comment to be demeaning to jackrabbits everywhere. The stereotype exhibited by this statement shows the racism and anti-rabbit sentiment currently present in the US today. Unless we receive a retraction and full apology, we will be forced to hold a reproduction marathon in the offices of the BCA until jackrabbits fill every available square inch of space. Oh, and a jackrabbit must be offered the head coaching job at Notre Dame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HokieJamie 0 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 It would be more insulting to interview black coaches when they know they are going to hire Spurrier anyways (remember Mariucci and the Lions?) . So much for hiring the best coach regardless of skin color. Sad sad sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUesquire 1 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 Jenny.....NOW THAT WAS FUNNY!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoJtrueAUman 4 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 Recriuts are going to look at USC and say they have Steve Spurrier and that will be that, it won't matter his skin color just that he IS SS. Sorry if I have a choice between some no name black coach and SS, I am choosing SS, hands down no questions asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthLink02 8 Posted December 8, 2004 Share Posted December 8, 2004 I love how every message board in existance dealing with college football is blasting this ridiculous group. Amen to everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgufcm 4,096 Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 the bca does a lot of really great work for minority coaches. this little gaffe was just dumb, and it embarrasses the whole organization. steve spurrier wanted to coach your team!!!! you don't have searches or interviews or wait a little while.... you hire one of the greatest coaches of all time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombigbeetiger 223 Posted December 9, 2004 Share Posted December 9, 2004 typical reaction....play the race card.....they have played it so much, nobody is listening anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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