Two Trustees vote against Beckman's hire

[Big Phil]

OK I am all for hiring minorities, but we OFFERED KEVIN SUMLIN AND HE TURNED US DOWN so shut it
 AND interviewed Kirby Wilson it appears

Two trustees vote against Beckman

Thu, 01/19/2012 - 9:44pm
 

CHICAGO ? Two University of Illinois trustees voted against the appointment of new football coach Tim Beckman on Thursday, citing the UI's failure to hire an African-American as a head football or basketball coach.

Trustee Lawrence Oliver read a statement just before the board's vote to approve Beckman's $9 million five-year contract, saying he had problems with the process and substance of the search in December.

He called it a "sad irony" that the UI places emphasis on diversity as a leading public university but has never had an African-American head football or basketball coach in its history. That "dubious distinction," he said, is shared in the Big Ten only with Purdue and Nebraska.

"African-Americans predominate these two sports," and have made significant gains in the assistant coaching ranks and to a lesser extent head coaching ranks, he said.

"I would hope that as a university we find this shutout unacceptable," Oliver said.

Oliver acknowledged that two African-American coaches were interviewed for the position ? former Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin and UI graduate Kirby Wilson, running backs coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who was injured in a fire earlier this month.

Sumlin was offered a contract by the UI but turned it down, accepting an offer at Texas A&M.

"We have to increase our effort. Making an opening offer for a hot African-American coaching prospect is not enough," Oliver said.

Trustee James Montgomery, a UI graduate, echoed Oliver's remarks and also voted no.

[ctibass]

I'm all about hiring minorities, heck my business partner is African-American, but at the end of the day, we need to hire the best coach for the job.  To me, this is negative pr for the athletic department.  It says that our university doesn't care about the quality of the athletics, just about the racial diversity of the coaching staffs.

[Firehawk]

where are the great qualified candidates then!!...please show them to us!!....I wouldn't care if they were black, brown, red, green...and i'm sure the U wouldn't either.....but last I checked, nobody was beating down the doors for this job...and that's why we almost HAD to take Beckman

[misterp]

Mike Singletary maybe. I think this was a CYA vote. I seem to remember some rumbling about this when Zook was hired.

[Big Phil]

Guys what worries me the most is this quote:

"We have to increase our effort. Making an opening offer for a hot African-American coaching prospect is not enough," Oliver said.


What that says to me is, although Beckman is making 1.4 mil or whatever, we should have offered Sumlin more than the 4.3 mil TAM paid  (we offered 3 million) him simply because he is black. Not on his qualifications as a coach. This Oliver guy is a complete asshat

[BYS]

Bring back the CHIEF!

[illiniman94]

Bring back the CHIEF!

+1 Bazzillion

[obmtl]

Guys what worries me the most is this quote:

"We have to increase our effort. Making an opening offer for a hot African-American coaching prospect is not enough," Oliver said.


What that says to me is, although Beckman is making 1.4 mil or whatever, we should have offered Sumlin more than the 4.3 mil TAM paid  (we offered 3 million) him simply because he is black. Not on his qualifications as a coach. This Oliver guy is a complete asshat

Beckman should complain to Oliver that he was discriminated against - he was offered less than the black candidate was.

[ILLINI VW]

Guys what worries me the most is this quote:

"We have to increase our effort. Making an opening offer for a hot African-American coaching prospect is not enough," Oliver said.

Yeah, that line bothered me the most too. 

[Firehawk]

whats really funny is ...what "hot young black candidate" is taking THIS job right now...seriously! these dopes should pull their heads out of their ass...this is not a prestigious powerhouse college football program...and on top of it, we offered anyway but were shot down...LOL!  some people just talk to talk.

Like I said before, how many coaches were beating down the doors to come here, regardless of color?....answer, not many!  Maybe they would have been happy if we hired some guy with NO coaching experience  and lost every game next year! 

stuff like this burns me up, and in the same sense its hard not to laugh becasue its so silly!