College Basketball Needs a Rooney Rule

[Sensible_Auburn_Fans]

John Calipari is now the head basketball coach at Kentucky. He is going to make an unconscionable amount of money. Kentucky is banking he can rebuild the once proud program there. He is talented, driven, and has a proven track record. Good for him.

Now, it is time to talk about the elephant on the basketball court. There is a serious need for some sort of a collegiate version of the NFL's Rooney Rule. For the uniniated, the Rooney Rule was established in 2003 and named after Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and head of the league's diversity committee. The rule requires NFL franchises to at least interview qualified minority candidates for open head coaching positions. This rule has proven to open doors otherwise closed to high caliber minority candidates.

John Calipari was all but handed the Kentucky job on a silver platter without as much as a mention of a minority coach in the sights of one of college basketball's most storied program. Before Calipari, the target was Billy Donovan at Florida who promptly turned down the overture. That is two primary candidates neither of which represents a minority by almost any definition of the word. I ask, why? Why, when there are clearly qualified minority candidates available, did Kentucky not extend the courtesy?

Tubby Smith, who left Kentucky with more than a little help, and turned Minnesota into a tourney team in two years, already broke the minority barrier at Kentucky. He was successful and had the unenviable task of following Rick Pitino. So, this is not about setting precedent that was not already in place. Kentucky was in a place to not only rebuild its program, but to continue to build bridges for minority head coaches in basketball. And they simply did not even blink an eye at it.

Meanwhile, SEC fellow school Alabama hired its first minority head coach of a major sport by tabbing Anthony Grant (previously successful at VCU) as its coach. Georgia has made a $2 million a year offer to Missouri coach Mike Anderson. (Anderson's Missouri team ran Calipari's Memphis team off the court in the tournament this year, you might remember.)

It's not just about hiring a minority for the sake of hiring a minority. That is ridiculous. It is about providing the opportunity to bright, proven, successful coaches who are also minority candidates.

Alabama's move to hire Grant was not only important because of his racial identity, but because he was because the man can coach basketball, takes an interest in representing his university with class, and works to make sure his players take advantage of the educational opportunities. Anderson was widely criticized when he left UAB for Mizzou and he has quickly instilled discipline and class in that once troubled program.

I stand amazed at how little attention this is getting in the mainstream media. I suppose winning is everything. Equality be its victim.

[AUTerp92]

I think it is a non-issue for college basketball because several major and mid-major programs have a minority coach...minorities are getting plenty of opportunities at the D-1 level in basketball; however, college football may need a "Rooney-Rule"...major programs such as UT and others didn't even bother interviewing minorities like AU did...yet we are racist for making the decision to hire Chizik...to me labeling AU as a racist institution for not hiring Gill did more harm for opportunities of qualified minorities than good.

[auwareagle]

Waste of time, there's little to no stigma in hiring a black basketball coach nowadays. It's not as if Kentucky is afraid to do it... can you honestly tell me there was any better candidate PERIOD than Calipari for that job. If I were a kentucky fan there's literally not a single other coach I would have picked over him. Things like the Rooney rule only serve to increase racism in the long run. I wish people would just STOP talking about it. I don't give a damn if you're black or white but I do give a damn if you talk about being black or white constantly. The race card is used by black AND white people all the time.

[eagleair89]

cue violins

[Galen]

Pfffft.

Rooney rule is stupid.

[demon42]

Why would college BB need the Rooney rule? There are plenty of minority HC's, Most AD's just want the best MAN for the job. I do not think Calipari is the best HC out there, but maybe the best one who would leave the program he was at to take the Kentucky job.

[jadennis]

I agree with most others here. I think John Thompson and Nolan Richardson already blazed a trail that left doors standing wide open in college basketball. Look at Jeff Capel, or Oliver Purnell, or Mike Anderson, or Paul Hewitt...and the list goes on and on.

And specifically for this hire, I just don't see it as an issue. Kentucky didn't pass over more qualified candidates. Calipari is at the top of the profession, already running a Final Four program, and already having taken two programs to the Final Four. Add to it that he's only 50 years old (this isn't some SEC school hiring nearly 70 year old Bobby Knight), and it's a home run for Kentucky.

They made a good hire and stepped on no ones toes in the process.

[jonranwill]

Originally Posted by Galen

Pfffft.

Rooney rule is stupid.

Agree....just hire the best candidate and everything else will take care of itself. There are already laws in place now to prevent discrimination. There is also Affirmative Action in place. Unless you can prove it, one shouldn't start crying racism. Most of the time, believe it or not, the candidates are picked for reasons other than race.