Letters to the Publisher

First, let me congratulate you and AFM on your article outlining minority coaching issues (The Dilemma of Black Coaches, Vol. 3, 3rd Quarter). The article's fair and objective presentation of the issues dealing with minority hiring presented the problems well.

Yet, as we now sit in the midst of another hiring season, there is an even greater reason for concern. On the heels of a dismal hiring record in '97, we must ask: Are we off to greater disappoitment in 1998?

The issue is far greater than the hiring of a single minority coach. It reaches to the heart and soul of athletics. In our coaching we demand the best of our young persons, imploring that second best is not the American way. Yet, we keep talented minorities on the sideline with an endless list of excuses. Our young people deserve the best! The best carries no color; it is simply the best.

Thank you for addressing minority football coaching issues in a positive manner. I hope that you and your magazine will work to help solve this problm and make a better American landscape. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Tyrone Willingham
Director of Football, and Bradford M. Freeman Football Coach
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

Dear Publisher:

I recently read, with great interest, the article in your last issue called The Dilemma Of Black Coaches. I admit that I found it interesting and presented the subject very well. However, I want to bring your attention to another source of unfairness within the profession: hiring prejudices and inequality of treatment for other minorities.

I am a Hispanic-American and I feel that coaches such as myself have been denied jobs and potential career advancements due to our ethnic backgrounds and stereotypes held by persons in positions of authority; it is not only the black coaches who receive second class treatment.

While I applaud your efforts, I do think that you overlooked other problems in the hiring practices within the sport of football. Maybe another article would help all of us.

Sincerely yours,
(Name withheld)
El Segundo, California

Publisher's Note: The response to this article has been overwhelmingly very positive. It was our intention not to cast aspersions upon other groups or to state that prejudice and lack of opportunities exists only for black coaches. I realize that we have a long way to go on this entire subject. Yet, I cannot help but think that one day soon our children will only know of this type of problem by reading history books. I will be very happy when we do not talk about African-American Coaches or Hispanic Coaches; and we simply talk about "coaches". BT

Dear Publisher:

I'm a proud subscriber. I recommend American Football Monthly to all young coches who want to enter this profession. I love this magazine and the great articles about coaching.

The great joy about this magazine is reading the articles of coaching philosophies of so many coaches and organizations. I'm so excited about the addition of Coach Bill Walsh to your magazine staff. Coach Walsh is a coach I have admired for years because of his great offensive philosophy, organizational and coaching skills.

I'm proud to say that I will save all my magzines for my coaching/research library for further reasearch. I will continue to subscribe, I just wish I could have known about your publication two volumes ago! Keep up the great work, I wish you continued success.

Keith Grayson
Lexington, Kentucky

Dear Publisher:

On behalf of football coaches' wives everywhere, congratulations on a great magazine. It's wonderful to see a publication that spotlights the positives that football offers and features new and innovative ideas for our husbands. Anything that makes their lives easier only helps US out!

Football coaches' wives are a united group in more than just spirit. For the last 10 years, coaches wives have had a unique organization to offer camaraderie, support, information and service to fellow wives. The American Football Monthlyes Wives Association is a group of women, 400 plus strong, consisting of high school, collegiate and professional football coaches wives from all over the world.

We meet each year at the AFMA convention to renew frienships and share through speakers and meetings, the common problems and solutions that a football coach's wife experiences. AFMWA's Children's Hospital Service Project has supported children's hospitals across the country for the past seven years by donating over $7000 to hospitals at the AFMA convention sales.

Our charity trust fund will continue to grow each year through the sales of the AFMWA cookbook, Winning Seasons. A collection of recipes and memories that offers wives and their coaches anecdotes and advice on living with football, along with the best recipes you could ever look for!

It's the ultimate tailgating source. We even have a section titled The Coach Cooks along with one called Dinner Without Dad. We hope that your readers will support our service project by ordering their special lady a copy of Winning Seasons. It's the perfect compliment to AFM, a first class publication!

Sincerely,
Liz Mullins, Past President
AFMWA

Publisher's Note: "Winning Seasons", $19.95 plus $4 s&h, can be ordered by calling (561) 625-1610. For more information on the AFMWA or "Winning Seasons", call (501) 964-0166. BT

Dear Publisher:

Once again I would like to tell you how excited we are about AFM University. The people at AFM are offering something for the serious football coach.

Sincerely,
Wayne Coleman, Athletic Director
A.C. Jones HS
Beeville, Texas