Dukechronicle.com

by Ben Cohen

December 6, 2007

 

Deep in record books documenting J.J. Redick’s scoring averages and the 1938 Iron Dukes’ box scores rests a conspicuous absence of fact. Duke has never employed a black head coach in any sport. For all of its record-breaking achievements, the athletics department with perhaps the foremost national reputation has a stark lack of diversity at the top of its programs.

 

Burness is not content with Duke’s state, and national organizations like the Black Coaches and Administrators are displeased with searches throughout the country. The problem, they believe, is that coaches of color do not receive enough interviews and simply are not given the chance to be considered for head-coaching positions. As a prominent athletic powerhouse, though, Duke is in a unique position: it could help trigger national change, said eminent civil-rights lawyer Cyrus Mehri, who works to encourage diversion in sport.

 

The BCA issues a report card every year grading college football coaching searches in terms of a school’s effort to include diversity in the process. 

In 2004, Duke received a ‘B’ from the BCA, as did five of 14 Division I-A schools evaluated. The University saw its lowest marks in communication and diversity of the search committee, including a ‘D’ in the latter. The best grades were reserved for the diversity of the candidate pool and the amount of time the search took, in which Duke earned ‘A’s. This time around, University officials have emphasized improvement in areas in which it struggled.