University of Virginia Library

Shame

The Athletic Department has provided us
with yet another indication of the true nature
of its commitment to meaningful integration
with the way it filled the vacancy in its
football staff. The position of offensive
coordinator fell vacant when Ben Wilson
resigned to become head coach at Wichita
State. Justifiably, Mr. Blackburn maintained
that he had to fill the vacancy with someone
he knew, someone he could work with,
someone who knew his system. It was
unreasonable for anyone to demand that the
position be filled by a black man.

The Athletic Department, however, chose
to handle the situation in a manner which
makes it reasonable to question the sincerity
of its commitment to integrating its program.
By moving several coaches up a notch in the
staff hierarchy, the powers in University Hall
transferred the vacancy to the first-year
coach's job. This they filled with Billy Clay,
who is no doubt a competent coach, but who
should have no more success than his white
colleagues in recruiting black athletes.

Hiring a black coach is still a reasonable
first step towards achieving a well-integrated
athletic program. For example, one of the
first things Lefty Driesell did when he took
over as basketball coach at Maryland was to
hire a black coach to help him recruit the
good black basketball players in the
Washington area. The new first-year coach
could have been black, had the Athletic
Department desired it. None of the reasons
that effectively precluded a black man from
the offensive coordinator's job applied to the
first-year position. The Athletic Department
has assured the community that it is sincere in
its efforts to integrate its program, and the
community has thus far taken it at its word.
The time is fast approaching when words will
not be enough.