Athletics Director Ron Mason didn’t only dismiss MSU’s football coach when he fired Bobby Williams on Monday; he fired a quarter of the black head coaches in Division I-A college football.
That’s because Williams was only one of four blacks among the 117 head coaches in the top tier of the game.
So no one should be surprised to see questions about race arising out of the ashes of MSU’s nearly dismantled football program.
MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson, who is black, was quick to come to Williams’ defense Monday, claiming the university is doing a disservice to its diversity efforts by not giving the coach the same opportunities his predecessors had to improve the football program.
“Since I have been an adult, MSU has had a reputation for fairness to minorities,” Ferguson said. “What is now incredibly disappointing to me is that MSU, under the cover of night, has decided to ignore the facts, ignore the precedent, and damage its reputation of fairness and commitment to diversity.”
Ferguson is right to ask questions, and so are the many others on campus who are disturbed to see Williams go.
The numbers clearly show something is awry in college athletics. Nearly 50 percent of college football players are black - now, only about 3 percent of coaches at the top level of the college game are: Notre Dame’s Tyrone Willingham, San Jose State’s Fitz Hill and New Mexico State’s Tony Samuel.
As much as we all like to think racism and other forms of discrimination have been wiped out in 2002, everyone is not on an even playing field. We’re only a generation removed from civil rights laws that were supposed to guarantee equal treatment - hardly enough time to counter hundreds of years of discrimination.
But the battle against discrimination should not mean MSU sacrifices the quality of its football program simply to have a minority coach. Williams’ team was ripping apart at the seams, and he was losing the respect of players. The damage to the program from this season alone is staggering.
Mason pointed to that damage as the reason for Williams’ dismissal. Race didn’t play a part, he said.
We believe Mason. His years running a clean hockey program give him credibility in making tough decisions about the athletics department. It would be foolish to dismiss a head coach midseason without just cause - especially when Mason had earlier assured everyone Williams would see another season.
But the issue of race is something Mason will have to address - now and as he seeks out a new football coach. And it’s an issue the NCAA needs to address as well.
Ferguson is right in pointing out the importance of MSU keeping its focus on diversity. But the trustee needs to stay out of the internal affairs of the athletics department and give Mason a chance to save the sinking football program.
Perhaps MSU’s next coach will be black. Perhaps the coach will be white.
But no matter the race, MSU’s next football coach must have high standards and top-rate skills.
The trick for MSU is to make sure the search for a coach is open to all qualified candidates and conducted fairly.
