CSB+SJU struggling to diversify their coaching positions

Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in the NFL in 1921. Art Shell became the second Black head coach in 1989, considered to be the first of the modern era.

According to USA Today, 43.5% of NFL coaches consider themselves non-white, while 70% of players identify as non-white. The WNBA remains a trailblazer in diversity and inclusion, receiving top scores from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) in 2021 and remains the top scorer since 2004. Professional sports have made strides in diversifying their coaching staff, administration, and athletes. With Black History month during February, in a time when racial inequality is a prominent topic in conversations, college sports are under closer scrutiny for lacking Black leaders and coaches.

College administrators are attempting to promote that diversity needed on Minnesota college campus athletics, but there is still work to be done in hiring and putting people of color in those leadership positions. According to the 2021 report by TIDES, 90.5% of Division III athletic directors were white. Similarly, white associate athletic directors hold 90.7% of positions. This means that a pipeline from associate athletic director to athletic director for Black people, an initiative college sports have tried to establish over the years, is virtually non-existent. This is not saying that there hasn’t been some progress. In the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), there have been three BIPOC athletic directors. Hamline and Macalester made history last year as the first two schools in the MIAC to have Black head coaches facing off against each other. However, compared to the larger amount of Black head coaches and athletic directors in Division I schools and in professional sports, these small steps towards diversity seem miniscule.

**Diversity and inclusion progress at CSB**

CSB+SJU has been attempting to take diversifying matters into their hands after CSB was awarded the NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women Internship Grant last year. This is the second time that CSB has been awarded this grant. Because of the grant, CSB has had the opportunity to hire Jerron Granberry, a full-time strength and conditioning coach and assistant to the athletic director. Granberry can be credited to the flourishing strength and conditioning program for CSB athletes.

“In terms of what CSB has done so far with diversity and inclusion, I think they are doing a good job. But we could always do more,” Granberry said.

Granberry emphasized the importance of taking advantage of opportunities to diversify. Along with grants, CSB+SJU sports administrators participate in an inclusion forum hosted by the NCAA. Eligible athletes are also nominated to attend the NCAA immersion convention with the goal of being a head start for racial and ethnic minority students looking to work in the athletic field.

**Location plays a heavy hand**

For CSB+SJU, there exists a particular challenge in hiring diverse staff. The problem may not lie in the campus or administration itself, but in the location.

“Looking at the local area, we don’t get a lot of people who are willing to relocate here,” SJU Assistant Athletic Director for Events and Facilities Nicci Malecha said. Granberry, originally from Florida, pointed out the “culture shock” that came with moving to Minnesota. He explained that this community is different from others he has lived in during his professional career. Stearns County is predominantly white, with 86% of the population being solely white, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This poses a challenge for hiring, as Malecha pointed out that some do not want to relocate to the Stearns County area. Historically, CSB+SJU is a predominantly white university, and seems to reflect the general population of the surrounding area. Students are secluded on the campuses and don’t experience the culture of the location outside of the campuses. For staff, only a portion of the day is spent on campus, and the rest of life is spent in the surrounding area. This poses challenges to hiring, as the culture shock may be challenging when the coaches are not on campus.

**Equal opportunity hiring**

The SJU Coaching Values statement states: “St. John’s University Athletics is committed to providing equitable opportunities on the basis of merit in a non-discriminatory manner and values personal growth and development, teamwork, fair play, sportsmanship, competition and ethical conduct.” Both CSB and SJU promote being equal opportunity employers, working hard to promote jobs to all eligible candidates. There are certain job boards specifically for minorities to find employment opportunities in sports and sports leadership. CSB athletic director Kelly Anderson-Dierks says they make sure to post job openings to the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA). Anderson-Dierks stressed the importance of reaching out to as many job posting spaces as possible to get the widest pool of candidates, ones that include women and BIPOC.

“We want to have at least one or two of our finalists [in the job pool] to be a female or minority, representing one of those communities,” Anderson-Dierks said.

SJU Athletic Director Bob Alpers echoed the importance of hiring diverse coaches.

“Diversifying the staff has always been a priority to us,” Alpers said.

Alpers emphasized that there isn’t a lot of turnover within the coaching staff. Many have been working with SJU for upward of 10 or more years.

“With not a lot of turnover, it’s hard to have those opportunities to hire,” Alpers said.

Both Anderson-Dierks and Alpers agree that putting BIPOC in leadership positions has been a slow-moving process, but a necessary one, nonetheless.

**Look to the students**

Sometimes, systematic change starts at the most fundamental level, in this case the student body. Both CSB’s and SJU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) have put diversity, equity and inclusion at the forefront of their mission. Their efforts have played a heavy hand into conversations about race and identity here on the SJU sports teams.

“It is important to have coaches from different backgrounds to bring multiple perspectives. Overall, I think the more diverse you can be, the more possibilities you have,” SJU senior Octavius Wilson said.

Both Wilson and Auggie Moore, a member of the SAAC diversity and inclusion subcommittee, believe that it is important to recognize the diverse background teammates come from.

“It’s appreciating the simple fact that everyone’s experiences are different from our own. When we really listen to and learn from each other’s stories, we all stand to benefit,” Moore said.

Having these conversations around race and identity exists as a solid foundation to build administrative change from.

**Future of a diverse coaches and administration**

In building a future of a diverse coaching body, CSB+SJU continues their push to break past the barriers of the surrounding community. Continuing to apply for grants that allow opportunities to offer positions to racial and ethnic minorities is a priority for both athletic departments. Additionally, the CSB+SJU community continues to benefit in having honest and candid conversations surrounding race and identity. Recognizing the rich and diverse backgrounds of both students and staff is a catalyst for change. Encouraging students and staff to be those facilitators for racial discussion is at the forefront of administration’s mind. It is still a long road ahead for diversifying the sports administration and staff of both CSB+SJU and the MIAC, but it is one that will continue. Sports are for all, and the leadership in sports is for all, as well.