African American Coaches Research Articles

Seattle Sports: Play, Identity, and Pursuit in the Emerald City

Seattle Sports, edited by Terry Anne Scott, is a welcome addition to the Sports, Culture, and Society series edited by David Wiggins for the University of Arkansas Press. As Wiggins notes in the preface, the series provides a forum for “a variety of disciplinary areas and methodological approaches” (ix). Based on these criteria, Seattle Sports hits a home run. Of the book's ten authors, only four are traditional academics, while the remainder are former athletes or simply fans of the sports they write about. All the essays are clearly written and accessible. While some academic sports historians may wish for more historiographical context in some of the essays, others will find the mix of academic and nonacademic essays refreshing.Editor Scott's contribution on basketball great Lenny Wilkins examines the complex relationship between race, sports, and social mobility. Scott tells the engaging story of Wilkins's rise to Hall of Fame player and coach. As only the second African American coach in the NBA, Wilkens led the Seattle SuperSonics to a 1979 NBA championship. Scott's biographical approach details the obstacles faced by African American players and coaches. In Wilkins's case, that meant childhood poverty, housing discrimination despite his star status, and lack of recognition for his early coaching achievements.Three other chapters address issues of race and sports. Sherry Lee shows how Seattle's Japanese American community used segregated baseball in the interwar years to forge a distinct ethnic identity while simultaneously proving their Americanness. Shafina Khaki uses W. E. B. DuBois's concept of “double consciousness” to examine the complexities of race and identity among four NFL players who spent time with the Seattle Seahawks. While modern athletes have embraced the Black Lives Matter movement, Khaki shows us that Black players have long used their platforms to address racial injustice. Finally, Anthony Washington's contribution makes for a fascinating primary source. Washington, a Seattle high school basketball star, never made it to the NBA. After playing professional basketball in Europe, however, he did something more: he became a social worker in Seattle and founded “Off the Court,” a nonprofit that helps youth in underserved communities pursue academic, not just athletic, scholarships.Three essays in Seattle Sports address gender identity. Maureen Smith examines the life of Seattle swimmer Helene Madison, who won three gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 1932. Madison became one of the “sports heroes” of the 1920s and 1930s, but, like many other great female athletes, she had no opportunity to parlay her gift into a professional career. Rita Liberti examines the world of amateur gay softball teams in Seattle during the 1980s. Like her earlier work on Black women in college basketball, Liberti shows how sports complicate our notions of “masculinity” and “femininity.” Jamie Barnhorst rounds out the essays on gender with an engaging look at women's roller derby in Seattle. Barnhorst, who skated professionally, provides a history that is both personal and sociological. Women's roller derby, she concludes, “included female athletes of varying ages and body types, disrupting traditional notions of femininity” (155). Like the men in Liberti's gay softball league, the women of roller derby pushed the boundaries of gender identity.The remaining essays focus on the fate of conventional and unconventional sports in Seattle. Elliot Trotter places “Ultimate” (a form of frisbee football) within Seattle's unconventional urban culture. Chris Donnelly chronicles the Mariners’ success (or lack thereof) from the 1970s to the 1990s. While much of the essay narrates the ups and downs of each season, Donnelly also offers insights into the politics and economics of team relocation. Christine Maggio's essay on the fate of professional hockey in Seattle also speaks to the politics and economics of location and relocation, examining Seattle's quest for an NHL expansion team.A single review cannot do justice to the ten essays. Nonetheless, the book illustrates the potential of focusing on the development of sports within a single city. At times, the editor and the individual authors struggle too hard to make the case for using Seattle as a focal point. However, one does not need to show that Seattle is a world-class city deserving of the same attention as New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles; nor does one need to argue that there is something either “special” or “representative” about Seattle that makes it worthy of study. Focusing on a particular city—any city—allows a more in-depth examination of sport and its interactions with other urban institutions. The strength of this collection lies not in giving Seattle its due but in exploring the diverse ways that different groups experience sports.

Head coach tenure in college women’s soccer. Do race, gender, and career background matter?

This study aims to analyse the tenure of head coaches in college women’s soccer in the USA and puts the focus on the influence of race and gender. The analysis includes individual characteristics of coaches (educational and professional background), team performance, institutional characteristics, and geographical differences (at the state level) from 1977 until 2015. The main results show that African American coaches and women have a significantly shorter tenure in these college institutions. Other factors related to the background of coaches and the characteristics of institutions also play a significant role. The findings are relevant for coaches from minority groups and athletic departments, who are interested in equity in sport. Future research may use an alternative approach to investigate the causes of tenure disparity in college women’s soccer.

The Role of African Americans in the Executive Labor Market: The Case of Head Coaching in College Basketball

In this paper, we examine how the number of African American and White American coaches in college basketball evolved since 1947. Particularly, we focus on 1973 when the league split up. The separation created asymmetric regulatory requirements. This led to a significant difference in the number of African American coaches. The evidence suggests that less regulated institutions employ fewer African American coaches. The results are time consistent, not clustered geographically, and unrelated to specific institutions. Our results have policy implications for college sports as well as other industries which have similar working conditions

It's Not About American Football: Tony Dungy's Journey of Self-Emancipation from Rejected Black Quarterback to Celebrated African American Coach (No se trata de fútbol americano: la emancipación de Tony Dungy, de marginado quarterback negro a célebre)

The ideals of individual freedom and universal equality contrast with the persistence of oppression and inequality worldwide, making every case study of practical progress toward freedom and equality valuable. The example of Coach Tony Dungy, the first African American to lead a Super Bowl championship team, is an instance of incremental self-emancipation. Dungy's competitive nature shows up in everything he writes and says, but his emphasis on commitment to self-improvement and community-building illustrates the possibilities of individual and collective progress. Dungy's narrative, seen in the context of Jacques Ranciere's theoretical approach, is an instructive example of equality. Ranciere insists that we are all intellectual equals, and Dungy's autobiographical writing exemplifies a pragmatic application of this attitude, which also suggests a theoretical and practical approach to the development of community through a process of dedicated self-emancipation.

Hillside Fields: A History of Sports in West Virginia by Bob Barnett (review)

Reviewed by: Hillside Fields: A History of Sports in West Virginia by Bob Barnett Mark S. Myers Hillside Fields: A History of Sports in West Virginia. By Bob Barnett. (Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 2013. Pp. xxv, 429.) In his work Hillside Fields: A History of Sports in West Virginia, sports historian Bob Barnett creates a record of the importance of sports in West Virginia. While preservation of the wins and losses is important, Barnett takes the work to a new level of analysis by arguing that sports were indicative of life in the state. He notes: “[N]ot only were sports influenced by the major events and ideas shaping the nation, but sports in West Virginia were also strongly influenced by the unique geographical, economic, demographic, and political conditions of the state” (xiv). Barnett stresses that many of the issues that were, and still are, important in West Virginia not only shaped the state itself, but also impacted the sports that were important to Mountaineers. Sports, an important aspect of culture and history, can provide important insights into the impact of specific events on the people and society of a region. Barnett does a fine job of establishing this connection in West Virginia. For example, Barnett discusses the importance of baseball in West Virginia. For many years baseball was the most popular and important sport in the state, primarily because it was the first sport to be organized throughout the country. Barnett’s focus is mainly on minor league baseball as well as the great success of the West Liberty State College baseball team in 1964. Culturally, baseball was important in the state’s coalfields because it created a true sense of community for the miners of the region as well as played a part in welfare capitalism. Although the causes for the popularity of baseball are not a significant focus of Barnett’s book, he does an adequate job in discussing the importance of amateur baseball in the state. Barnett’s discussion of the African American high school basketball tournament is another sports’ topic that parallels the general history of the state. [End Page 97] Like many other states, West Virginia had a segregated school system. Barnett’s section on the segregated basketball tournament pointedly demonstrates that, for decades, African American schools were the focal point of the black community. Barnett also does a fine job discussing the impact of the loss of these schools. Many African American coaches found themselves demoted to assistant coach positions or they lost their jobs. Black teachers and administrators fared similarly. For many, the loss of their schools was a blow that the community could never overcome. As Barnett noted: “[F]or both blacks and whites in West Virginia, the small-town high schools and the churches represented the focal points of community life. Segregation tended to tighten that focus for African Americans” (117). Barnett has provided scholars of West Virginia and the greater Appalachian region an invaluable resource for exploring the sports history of the area. A few issues detract from the work, including factual errors, such as, “Alderson-Broaddus College is located in the picturesque town of Philippi, West Virginia, in what was once the coal mining section of Fayette County,” when, in actuality, Philippi is in Barbour County, but such errors do not diminish the usefulness of the book (237). Students and scholars of Appalachian or sport history will benefit immensely from Barnett’s effort. Mark S. Myers The Indiana Academy–Ball State University Copyright © 2014 West Virginia University Press

An Examination of African American NCAA DI-FBS Football Coaches: A Five-Year Update

Past studies have concluded that institutional and access discrimination remain potential deterrents in achieving a more diverse and equal representation of racial minority head coaches in college football. This study sought to examine and compare the career paths of all DI-FBS coaches to determine the potential continued existence of discrimination and its impact. Findings revealed an overall positive shift in the representation of African American coaches, particularly at the assistant coach level. Thus, the coaching career paths of current head coaches and coordinators appear to be paving a more equitable path for assistant and future coaches. However, the data also portray the existence of both institutional and access discrimination. Such biases facilitate and maintain an underrepresentation of African American coaches; and while the increased acceptance of upper-level coaches with diverse racial, playing, and coaching backgrounds suggests a positive shift toward racial equality among coaches, the mo...

Differences in the Success of NFL Coaches by Race

Madden analyzed data on coaching records in the National Football League during the 1990-2002 seasons. The overall conclusion is that African American coaches are held to higher employment standards, with respect to winning, than White coaches. Madden's model used complete seasons coached and omitted partial seasons. Here, the data are analyzed analogously but partial seasons are included. The inclusion of partial season results in a lack of significance of race as a factor in firing. Furthermore, there are other potential explanations of the historically low percentage of African American coaches in the National Football League. These are discussed herein.

Taking Advantage of an Untapped Pool: Assessing the Success of African American Head Coaches in the National Football League

Noting that only five African American coaches had been hired to lead National Football League (NFL) teams from 1989–2002, Madden (J of Sports Econ, 5(1):6–19 2004) found that teams coached by African Americans in the NFL outperformed their counterparts in the regular season but were significantly below average in the playoffs. This analysis, with data that includes nine African American coaches and extends through 2007, reconfirms Madden's finding that African American head coaches outperform their rivals in the regular season, but also finds that African American coaches no longer suffer from poor playoff performance. Using fixed effects pooled cross section time series models, this analysis confirms that teams with African American head coaches can expect more wins in the regular season than their peers, other things equal. However, there is some evidence that as the pool of African American coaching talent diminishes from additional hires their extraordinary performance may be slightly regressing. The playoff analysis shows that that when controlling for seeding, organizational strength and regular season wins, African American coaches perform at the same level as their counterparts.

American Sport in Film, Television and History: Introduction

What an appropriate time for an issue of Film & History dealing with sport and film. Advocates of youth sport maintain that the games teach children the lessons of teamwork, fair play, hard work, and, yes, even patriotism. But for those who insist that sport mirrors the larger culture and reflects the American character, the fall and winter 2004-2005 major sport seasons in the United States have raised serious questions about American society. Many Americans rejoiced when the Boston Red Sox battled back from a three game deficit to defeat the Evil Empire of George Steinbrenner's New York Yankees. Then the boys from Beantown lifted the infamous curse of the Bambino by winning the World Series for the first time since 1917. Yet, even this achievement was marred by the exuberant celebrations of young fans culminating in the shooting death of a Simmons College coed by the Boston police. And violence continues to plague American sport in this winter of athletic discontent. The usual mayhem of the National Hockey League missing due to a labor dispute that may cancel the season. But the National Basketball Association picked up the slack with a brawl between Detroit Pistons' fans and players from the Indiana Pacers. The intersection between race and class in this altercation contributed another disturbing element to our sporting culture. Basketball Commissioner David Stern reacted with major suspensions for the players involved, and the authorities in the affluent Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills filed charges against both fans and athletes. Perhaps drawing their inspiration from the professional sporting ranks, football players from Clemson and South Carolina concluded their game the next day with a fight, which state troopers struggled to control. Unlike the Basketball Players' Association, which appealed the fines levied by Commissioner Stern, the Presidents of Clemson and South Carolina refused to accept lucrative bowl invitations for their schools. However, universities rarely display such restraint. The actions of Notre Dame in dismissing football coach Tyrone Willingham indicate that the school has no other priority than winning. The first African-American coach at Notre Dame, Willingham increased graduation rates for his players, but he failed to place the Irish in the Bowl Championship Series. And now we have the steroids allegations implicating such athletes as track's Marion Jones and baseball's Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds. After the health problems and poor performance of Giambi in 2004, the New York Yankees will probably use his drug confession to void the athlete's contract. But what of Barry Bonds, who maintains that he never knowingly used steroids? Bonds remains baseball's best player and closing in on the homerun marks of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Will the sport discipline its greatest box office attraction? The reflection our sporting culture casts this winter not a positive one. Rather than opportunity and fair play, we see winning at any cost exemplified. It the type of behavior that led to the Enron scandal in the corporate world. Of course, cheating not something new in the world of American sport. In the 1950s, we had the point shaving scandal in college basketball and violations of the honor code with the football program at West Point. And sport has long exemplified the nation's struggle with issues of race and class. Certainly, sport violence hardly unique to the United States. Soccer riots have plagued Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Nevertheless, the sporting events of this fall and winter should remove any notions of American exceptionalism. The bottom line that, for better or worse, American sport big business and a major component of the culture. In America's Obsession: Sports and Society Since 1945, Richard O. Davies concludes that American sport is unquestionably big business in terms of dollars generated: it also of major importance in a social sense. …

Differences in the Success of NFL Coaches by Race, 1990-2002

Although there have been numerous analyses of racial discrimination in professional sports, none have analyzed football coaching. Analyses of the regular season win records, and of making the playoffs, for National Football League (NFL) teams coached by both African Americans and Whites between 1990 and 2002 show that African American coaches were more successful. The analyses make racial comparisons for overall season records, records in the first year, and records in the year of an involuntary departure for the coach. There is evidence that teams that hire African American coaches are better than those that hire White coaches. Analyses that consider team quality effects also find significantly better performance by African Americans. African American coaches have been insignificantly less successful in the playoffs, however. Overall, the results are consistent with African American coaches being held to higher standards to get their jobs in the NFL.

Already aware of the glass ceiling: Race-related effects of perceived opportunity on the career choices of college athletes

Despite making strides with respect to sport participation, racial minorities continue to be under-represented in coaching and upper management positions within much of the sport world today. For example, African Americans constitute 78% of all National Basketball Association (NBA) players; however, only 34% of NBA teams are headed by an African American coach (Lapchick & Matthews, 2001). These inequities are also seen at the intercollegiate level. Although African American student-athletes represent 22.7% of all participants within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), African Americans represent 7.5% of the head coaches and 13.7% of the assistant coaches of men's teams (Earle, 2000). The proportions are even more dismal for coaches of women's teams, as African Americans constitute only 4.7% of the head coaches and 5.8% of the assistant coaches (Earle, 2000). These proportions are even lower when historically African American institutions are excluded. If we fol low Everhart and Chetladurai's (1998) argument that "the most likely population from which coaches of a particular sport are drawn is the players of that sport" (p. 190), then we are able to see that inequities exist within the coaching ranks. There are some measures currently being taken to try to mitigate the under-representation of racial minorities within the coaching ranks. For example, Bud Selig, commissioner of Major League Baseball, actively encourages teams to diversify