Racism Yes….But Not In The Way You Might Think

So, Charles Barkley recently made news when he blasted his Alma matter, Auburn University, for their choice of Gene Chizik as the new football coach. Chizik, who posted a very unimpressive 5-19 record at Iowa State over the past two years, was given the job over Turner Gill, a former Nebraska All-America quarterback who is the current head coach at the University of Buffalo. Gill took over the Buffalo program 3 years ago, at a time when it was considered the worst in Division 1, and has since guided it to a MAC Conference championship and their first bowl game this year. He is widely considered among the hottest coaching prospects in the country. Yet he was not chosen for the Auburn job, and Barkley feels the reason is racism. “I think race was the No. 1 factor. You can say it's not about race, but you can't compare the two résumés and say [Chizik] deserved the job. Out of all the coaches they interviewed, Chizik probably had the worst résumé.”

I believe that Sir Charles is right. Race was a factor in a school like Auburn, in the heart of the Deep South, not hiring a black man as head coach. However, I think it was the race of Mr. Gill’s spouse that had just as much, if not more, of an impact on him not getting the job. You see, Turner Gill is married to a white woman. Now its true that interracial relationships have becoming more commonplace and accepted, frequently seen in the media and in many major cities…We even have a president who is the product of an interracial union....But within certain circles in the Deep South, interracial relationships....especially those featuring the Black man/White woman dynamic....still cause a level of discomfort. I believe that the thought of a dark skinned Turner Gill and his Caucasian wife going to booster events at Rotary clubs in rural Alabama was something that the trustees at Auburn were uncomfortable with.

This situation makes me think about Charlie Strong. Strong, the Defensive Coordinator at the University of Florida is regarded as one of the best and brightest assistant coaches in all of college football. His defense completely shut down Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith in the 2006 BCS championship game, as the Gators won the national championship. He will be coaching the Gators defense again in this year’s BCS Title game. During his years as defensive coordinator at the University of South Carolina and at Florida, a number of players have gone from his tutelage to productive NFL careers. His name is mentioned every year in the coaching carousel, especially through out the South given his connections and reputation as a very good recruiter in the talent rich southeast. Yet, in spite of his success and accomplishments since 1999, ability to recruit top talent and good reputation in coaching circles, Strong has yet to be hired as a head coach.

What color is his wife? White....Doesn’t seem like a coincidence.

It seems like there is now an extra layer of racism that qualified black candidates have to now deal with just to get jobs that they have proven they are capable of handling. And it’s incredibly unfortunate.