There are not enough minority football coaches at major Division I programs and a recent series from the Tennessean attempts to find out why. Of the 120 coaching positions, only nine are held by minorities.

Writer Bryan Mullen uncovers several potential reasons for the disparity, but perhaps the single biggest culprit is the lack of a "feeder system that fails to put minorities in positions to become head coaches."

"To me, that's the biggest problem right now," former Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom told Mullen. Croom was the first coach of color in Southeastern Conference history. "Unless a guy has coordinator experience at the NFL or the collegiate level," he says, "it is extremely difficult for an athletic director to sell it, especially if he's a minority candidate."

But, how is a coach supposed to work through the ranks if he is never given the opportunity? Some, including Georgia Athletics Director Damon Evans, suggest lingering racial motivations may be at the heart of the problem.

"I can't speak for institutions specifically, but I would have to say that I still believe, yes, (race) still plays a role somewhat," Evans, an African-American, told the Tennessean.
"You're never going to have people stand up and tell you the honest reasons why they didn't hire the minority candidate. What you always hear is 'fit, fit, fit.' Well, what does that fit mean? Some people may take that fit in a negative way and say, oh, does fit have to do with color?"

Earlier this year, NCAA President Myles Brand discussed the issue of minorities in coaching, calling the lack of representation, "the most frustrating issue I've dealt with since joining the NCAA."

Brand says the NCAA can be of assistance, but in the end, the Association does not do the hiring. That responsibility falls to universities.

He points out that minorities are getting interviews, but for some reason, universities aren't hiring. "I don't care how many interviews you have, if you don't hire, it doesn't matter."

How can we solve this problem? What should be done to increase the number of minority coaches in football?