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EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief  Timothy Kudo

Managing Editor

 Michael Falcone

Viewpoint Editor

 Cuauhetmoc Ortega

Staff Representatives

 Kelly Rayburn

 Amanda Fletcher

 Marcelle Richards

 Michaele Turnage

Editorial Board Assistants

 Maegan Carberry

 Edward Chiao

  Unsigned editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily Bruin Editorial Board. All other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinions of their authors.   All submitted material must bear the author's name, address, telephone number, registration number, or affiliation with UCLA. Names will not be withheld except in extreme cases.   The Bruin complies with the Communication Board's policy prohibiting the publication of articles that perpetuate derogatory cultural or ethnic stereotypes.   When multiple authors submit material, some names may be kept on file rather than published with the material. The Bruin reserves the right to edit submitted material and to determine its placement in the paper. All submissions become the property of The Bruin. The Communications Board has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against any of its publications. For a copy of the complete procedure, contact the Publications office at 118 Kerckhoff Hall. Daily Bruin 118 Kerckhoff Hall 308 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90024 (310) 825-9898

From Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali to Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists at the 1968 Olympics, athletics has long been an area in which minorities have been able to command attention in an otherwise segregated and closed-off society.

That is why it’s so important that the NCAA heed the urging of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and work to make Division I coaching positions accessible to all people.

Currently, only five out of 117 Division IA football coaching positions are held by blacks.

As the Rev. Jackson noted after the meeting, “There’s no shortage of black coaches, there’s a shortage of opportunity.”

As it is now, head coaches – especially at powerhouse schools like UCLA – are basically selected by reputation. In a catch-22, lesser-known coaches don’t have a chance to be considered for the job because they don’t already have such a job. In fact, there’s only one black Division I head coach at UCLA.

The “Good Ol’ Boys” network that characterizes the hiring process is holding back black coaches, who often find themselves among the lesser-knowns.

It’s risky for schools to hire a lesser-known coach; however, UCLA athletic director Peter Dalis and the NCAA need to be courageous and take steps to diversify the coaching staff in collegiate sports.

The head coach selection process needs to be clearer and open to more candidates.

Simply opening the process to applicants is not enough. Schools must give weight to people who aren’t marquis coaches and may have something new to offer sports but haven’t yet been given a chance to prove themselves.

In order for this to work, athletic directors at large universities like UCLA need to be willing to take risks since they make the decisions. Giving “lesser-known” candidates a chance has worked in the past. People like Dennis Green, an African American who was once the head coach of football at Stanford University and is now the coach of the Minnesota Vikings, was once a “lesser-known” candidate.

Players of all races need coaching role models.

Saying that big-name candidates hold their popularity because of their coaching skills is inaccurate. They are given top-quality teams and often strong support from the schools they work for.

Given the resources of lesser-known coaches, the teams that people like Grambling State University football head coach Doug Williams have put together only hint at the promise they have.

If there are black coaches who do not have the same opportunity to achieve that level of fame because they are not given the same chances, universities could be overlooking the possibility of increasing both their diversity and coaching quality.

Players of all races need coaching role models. Hopefully, if players see more black coaches in leadership roles they will in turn be inspired to enter the coaching profession. Teams and universities across the nation will benefit from a diversity in their coaching staffs that represent the diversity of their players.

By making a definitive stance, UCLA and the NCAA can continue the tradition of civil rights advances made in one of the few areas open in society for minorities to succeed. Hopefully someday the next black coach to be hired at UCLA for a sport like football or basketball will be looked at much like Robinson, Ali, Smith and Carlos are looked upon today.