What Does Ty’s Firing Mean for Black Coaches?

Tyrone Willingham is out at the University of Washington. First it was called a resignation, which was obviously false if you’ve followed Ty’s career or heard him speak for more than five minutes. Now, its been made clear that it was a good old fashioned canning. With a not so old fashioned $1 million buyout, of course. Considering his record there (11-32), many UW fans think this is a move best categorized as  ”too little, too late” for their program which is a Jake Locker away from being worse off than when Willingham arrived.

But what does this mean for black coaches in college football? For better or worse, race is a factor whenever you talk about Ty Willingham’s career, tracing back to his hiring and firing at Notre Dame. With only 19 black coaches in the history of big time NCAA football, the same could probably be said about any African-American holding the title of head coach. Many cried racism at his abrupt exit in South Bend, citing the school’s traditional practice of allowing their head coaches more time to right the ship. He was, after all, the first black coach in school history. But his consistent lack of success since the beginning of his reign with the Fighting Irish tell a different story: a bad black head coach is still a bad head coach.

Believe it or not, this is actually a big step forward for minority coaches of all backgrounds. Jackie Robinson was a revolutionary but he had to be a fantastic player for his impact to be truly felt. The sign of true progress in baseball was the first mediocre black player that wasn’t run out on a rail. The athlete that didn’t have to outperform his white counterparts and simply fit in with the rest of the roster. Tyrone Willingham  will likely get another job soon, solidifying his addition to the bland carousel of retread coaches destined to be hired by another AD. While it may be a step back for Ty, it’s a step forward for racial equality in coaching.

HT: Every Day Should Be Saturday