Twelve NCAA institutions have received an "A" grade from the Black Coaches Association for their hiring processes used to fill head football coaching vacancies in the last year. Six other schools, however, received failing marks.

The BCA revealed the results of its latest hiring report card during a September 21 teleconference. BCA officials also talked more specifically during the call about possible legal action through federal employment law to address continued disparities in the hiring of ethnic minority football coaches at the Division I level.

Overall, 26 institutions were included in the 2005-06 BCA study. Among the 10 Division I schools that sponsor football in the Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-A) and 16 in the Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), 12 received A’s, three earned B’s, two received C’s and three earned D’s. Of the six schools that were awarded F’s, five were because they refused to participate in the study.

The dozen A’s represents the highest number of institutions that have earned the mark in the three years of data collection. Five schools received failing grades last year.

For the third consecutive year, institutions were graded in five categories — communication with the BCA and NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee; composition and size of the hiring/search committee; total number of candidates and total number of ethnic minority candidates interviewed; the duration of the search and hiring process; and adherence to the school’s affirmative action hiring policies.

However, for the first time in the brief history of the report card, schools could not earn an overall grade of A if they received a D or F in any of the five categories. Also for the first time, institutions that did hire an ethnic minority were awarded two bonus points. Kansas State University; University at Buffalo, the State University of New York; Columbia University; and Southeast Missouri State University earned that distinction.

Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion, emphasized that the Association shares the BCA’s goal of increasing the number of coaches of color in Division I and encouraged member institutions to implement fair and open search processes. Excluding historically black colleges and universities, only 15 of 516 NCAA football programs have a minority head coach, while almost 40 percent of football student-athletes are of color.

"Clearly this is not a winning record," Westerhaus said.

Title VII as legal tool

BCA Executive Director Floyd Keith acknowledged during the teleconference that the organization is exploring the possibility of legal action to address the continued inequities through Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The federal employment law prohibits intentional employment discrimination and practices that have the effect of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex or national origin. Title VII pertains to private employers, state and local governments, and public and private institutions that employ 15 or more people.

Keith said the BCA has brought attention to the issue, but change has not come as quickly as the group would like.

"With the legal process, you have to have the right tool," Keith said. "In terms of Title VII, I think we have the right tool — we have something that has measurement and it’s something we can use."

Westerhaus said institutions should be familiar with Title VII, since schools have used it to ensure diversity in filling positions throughout the university. She also noted state laws that mirror Title VII.

"We at the NCAA have to do everything we possibly can to educate athletics directors and presidents and show them the connection between that process and their hiring practices for head football coaches," she said.

Keith also encouraged potential minority student-athletes and their parents or guardians to weigh the results of the BCA hiring report card and to strongly consider the grades awarded to institutions when deciding where to attend college.

There currently are five coaches of color at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level and six coaches at the Football Championship Subdivision level. This fall, the BCA will begin collecting data related to Division I athletics administrators and women’s basketball coaches as well. The reports will be released in 2007.

For complete results for the 2005-06 BCA hiring report card, see www.bcasports.org.