Firing of MSU Football Coach Raises Questions, Sparks Discussion
Only three Black head coaches remain in Division I
By Erik Lords
EAST LANSING, Mich.
Then there were three. The surprising in-season firing of Michigan State University football coach Bobby Williams last month left many college sports observers across the nation asking several questions. Did race play a factor in the firing of Williams? Will his highly visible ousting hurt the chances of future Black head-coaching candidates? And, will his firing re-ignite the discussion about why there are only three African American head football coaches at the 177 Division 1-A programs in the nation, while more than 50 percent of the players are Black?
Meanwhile in East Lansing, the Michigan State community is trying to piece back together a football program that — on Williams’ watch this season — went from being a nationally ranked top-20 team to a weekly loser, rocked by rumors, personal scandals and police blotter embarrassments. Most thought a change would come at season’s end, but instead, the firing came on Nov. 4, with three games left on the schedule.
