FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — In the realm of college basketball, the sight of an African American coach celebrating a national championship by cutting down the nets is more familiar, though still not commonplace.
John Thompson led Georgetown to glory in 1984, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Black coaches in the sport. He was followed by Carolyn Peck with Purdue in 1999 and Dawn Staley of South Carolina, who claimed her first title in 2017, bringing the total to four Black coaches who have achieved this milestone.
In college football, however, progress has been slow and inconsistent, lagging behind by over four decades. This year could potentially change the narrative.
The upcoming national semifinal in the Orange Bowl will determine whether James Franklin from Penn State or Marcus Freeman from Notre Dame can become the first African American head coach to secure a national title at the highest level of college football.
If one of them triumphs, it would represent a monumental achievement, occurring a full generation after the significant strides made in college basketball and 18 years after Tony Dungy became the first Black coach to win a Super Bowl in the same stadium where Franklin and Freeman will compete. Dungy’s victory was also significant within the context of the NFL, which has faced its share of challenges regarding diversity in hiring.
“This moment reflects a long overdue celebration,” emphasized Richard Lapchick, founder of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at UCF. “As we approach 2025, it’s concerning that we still haven’t seen a Black head coach crowned as a national champion in college football.”
James Franklin, 52, recalls the importance of visibility during key moments in the sport, particularly remembering Dungy coaching against Lovie Smith in the 2007 Super Bowl. For Franklin, then an offensive coordinator at Kansas State, it was a pivotal moment that let aspiring coaches witness role models in leadership positions.
Today, the landscape has seen some improvement, with 16 Black coaches out of 134 head coaching positions in college football, reflecting 11.9% of these roles. In the NFL, the percentage of Black head coaches stands at 18.8%. A 2022 report showed that over 52% of players in top-tier college football identified as Black or multiracial, while the representation of Black head coaches in men’s basketball is 24.8%. Both Franklin and Freeman are of mixed race; Franklin’s mother is white, and Freeman’s mother is Korean.
Sean Frazier, the athletic director at Northern Illinois, suggests that the discrepancy in diversity hiring between football and basketball may stem from the sheer number of opportunities in both sports. Basketball features over 300 schools participating in March Madness, significantly more than the schools competing in the College Football Playoff.
Additionally, the presence of influential Black coaches like Thompson, John Chaney, and Nolan Richardson in basketball has paved a way for younger coaches that has yet to be matched in football.
“There is no excuse for the situation in football, as there are many highly qualified minority coaches who could lead teams,” Frazier, who is Black and has received NCAA awards for diversity and inclusion efforts, stated. He emphasized the need for university officials responsible for hiring decisions to take accountability.
Freeman’s ascent to the brink of a national championship highlights the power of networking and skill. A crucial connection came through Black coaches who shaped his career.
Playing at Ohio State, Freeman was mentored by Black assistant coach Darrell Hazell, who later hired him at Kent State and then brought him to Purdue. Connections continued as Freeman’s college teammate Luke Fickell enlisted him at Cincinnati, and he eventually joined Notre Dame under Brian Kelly, eventually succeeding him when Kelly left for LSU.
“It’s an honor to be in this position,” Freeman remarked about his potential historic role in the playoffs. “I understand that I represent many others who look like me, and it’s something I hold in high esteem.”
Despite both coaches having beneficial mentorship experiences, their journeys highlight an ongoing issue in the coaching landscape.
The NCAA’s initiatives, such as the Coaches Academies and Champion Forum, aim to build support systems for minority coaches but have yet to show significant overall impact. The West Coast Conference’s “Bill Russell Rule” stands as a solitary effort in college sports to mandate interviews for minority candidates, drawing parallels with the NFL’s Rooney Rule, though the WCC lacks a football program.
According to TIDES, college sports received a “C” for racial hiring practices, indicating that while improvements exist, they are not yet sufficient.
“The NFL seems to be making strides in diversity hiring,” noted Lapchick. “College sports has yet to experience that same level of progress.”
Frazier believes that the evolving landscape of college athletics, particularly with the advent of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, presents an opportunity for adopting a model more akin to the NFL’s, enhancing demand for diverse coaching talents.
Highlighting the successful connection between Black coaches and players, he pointed to Deion Sanders at Colorado as an example of how such bonds can facilitate both success and financial gain.
When he hired Thomas Hammock, the coach responsible for Northern Illinois’s stunning victory over Notre Dame, Frazier considered multiple qualifications, recognizing the added benefit of Hammock’s identity in relation to their athlete demographics.
“His background as a former student-athlete and record-holding running back at the Power 5 level made him an ideal candidate,” Frazier said. “If he weren’t Black, I would still have hired him, but his racial identity enhanced our connection to the student-athletes we are recruiting.”
