Hallman: Black coaches' shelf life is much shorter & benefit of the doubt much less practiced as opposed to their White counterpart

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What people like Hallman can't seem to grasp is that coming out with BS like this everytime a black coach is fired isn't going to motivate schools to hire more black coaches because nobody wants to be called racist when they have to make a coaching change.

Firing Ben Johnson had nothing to do with his skin color. He wasn't able to get the team to the NCAA tournament in 4 seasons and year 5 had the looks of a likely dumpster fire considering he was losing almost all the key pieces off of this year's roster that wasn't even good enough to crack .500.

And on top of all that.....the University of Minnesota basketball program shouldn't get lumped in with larger problem that is out there in terms of minority coaches getting opportunities because 3 of the last 5 basketball coaches at the U have been black.

Crap like this just pisses me off. There is a real problem out there in regards to the number of minority coaches and while it is getting better there is still plenty of work to do. But playing the race card everytime a black coach is fired doesn't help the next guy get an opportunity. If anything it probably hurts it.
 

I don’t give a good goddamn about the color of anybody’s skin. I waited 26 years for a decent gopher team so if that means find a new coach so be it anything else is absolute fucking bullshit.
 

Bad Gopher said:
The lack of engagement might have bothered me the most, as it's simply a matter of effort and choice. If, instead, he's not capable of engaging with customers, even superficially on social media, it's yet another reason he shouldn't have been hired.
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When I heard Fleck on the radio doing what I thought was making excuses about not having NIL to retain players, I was very, very put off by that. I could not have been more wrong. PJ saw that as a big problem and told the fans point blank, you want the really good players to come here, and stick around, you're going to have to fork over some cash. My impression of how Ben handled the situation was that he simply crossed his arms and pouted that he didn't have the money, while doing very little to help the situation.
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
When I heard Fleck on the radio doing what I thought was making excuses about not having NIL to retain players, I was very, very put off by that. I could not have been more wrong. PJ saw that as a big problem and told the fans point blank, you want the really good players to come here, and stick around, you're going to have to fork over some cash. My impression of how Ben handled the situation was that he simply crossed his arms and pouted that he didn't have the money, while doing very little to help the situation.
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The whole thing IS objectively off putting. I'd predicted that this whole "paying the players" thing was just going to become another cash grab where they turn fans upside down and shake them...again. And, sure enough. Amidst inflation and potential economic and societal collapse, and now I'm getting hit up by the church for a capital campaign and...

BUT, there are well-heeled alumni and corporations and potential innovative revenue streams that haven't been explored yet, and the first thing the U has to do is show it's serious by putting their best possible product on the floor and, for God's sake, do some PR. As for the former, Ben simply wasn't a good enough coach, and that has made the U look unserious. As for the latter, good grief, people: BOTH Coyle and Johnson have been unbelievably bad at publicly representing the institution and the program. Unbelievably bad! Otherworldly bad!
 


Putting aside the Minnesota opening and this Hallman character, we should acknowledge there is a problem. Most players are black and I read an article that shows 59% of assistant coaches at the P5 level are black. It's not really a pipeline issue - in another thread, someone talked about an analogy of women in engineering. That's a pipeline problem because far fewer women go into that field - that is not the case here.

Now we're (likely) going to have 0 out 18 head coaches in the B10.

Again, take the Minnesota job out of the equation. I am not advocating taking a black coach just for the sake of it, and I don't really see a lot of realistic candidates. But why is that? If 59% of assistants are black, and that's the main talent pool for getting a D1 (not P5) head coaching job, it stands to reason that there'd be more black head coaches than there are. I do not understand, nor do I know what would work better.
 


I don't think the issue is about hiring or firing in as much it's about the shorter leash black coaches get. Black coaches are much more likely to catch the ire from the fanbase with a less than stellar season, which results in the AD pulling the quick plug. I believe white coaches are given more grace to fix things.

I'm not saying black coaches shouldn't be fired, but just making the point that they get the quick hook. Now with Ben, I won't criticize the decision. Will all that being said, I think it's better now than it was say 20 or 30 years ago.
 

formerlybis said:
Putting aside the Minnesota opening and this Hallman character, we should acknowledge there is a problem. Most players are black and I read an article that shows 59% of assistant coaches at the P5 level are black. It's not really a pipeline issue - in another thread, someone talked about an analogy of women in engineering. That's a pipeline problem because far fewer women go into that field - that is not the case here.

Now we're (likely) going to have 0 out 18 head coaches in the B10.

Again, take the Minnesota job out of the equation. I am not advocating taking a black coach just for the sake of it, and I don't really see a lot of realistic candidates. But why is that? If 59% of assistants are black, and that's the main talent pool for getting a D1 (not P5) head coaching job, it stands to reason that there'd be more black head coaches than there are. I do not understand, nor do I know what would work better.
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It is a really tough but really interesting topic as well. There is definitely a problem but the much tougher part is the solution. The number I have never seen that I think would be good to know would be the percentage of first time head coaches each year that are minorities.

The coaching carousel involves a lot of coaches moving from one school to another and the reality is that the majority of those coaches are white at this point so the percentages don't really shift.

Ideally though you would like to see a higher percentage of minorities in the first time coaches pool and over time that should lead to more minority coaches in the total pool as guys bounce from job to job (either by choice or because they were fired).

But will say again.....everytime someone like Hallman claims a firing was based on race it works against the chances for other minority coaches to get opportunities. Coaches of all races get fired, it is just part of the gig.
 



KyGopherfan said:
I don't think the issue is about hiring or firing in as much it's about the shorter leash black coaches get. Black coaches are much more likely to catch the ire from the fanbase with a less than stellar season, which results in the AD pulling the quick plug. I believe white coaches are given more grace to fix things.

I'm not saying black coaches shouldn't be fired, but just making the point that they get the quick hook. Now with Ben, I won't criticize the decision. Will all that being said, I think it's better now than it was say 20 or 30 years ago.
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Is there actual data to back this up? Because I honestly believe in 2025 most fanbases don't care what color the coaches skin is if their team is winning.
 

There might be a case to be made for black coaches getting less opportunity and less benefit of patience. But that case needs to be made with statistics, not with anecdotes.

I wish Ben Johnson had had more success, and I hope he's successful somewhere else. But he isn't Exhibit A for this dude's case.
 


MNVCGUY said:
Ideally though you would like to see a higher percentage of minorities in the first time coaches pool and over time that should lead to more minority coaches in the total pool as guys bounce from job to job (either by choice or because they were fired).
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I think that was part of the impetus for hiring Ben: the U doing its part to increase the pool of first-time black coaches. I don't think there would have been much opposition at all to hiring Dennis Gates out of Cleveland State but that wouldn't have advanced that goal.
 









Charles Hallman has been a fixture in the community for decades. Just because you arent familiar with him doesnt make him a ‘nobody’. That word is far more descriptive of anonymous message board posters than someone with his name on everything he puts out there
 

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oleboy41 said:
Charles Hallman has been a fixture in the community for decades. Just because you arent familiar with him doesnt make him a ‘nobody’. That word is far more descriptive of anonymous message board posters than someone with his name on everything he puts out there
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So do you think he is right? Was Johnson fired because he was black?

He isn't wrong that there is an issue of not enough minority head coaches in college basketball. But schools have to be free to fire a minority coach who is not getting it done in the same way they are free to fire a white coach who isn't getting it done.
 


MNVCGUY said:
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So do you think he is right? Was Johnson fired because he was black?

He isn't wrong that there is an issue of not enough minority head coaches in college basketball. But schools have to be free to fire a minority coach who is not getting it done in the same way they are free to fire a white coach who isn't getting it done.
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Historically? Absolutely. In 2025? I don’t know. I dont have the data to give an informed opinion and also situations are unique. That said this is America and anyone who dismisses the potential of prejudice at play, even subconsciously, out of hand without consideration is usually being willfully ignorant or blatantly lying about it.
 

GoodasGold said:
I wouldn’t hire an albino - much too distracting.
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May Minnesota have many distractions, albino or not. If the coach wins and bleeds green, I would slap him on the back as I turn over the wad of money with a smile. I wouldn't care if he dipped his French Fries in mayo as long as the team is winning.
 

oleboy41 said:
Historically? Absolutely. In 2025? I don’t know. I dont have the data to give an informed opinion and also situations are unique. That said this is America and anyone who dismisses the potential of prejudice at play, even subconsciously, out of hand without consideration is usually being willfully ignorant or blatantly lying about it.
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You are correct that situations are unique which is why I asked specifically about Ben Johnson. Do you believe Ben Johnson was fired by the University of Minnesota because of the color of his skin?

If you want data - in the history of Gopher basketball Ben Johnson has the worst winning percentage of any coach who had more than 1 year as the coach. In 4 years the team failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament and almost his entire roster is out of eligibility.

In regards to the University of Minnesota - 3 of the last 5 men's basketball coaches have been African Americans and the school has had a minority head coach for 23 of the last 40 years.

This decision was not based on race it was based on performance and anyone trying to use the firing of Ben Johnson as an example of a minority coach being treated unfairly is being willfully ignorant of the actual situation.

And again, there absolutely is an issue in regards to minority head coaches not getting enough opportunities....but our specific case here should not be lumped in with the bigger problem because race had nothing to do with why he was fired.
 
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Without getting political, I feel Ben Johnson was hired for three reasons - I am not sure the order of them, but guessing he wasn't a hot candidate for any other Big Ten school.

1) He was from Minnesota
2) He was cheap
3) He is black

Where Minnesota was at the time of the hiring I don't think it can be denied that his skin color played a role, not the main reason, but definitely played a role in his hiring.
 


OK, this is the kind of stuff that makes me disregard this guy's argument. Go look at at Tom Izzo's first five years. A Sweet 16, two final fours, a national title, three regular season titles, two conference tournament titles. Any coach with that kind of record in the first five years basically gets them a lot of leeway and time, plus continud success lengthens that kind of tenure.

Heck, look at Tubby Smith. Won the national title his first year and had a couple more strong seasons. Got him nearly a decade at Kentucky where they demand winning.

I agree with some here that there should be a better pipeline for minority coaches who are assistants, but you also have to acknowledge the reality of big time college basketball where results really matter. I said it earlier, Johnson would be here longer if there were more wins.

If there's a black coach with a good track record of building programs and winning where it counts (conference, post season), I think almost everybody is open to bringing them on board.
 

IceBoxGopher said:

OK, this is the kind of stuff that makes me disregard this guy's argument. Go look at at Tom Izzo's first five years. A Sweet 16, two final fours, a national title, three regular season titles, two conference tournament titles. Any coach with that kind of record in the first five years basically gets them a lot of leeway and time, plus continud success lengthens that kind of tenure.

Heck, look at Tubby Smith. Won the national title his first year and had a couple more strong seasons. Got him nearly a decade at Kentucky where they demand winning.

I agree with some here that there should be a better pipeline for minority coaches who are assistants, but you also have to acknowledge the reality of big time college basketball where results really matter. I said it earlier, Johnson would be here longer if there were more wins.

If there's a black coach with a good track record of building programs and winning where it counts (conference, post season), I think almost everybody is open to bringing them on board.
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Charles Hallman is a grifting race baiter idiot.

It's exhausting watching our local media out moron themselves day after day.
 

IceBoxGopher said:

OK, this is the kind of stuff that makes me disregard this guy's argument. Go look at at Tom Izzo's first five years. A Sweet 16, two final fours, a national title, three regular season titles, two conference tournament titles. Any coach with that kind of record in the first five years basically gets them a lot of leeway and time, plus continud success lengthens that kind of tenure.

Heck, look at Tubby Smith. Won the national title his first year and had a couple more strong seasons. Got him nearly a decade at Kentucky where they demand winning.

I agree with some here that there should be a better pipeline for minority coaches who are assistants, but you also have to acknowledge the reality of big time college basketball where results really matter. I said it earlier, Johnson would be here longer if there were more wins.

If there's a black coach with a good track record of building programs and winning where it counts (conference, post season), I think almost everybody is open to bringing them on board.
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Using Izzo to make his case is just foolish. Runs like the one Izzo has had at MSU are the exception not the rule regardless of the coaches skin color. Heck, getting to double digit in terms of years at one school is becoming a thing of the past.

Does Hallman think Craig Smith got a raw deal at Utah? Better winning percentage then Johnson, fired after 4 years.
 

Bad Gopher said:
The lack of engagement might have bothered me the most, as it's simply a matter of effort and choice. If, instead, he's not capable of engaging with customers, even superficially on social media, it's yet another reason he shouldn't have been hired.
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In the off season, it seemed like he went on summer vacation, whereas with PJ, you see and hear him everywhere.
 

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