Ok, this is the third time I have sent this......fingers crossed
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/6391316.htm <SNIP>"...The SEC office was left without a minority in any of its 10 key leadership positions when assistant commissioner Eugene Byrd resigned in the spring. Slive said he's in the process of interviewing candidates to rectify that situation. Alabama had to conduct a hurried search after Price was fired in May without ever coaching a game for the Tide. Croom was an All-American center on Bear Bryant's powerful teams in the early '70s. He spent a decade at Alabama working for Bryant and other white head coaches before moving on to the NFL. At first, Croom wasn't optimistic of getting the top job. "But during the process, I felt like I became the top candidate," he said, "until at the end. Until the very end." Instead, the job went to Shula, a Miami Dolphins assistant, former Alabama quarterback and the son of longtime NFL coach Don Shula. Alabama trustee John England doesn't believe race was a determining factor in Shula's hiring, saying there was support for both coaches. "They very easily could have decided that Sylvester Croom was the man," said England, one of three black trustees. "And I think the Alabama family would have rallied around him, just as they rallied around Shula." While SEC schools haven't been reticent about hiring black assistants, Garner feels many of them get pegged as recruiters while their on-field skills get overlooked. "We do get labeled," said Garner, a defensive line coach but better known as one of the SEC's most effective recruiters. "Everybody talks about 'Rodney Garner, the recruiter.' What gets lost is 'Rodney Garner, the coach.'" He is quick to point out that four Georgia linemen in the last three years have been first-round NFL picks. "I'm not saying it's just me, but I'm the position coach," Garner said. "I'm responsible for developing and teaching and grooming those young men." Even so, onfield success has not led to opportunities on the sidelines. "It's time for them to quit making excuses," Croom said, "and go ahead and take care of business." ______________________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List "Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!" To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
