Impressive changes in minority hiring

posted by After Atalanta
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 9:57am EDT

A blog focused on issues of gender and sport.

Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

Even my cynical, questioning-of-all-things-teleological self was impressed by this report about the increase in the hiring of minority female coaches in women's basketball. Three years ago the group Black Coaches and Administrators began tracking the hiring of minority women* with the help of Richard Lapchick of University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. Lapchick and the Institute are known for the issuance of various report cards, which detail how well or poorly various sport associations (professional, intercollegiate, etc.) are doing in terms of creating and maintaining racially diverse and welcoming environments.

There are now 23 minority coaches in women's DI basketball; up from 8 three years ago when the hiring report cards started. Eighteen of those 23 coaches are women.

What the article did not say and I am somewhat interested in is how many of those hirings are of women who were already head coaches at the DI level, versus at different divisions and/or former assistant coaches at DI schools. Obviously there has been a net gain. But there are also head coaches going from one DI school to another a la Nikki Caldwell who left UCLA at the end of last season to take the job at LSU. I don't think this so-called lateral move should diminish the score/grade of an institution. It's just a stat I would be interested in knowing. I think it speaks to issues like social and professional networks and training.

On the not-so-good side, it looks like the number of minority coaches in men's basketball is decreasing. There was a 4 percent drop in the number of minority coaches in DI men's basketball.

The BCA would like to see some kind of rule like the NFL's Rooney Rule in place in intercollegiate athletics.

* The article keeps saying minority women, but is that because people are afraid to say black? Or is this report really tracking all racial minorities?

Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

Filed Under:

View Original Post at afterata.blogspot.com

View ken's Full Profile

No one has commented on this yet. Be the first!

SIGNUP FOR A WOMEN TALK SPORTS ACCOUNT:

A Women Talk Sports account allows you to maintain a profile at www.womentalksports.com and login to comment on posts using your WTS identity.

Fields marked with a * are required.

Your First Name*:

Your Last Name*:

Your E-mail*:

Your Website:

Your Location:

Your Twitter Username:

Create a WTS Username*:

Create a Password*:

Confirm Password*:

Check here to receive bi-weekly emails from Women Talk Sports and partners highlighting discussions on our site and upcoming women's sporting events, as well as informing you of new products, services and special offers.

I accept the Terms & Conditions for joining Women Talk Sports

MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR:

After Atalanta

A blog focused on issues of gender and sport....
full profile

Fixing advantage by fixing bodies?

You can literally see the inequality

Why adjectives matter: The case of women's sports

My former dreams are shattered

Should you watch the Sochi Olympics?

Caitlin Cahow is part of the US delegation to Sochi

List fail

The sports world says uh-oh (What to do about Russia)

Let's talk about Russia

It's just not a major sporting event until...a male commentator makes a sexist remark

Coach behaving badly

Did Frank Deford just tell me to lean in??

For more, visit ken's Full Profile