One year ago, Deion Sanders’ swift exit from Jackson State’s sideline introduced a swell of consideration to HBCU soccer that hadn’t existed in a long time. What it didn’t deliver had been extra alternatives for the coaches who’re primarily lifers, irrespective of how a lot they’ve confirmed themselves. Earlier than Sanders took the Colorado job, the final time a head coach was plucked from the HBCU ranks was in 2016 when Southern Miss got here for Jay Hopson– the primary white coach within the historical past of the SWAC.
Previous to Hopson, Wichita State’s hiring of Willie Jeffries in 1979 to maintain their sinking ship afloat was the one instance of a PWI D-I program providing a head teaching job to an HBCU coach. Jeffries cracked the door open, however slammed it shut simply as shortly. After going 8-3 in his third season, Jeffries coached yet one more yr earlier than this system was mothballed and Jefferies moved on to Howard College.
A yr after Sanders took the Colorado gig he’s SI’s Sportsperson of the Year and has discovered Colorado’s pulse, however most HBCU coaches are nonetheless invisible through the teaching carousel season. Dozens of coaches have matriculated from FCS, Division II and even Division III applications to FBS stage. Brian Kelly is essentially the most distinguished success story since claiming a pair of Division II nationwide championships at Grand Valley State. Lance Leipold has risen from championship-winning head coach at a Division III powerhouse to architect behind turnarounds at Buffalo and Kansas.
Willie Fritz clinched JUCO nationwide titles earlier than getting seen at Sam Houston State earlier than accepting a job at Georgia Southern throughout their transition to FBS. At Tulane, he reversed their fortunes and this week took a job main Houston into their Large 12 period. So far, come-ups of that ilk have been exhausting to come back by for Black coaches at HBCU applications.
John Grant, the chief director of the Celebration Bowl, showered Sanders for his shift to Colorado, however lamented the dearth of alternatives for his friends.
“What has happened for him is no different than what happens in other circles with a coach’s ascension. People do a great job, they get bigger jobs; they don’t do a good job, they get fired.” Grant told Andscape. “We’re not accustomed to this in the HBCU space where an HBCU head coach moves up to FBS Division [I] as a head coach.”
Take FAMU’s Willie Simmons, as an example. The 2023 SWAC Coach of the Yr has amassed a 44-13 report in 5 seasons on the helm of Florida A&M, certified for the FCS postseason in 2021, and is a nominee for FCS Coach of the Yr.
Nevertheless, historical past says that may be a longshot. The neglect of HBCU coaches hasn’t shifted a lot since Jeffries was anticipated to Magic-Negro Wichita State’s soccer program out of the dumps within the early Eighties. Satirically, Simmons additionally served because the offensive coordinator on Hopson’s Alcorn State employees in 2014. The offense that Simmons directed completed second nationally in scoring offense, high 10 in yardage and high 5 in speeding. Simmons’ profitable rebuilds continued at his subsequent two stops in Prairie View and FAMU. However the FBS world has but to come back knocking.
Kyle T. Mosley of Fannations’ HBCU Legends advised that the previous VP of Athletics at Florida A&M from 2019 to 2022 serving as Tulane’s Deputy Athletic Director, the place they’re scraping the faculty soccer panorama for a Fritz successor, would make Simmons a logical candidate.
Nevertheless, according to The Athletic’s college football insider, Bruce Feldman, Troy coach Jon Sumrall, Florida State’s offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, Inexperienced Wave offensive coordinator Slade Nagle, LSU quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan, and Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker are all receiving extra buzz presently than Simmons.
Historical past is merely repeating itself if that’s the case. Two years in the past, Simmons was a candidate for the FIU job, however was handed over for a retread rent in former Colorado head coach Mike McIntyre. A yr in the past, Simmons addressed rumors associated to South Florida’s emptiness, however this system elected to rent Tennessee’s less-experienced offensive coordinator Alex Golesh over Simmons. This season, Simmons has FAMU at 11-1.
Probably the most practical route for HBCU coaches is the circuitous one Brennan Marion took from offensive genius at Howard to Energy 4 convention place coach and most lately because the play caller at UNLV. However the HBCU head coach to PWI head teaching pipeline is tightly guarded. Marion’s Go-Go offensive scheme was studied by coaches all through the nation, however even he needed to settle for a demotion to lastly name performs once more.
On the Division II stage, Benedict School coach Chennis Berry has reconstructed Benedict School’s bottom-rung program. In his final two seasons, Berry has amassed a stellar 22-2 report and superior via the Division II playoffs after resurrecting a program that was 1-9 and ranked 163rd out of 166 Division II applications in whole offense. Berry’s program-building expertise have caught the eye of South Carolina State, however the Lance Leipold Hyperloop to Energy 4 jobs is merely hypothetical to Black HBCU coaches.
Observe DJ Dunson on X: @cerebralsportex
