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Maryland Head Football Coach Michael Locksley Is Making Strides For Minority Coaches With New Coalition

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Former Broyles Award winner and second-year Maryland head football coach Michael Locksley is dedicated to creating more opportunities for fellow minority football coaches. Locksley has expressed his frustration with the slow pace of minority hiring on the college and professional level on several occasions. It will be an ongoing process, however, his announcement of the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches will definitely create some momentum.

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Black coaches are still a rarity at all levels of football. There are more at the college level than the NFL, but the ratio is fewer in the pros. Of the 130 FBS schools, there are 13 African-American head coaches. Down from a whopping 15 two years ago and comparable with the NFL’s minuscule numbers (three out of 32). The numbers are pretty disturbing when you think about all the in house candidates that are available for new hires. Most are familiar with the Rooney Rule, which requires interviews and “serious consideration” of minority coaches. The NFL is in the process of updating the rule. One that has been virtually ineffective thus far.

Coach Locksley’s initiation of the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches will hopefully have much more of a tangible impact. “When I took the Maryland job last year and looked at the landscape of college football, I thought to myself, There’s something missing. I’m on the back nine of my career and the pathway to becoming a head coach is still as difficult as when I got into the business in 1992,” the 50-year-old Locksley said by phone Wednesday evening. “I wanted to create an organization that would be able to help prepare, promote and produce the next group of coaches coming up through the ranks at every level.” The Coalition isn’t expected to begin formulating its candidates’ list for four or five months, according to Locksley. However, the organization has established the framework and hopes to have a powerful impact.

As a recent University of Illinois alum, and African-American, I enjoyed the luxury of seeing a black coach (Lovie Smith) at the helm of the football program. Maryland’s hire of Locksley was also a pleasant surprise. It is obvious that there is much more progress that needs to be made. But you have to celebrate the small victories. Locksley’s new organization is a definite step in the right direction. I hope that many other minority coaches who have been patiently waiting their turn will soon reap the benefits.

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