INDIANAPOLIS---In an effort to address significant issues that pertain directly to the participation and employment of minorities in sports, the Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA), previously known as Black Coaches Association will release the 4th Football Hiring Report Card on Tuesday, October 9, 2007.The results are detailed in the BCA HRC #4 (206-2007) which will be published on line no later than 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 9, 2007. Visit www.bcasports.org to examine the report.

Floyd Keith, Black Coaches and Administrators Executive Director released the following statement. “We have arrived at year four of the BCA Hiring Report Card. While the BCA believes this process has made the hiring practices of Division IA (FBS) and Division IAA (FCS) in football more transparent and accountable, we continue to try to answer the same disturbing questions. Why the percentage for head coaches of color 6% (7/119) for IA/FBS and 5% (6/122) for IAA/FCS is nearly 4 times less than the real “business” climate of the NFL which has grown to 19% (6/32) of African-American head coaches? If 58% of the players in Division I men’s basketball are African-American and 25% of the head basketball coaches are of color; why does the 49% of African-American players in Division IA football translate to only 5% in the coaching ranks? These statistics are hard objective facts that bring to end the multitude of subjective conversations stimulated by this ongoing debate. The reality is social injustice.

The past football hiring cycle produced only 2 hires of color for 33 opportunities. In the first four years of this study, 54% of the schools have been graded. If this trend continues, within four more years, we will be able to objectively view the hiring process of almost 90% of the FBS and FCS institutions relating to football. Are we afraid of what we will see in the year 2011?”

Members of the BCA-HRC subcommittee who will announce the HRC results are; Paul Hewitt, BCA President and Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Georgia Tech; Floyd A. Keith, Black Coaches and Administrators Executive Director; Dr. C. Keith Harrison, Founder and Director of the Paul Robeson Research Center for Academic and Athletic Prowess; and Charlotte Westerhaus, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

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