Deserving Minority Assistant Coaches

College football is a wonderful game that has so many good facets and stories to tell. However, it is behind the times in one area in particular – the hiring of minority head coaches. While there have not been many hirings, there are still some very capable candidates waiting for the call.

Charlie Strong
While Charlie Strong does technically have head coaching experience – he was the interim head coach for Ron Zook’s final Florida team’s Peach Bowl appearance – he has been a successful defensive coordinator for nearly a decade. While Strong may not bring the flash that some schools always look for in their head coaches, there is no reason to believe that he will not succeed as a head coach. Do not be surprised if Strong is coaching a BCS level team within the next five years.

Joker Phillips
Joker was a hot name in the coaching rumor mill this past offseason, which led Kentucky to promise him the job when Rich Brooks retires. Phillips has been one of the catalysts to Kentucky’s shocking rise back onto the national scene, and it is good to see that he is being rewarded as such. This hire has a tremendous amount of upside for Kentucky, as it is hard to see Phillips leaving his alma mater on his own. If Phillips parlays his head coaching potential into results, it is possible that Kentucky becomes a national player much like its in state rival Louisville has in recent years. One word of warning, Phillips' deal with Kentucky has little teeth. He could leave before Brooks steps down with no penalty and he could be fired with no penalty.

Mike Locksley
When Larry Fedora left Illinois for Oklahoma State, Ron Zook called on his former Florida assistant to be his offensive coordinator. What has followed has been one of the most shocking turnarounds in recent memory. Much has been made about Zook’s recruiting ability, but the driving force behind some of Illinois’ top signings, most notably Arrelious Benn, has been Locksley. The charismatic Washington, DC native has always been a dynamite recruiter, but he is also showing signs of putting together some top notch offenses. Locksley should be attached to many openings in the next season or two, but he be waiting for the Maryland job when Ralph Friedgen leaves. The thought of Locksley recruiting his natural turf for Maryland is a scary proposition for the rest of the ACC.

There are many other capable minority assistants in the college ranks, so expect to see some more profiles both during the rest of the offseason and on into the regular season from CGB.