Black Coaches and Administrators: Not enough minorities hired in football

By STEVE HERMAN

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Minorities are getting more interviews but are still not getting enough jobs in college football, according to the Black Coaches and Administrators.

The study released Wednesday by the group said almost a third of the candidates interviewed last year were minorities, but only four were hired among the 31 openings in the NCAA's two levels of Division I football.

The recent firings of Ty Willingham at Washington and Ron Prince at Kansas State — both effective at the end of the season — left the Bowl Subdivision, the NCAA's top division, with only four blacks, one Latino and one Pacific Islander as head coaches.

"In the world of college football, the facts and statistics reflect an unmistakable bias and a systemic problem that has yet to be fixed. My deep concern is, `Why are the college football hiring practices out of synch?'" said BCA executive director Floyd Keith, who did not have an answer to that question.

"The message in this report is the process is being followed, but the poor hiring results continue," he said.

Among the 31 schools in the FBS and Championship Subdivision, formerly I-A and I-AA, that hired head coaches in the past year, 16 received overall grades of A, which is up from 11 that received the highest grade in the 2007 report, 12 in 2006 and just four in 2005.

BCA: Not enough minorities hired in football....

NCAA FOOTBALL POLLS

2007 NCAA Football Rankings - Week 9 (Oct. 28)

BCS Standings

1. Ohio State 9-0
2. Boston College 8-0
3. LSU 7-1
4. Arizona State 8-0
5. Oregon 7-1
6. Oklahoma 7-1
7. West Virginia 7-1
8. Kansas 8-0
9. Missouri 7-1
10. Georgia 6-2
11. Virginia Tech 6-2
12. Michigan 7-2
13. Connecticut 7-1
14. Hawaii 8-0
15. Texas 7-2
16. Auburn 6-3
17. Alabama 6-2
18. South Florida 6-2
19. USC 6-2
20. Florida 5-3
21. Wisconsin 7-2
22. Boise State 7-1
23. Virginia 7-2
24. Wake Forest 6-2
25. Clemson 6-2

AP Top 25

1. Ohio State (59) 9-0 1,615
2. Boston College (1) 8-0 1,501
3. LSU (3) 7-1 1,478
4. Oregon 7-1 1,417
5. Oklahoma 7-1 1,365
6. Arizona State (2) 8-0 1,310
7. West Virginia 7-1 1,286
8. Kansas 8-0 1,164
9. Missouri 7-1 1,121
10. Georgia 6-2 949
11. Virginia Tech 6-2 823
12. Hawaii 8-0 776
13. USC 6-2 742
14. Texas 7-2 728
15. Michigan 7-2 726
16. Connecticut 7-1 555
17. Alabama 6-2 547
18. Florida 5-3 532
19. Auburn 6-3 530
20. South Florida 6-2 392
21. Wake Forest 6-2 259
21. Boise State 7-1 259
23. South Carolina 6-3 196
24. Tennessee 5-3 165
25. Clemson 6-2 146

Others Receiving Votes

Wisconsin 132, California 131, Kentucky 123, Virginia 33, Penn State 30, Purdue 22, Brigham Young 22, Troy 13, Kansas State 12, UCLA 11, Oklahoma State 5, Illinois 4, New Mexico 4, Rutgers 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Kentucky 14, California 18, Virginia 21, Penn State 24, Rutgers 25.

USA Today Poll

1. Ohio State (56) 9-0 1,495
2. Boston College (3) 8-0 1,414
3. LSU 7-1 1,324
4. Oregon (1) 7-1 1,280
5. Oklahoma 7-1 1,269
6. Arizona State 8-0 1,221
7. West Virginia 7-1 1,177
8. Kansas 8-0 1,108
9. Missouri 7-1 983
10. Georgia 6-2 791
11. Hawaii 8-0 769
12. Texas 7-2 753
13. Virginia Tech 6-2 736
14. Michigan 7-2 701
15. USC 6-2 679
16. Auburn 6-3 454
17. Florida 5-3 451
18. Alabama 6-2 439
19. Wisconsin 7-2 422
20. Connecticut 7-1 419
21. South Florida 6-2 291
22. Boise State 7-1 218
23. Kentucky 6-3 159
24. Clemson 6-2 145
25. South Carolina 6-3 131

Others Receiving Votes

Virginia 119, California 118, Wake Forest 115, Purdue 107, Tennessee 64, Penn State 53, Illinois 21, Kansas State 20, Brigham Young 13, Oklahoma State 11, Cincinnati 8, Texas Tech 8, Vanderbilt 4, Houston 4, Colorado 2, Florida State 2, Oregon State 2.
Dropped From Rankings

Virginia 18, California 20, PENNST 22.

ESPNU Allstate Standings (Fan poll)

1. Ohio State 9-0
2. Oregon 7-1
3. LSU 7-1
4. Boston College 8-0
5. Arizona State 8-0
6. Oklahoma 7-1
7. West Virginia 7-1
8. Kansas 8-0
9. Missouri 7-1
10. Georgia 6-2
11. Hawaii 8-0
12. Virginia Tech 6-2
13. Michigan 7-2
14. USC 6-2
15. Texas 7-2
16. Connecticut 7-1
17. Alabama 6-2
18. Florida 5-3
19. Auburn 6-3
20. South Florida 6-2
21. Boise State 7-1
22. Wake Forest 6-2
23. Tennessee 5-3
24. Clemson 6-2
25. South Carolina 6-3

Others Receiving Votes

Wisconsin, California, Kentucky, Virginia, Penn State.

NCAA FOOTBALL POLLS

2007 NCAA Football Rankings - Week 8 (Oct. 21)

BCS Standings

1. Ohio State
2. Boston College
3. LSU
4. Arizona State
5. Oregon
6. Oklahoma
7. West Virginia
8. Virginia Tech
9. Kansas
10. South Florida
11. Florida
12. USC
13. Missouri
14. Kentucky
15. Virginia
16. South Carolina
17. Hawaii
18. Georgia
19. Texas
20. Michigan
21. California
22. Auburn
23. Connecticut
24. Alabama
25. Penn State

AP Top 25

1. Ohio State (57) 8-0 1,612
2. Boston College (2) 7-0 1,494
3. LSU (5) 7-1 1,479
4. Oklahoma 7-1 1,421
5. Oregon 6-1 1,355
6. West Virginia 6-1 1,228
7. Arizona State (1) 7-0 1,156
8. Virginia Tech 6-1 1,111
9. USC 6-1 1,107
9. Florida 5-2 1,107
11. South Florida 6-1 980
12. Kansas 7-0 960
13. Missouri 6-1 925
14. Kentucky 6-2 719
15. South Carolina 6-2 649
16. Hawaii 7-0 573
17. Texas 5-2 497
18. California 5-2 444
19. Michigan 6-2 401
20. Georgia 5-2 394
21. Virginia 7-1 315
22. Alabama 6-2 263
23. Auburn 5-3 248
24. Penn State 6-2 209
25. Rutgers 5-2 174

Others Receiving Votes

UCLA 77, Boise State 72, Wake Forest 50, Connecticut 26, Clemson 21, Wisconsin 17, Air Force 11, Brigham Young 6, Texas Tech 6, Troy 4, Tennessee 3, Fresno State 3, Oklahoma State 3, Kansas State 2, Purdue 1, Cincinnati 1, Texas A&M 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Tennessee 20, Texas Tech 22, Cincinnati 23, Kansas State 25.



USA Today Poll

1. Ohio State (58) 8-0 1,498
2. Boston College (2) 7-0 1,412
3. LSU 7-1 1,319
4. Oklahoma 7-1 1,306
5. Oregon 6-1 1,225
6. West Virginia 6-1 1,134
7. Arizona State 7-0 1,089
8. USC 6-1 1,060
9. Virginia Tech 6-1 1,052
10. Kansas 7-0 911
11. Florida 5-2 906
12. South Florida 6-1 813
13. Missouri 6-1 790
14. Hawaii 7-0 617
15. Kentucky 6-2 604
16. Texas 5-2 527
17. South Carolina 6-2 474
18. Virginia 7-1 466
19. Georgia 5-2 402
20. California 5-2 397
21. Michigan 6-2 325
22. Penn State 6-2 294
23. Auburn 5-3 179
24. Alabama 6-2 177
25. Wisconsin 6-2 105

Others Receiving Votes

Boise State 103, Rutgers 96, Connecticut 75, Purdue 37, Texas Tech 28, UCLA 21, Clemson 17, Cincinnati 10, Texas A&M 6, Wake Forest 5, Fresno State 5, Brigham Young 4, Kansas State 3, Maryland 3, Oklahoma State 2, Vanderbilt 2, Illinois 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Texas Tech 21, Tennessee 22, Cincinnati 23.

ESPNU Allstate Standings (Fan poll)

1. Ohio State 8-0
2. LSU 7-1
3. Boston College 7-0
4. Oklahoma 7-1
5. Oregon 6-1
6. Arizona State 7-0
7. West Virginia 6-1
8. Florida 5-2
9. USC 6-1
10. Virginia Tech 6-1
11. Kansas 7-0
12. South Florida 6-1
13. Kentucky 6-2
14. Missouri 6-1
15. South Carolina 6-2
16. Hawaii 7-0
17. California 5-2
18. Michigan 6-2
19. Texas 6-2
20. Georgia 5-2
21. Virginia 7-1
22. Alabama 6-2
23. Auburn 5-3
24. Penn State 6-2
25. Rutgers 5-2

Others Receiving Votes

UCLA, Boise State, Connecticut, Clemson, Wake

SURPRISES GALORE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL's FIRST MONTH

By Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY
At the start of the season, who would have ever imagined South Florida, in only its seventh year playing major college football, in the top 10? Or 0-5 Notre Dame, with the worst start in school history, getting even worse? Or a leading Heisman Trophy candidate at Kentucky? Or that Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy would ever be introduced as "America's Head Coach?"
These are just a few of September's surprises, topped off by a weekend in which five of the top 10 teams fell. So much has changed in the last four weeks, no wonder the early upsets of the season seem like yesterday's news.

Yesterday's news:

Appalachian State beats Michigan.

Today's story:

Five top 10 teams lose in the same weekend for the first time in four years.

This coming Saturday could have featured three marquee games between undefeated teams — LSU-Florida, Oklahoma-Texas and Cincinnati-Rutgers. Instead, four of those teams lost — Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Rutgers.

In Dallas, there will be more on the line in the human cannonball act at the State Fair than on the field when No. 10 Oklahoma meets No. 16 Texas at the Cotton Bowl. Though the Sooners could work themselves back into national title contention, winning the Big 12 South seems like a more realistic goal.

No. 2 LSU's game against No. 7 Florida is still compelling. The Gators showed last season that they could lose to Auburn and still advance to the national championship game. "The phrase I was always taught as a young person is that a soul of a man is exposed when you get hit in the face," Florida coach Urban Meyer said Sunday. "The soul of a man isn't exposed when you pick up a crystal ball and put on a championship ring. A lot of people can do that. It's when you have to rebound from some adversity."

To have a chance at upsetting the Tigers, the Gators know they have to find more offensive options than quarterback Tim Tebow running up the middle against LSU's stellar defensive line. The night before the Auburn game, offensive coordinator Dan Mullen had an emergency appendectomy, but Meyer said that didn't affect the way Mullen called the game. "He should be fine," Meyer said. The prognosis for his team's chances at a national title will be determined on Saturday.

Yesterday's news:

Running backs for the Heisman.

Today's story:

Unheralded quarterbacks for the Heisman.

Much was made of all the fine running backs in contention for the Heisman: Arkansas' Darren McFadden, West Virginia's Steve Slaton, Michigan's Mike Hart, Rutgers Ray Rice, Boise State's Ian Johnson. Now that all five teams have losses (Michigan and Arkansas have two losses), the focus has shifted to Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson and Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.

Though both QBs were highly regarded entering the season, they are now front-running Heisman contenders thanks to their teams' unblemished records and top 10 rankings.

Yesterday's news:

Hot freshman Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame.

Today's story:

Hot freshman Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech. He tied the NCAA record for touchdown catches by a freshman with 14 … in five games. Clausen's team is winless.

Yesterday's news:

Nick Saban.

Today's story:

Mike Gundy.

Gundy's tirade the previous week made the Oklahoma State coach a YouTube hit. It also raised his national profile for better or worse. America's most downloaded coach was introduced as "America's Head Coach" by the public-address announcer in Stillwater before the Cowboys' victory against Sam Houston State. This weekend, his Cowboys are playing for first place in the Big 12 South when they meet Texas A&M.

As for Saban, Alabama fans still love him even after two losses, but the storybook start of the season is over.

Yesterday's news:

The Big Ten is bad.

Today's story:

Pac-10 rules

Though the Big Ten's conference strength is still questionable, the league has come a long way from the beating it took during Michigan's 0-2 start. No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Wisconsin meet in Columbus on Nov. 3, and the winner should be a contender in the national title race. Plus Michigan, the preseason conference favorite, is still unbeaten in the league.

As for their bowl buddy, the Pac-10, the bloom is still on the rose. Even LSU coach Les Miles is changing his tune from disparaging words about the league in the preseason.

On Sunday, after AP made his team No. 1, Miles said he thinks Southern Cal should be the top team. "I like SC's dynamic team. I believe they are underrepresented right now," he said.

The league has two national title contenders in No 1 Southern California and No. 3 California. The winner of their Nov. 10 meeting in Berkeley could be in the national title game.

After their slim escape at Washington on Saturday, USC, everyone's preseason No. 1, looked mortal.

"We can't play like that the rest of the season, or else we'll lose like a normal team," coach Pete Carroll said.

Normal? So far this season has been anything but.