In that last few years, I have become a bit weary of constant proclamations of Black firsts. Don't misunderstand me, I admire any achievement that promulgates self-determination, grit and fortitude but there is a hint of Black folks (and by proxy Blackness) possessing some sort of affliction or handicap that must be overcome, as opposed to having a benign cultural and/or physical characteristic. Are we going to still exclaim racial or gender milestones in the twenty-fourth century? Well that's it for my one to grow on proselytizing moment, take a gander at NECN.com's take on Yale's hiring of Tom Williams:
(Brian Burnell, NECN: New Haven, CT) - Yale has been playing football for 137 years. Wednesday marked a milestone in that history as the school named Tom Williams as its new head football coach.
He is the first African American to hold the position. Major college football lags well behind the rest of society in hiring blacks to top positions. African Americans head just seven, of the 119 division one programs, in a sport where half the players are black. Yale athletic director Tom Beckett says they were simply looking for the best coach.
Tom Beckett, Yale Athletic Director: “The fact that Tom Williams is African-American is spectacular but it didn't matter. We wanted the best coach and the best leader that this university could possibly find and bring to New Haven and we did that.”
Williams says he feels the same though he does not downplay the significance of his appointment.
Tom Williams, Yale Head Football Coach: “I look forward to the day when it doesn't matter what the color of the skin of a coach that's hired at anyplace is but, unfortunately, I don't think we live in that era yet. Movement is glacial. Its happening but its glacial and I am proud to wear that banner for African-American coaches.”
As he enters that very exclusive fraternity of African-American coaches at the top level of college football coach Williams points out that the Ivy League is actually ahead of the rest of college football with 2 men in that fraternity.
Tom Williams, Yale Head Football Coach: “The Ivy League's always been a trend setter on the social scene and the world scene and you can tell by the rapid pace of African-American coaches being hired that, again, they're setting the tone, they're setting the trend, they're doing the right things because that's what they've always done.”
Williams boasts excellent credentials. He was a team captain at Stanford where he was a Rhodes scholar candidate. Over 11 years he's had several coaching jobs on the college and professional level and comes to Yale from the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. Former Yale coach Carm Cozza was part of the search team that chose Williams.
Carm Cozza, Former Yale Head Coach: “To climb up like that which isn't easy no matter what color you are, I think, really says something for him. And when he spoke with us he really had an impact on the athletes and that's what really counts. He's not going to be coaching me. He's going to coach those young men.”
One thing is certain. Coach Williams is off on the right foot.
Tom Williams, Yale Head Football Coach: “The first goal that we'll have every year is to win an Ivy League championship. That is the very first thing. And, secondly, we're going to beat Harvard.”
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