College OTR: Did Turner Gill's Race Prevent Him From Getting The Auburn Job?

Did Turner Gill's Race Prevent Him From Getting The Auburn Job?

Posted by Crystal 12/15/2008 5:37 PM
Category: Sports Tags: auburn head coach, tommy tuberville, charles barkley, gene chizik, turner gills wife, turner gill

No one quite understands how Gene Chizik won the job of Auburn’s new head coach after Tommy Tuberville was forced to resign. Chizik has a 5-19 record in two seasons at Iowa State University. That’s not exactly inspiring numbers.

But worse still, there are rumors spreading that Buffalo coach Turner Gill was passed over for the job because he’s black… and his wife is white. This is the Deep South, you know.

Gill took over at Buffalo when the team was struggling and led them to an 8-5 season and their first MAC championship. Those are numbers that inspire. And yet no job offer.

On “Outside the Lines” today, ESPN.com football writer Mark Schlabach said that two other SEC coaches told him Gill would never get the job at Auburn because he’s married to a white woman.

And don’t get Charles Barkley started. The Auburn alum said the only reason Gill didn’t get the job is because he’s black, plain and simple. ESPN reports:

"I'm just very disappointed," Barkley said. "I just thought Turner Gill would be the perfect choice for two reasons: He's a terrific coach and we needed to make a splash. I thought we had to do something spectacular to bring attention to the program. Clearly, if we'd hired a black coach, it would have created a buzz."

Barkley, who works as an NBA analyst for Turner Network Television, said he spoke with Gill before Gill interviewed with Auburn officials last week.

"We talked about the whole race thing in Alabama," Barkley said. "I told him it's there and it's going to be anywhere you go. I told him you can't not take the job because of racism. He was worried about being nothing more than a token interview. He was concerned about having a white wife. It's just very disappointing to me."

Maybe race really did have nothing to do with the decision. But then again, maybe not…

+ 4 comments

Anonymous says,

I'm glad he didn't get the job. As a black man, I still can't fathom why a black man in this country would marry a white woman. Especially the ones who are supposed to be role models. I won't send my child to such a coach. He might get the wrong image of what success is. Posted 12/15/2008 6:50 PMReply

Anonymous says,

I hope the comment above me is supposed to be sarcastic. Posted 12/15/2008 7:00 PMReply

Anonymous says,

tiuner gill came from the ranks ,,,, was a super football player moved on to be a tremendous coach. and that what we needed at Auburn!!! and i'm white and a great auburn fan and turner gill is a great coach.. period.. I also love Barkley Posted 12/15/2008 8:08 PMReply

Anonymous says,

As we can see Racism goes both ways. I am always amazed at the number of black people who love to talk about a "brother" being a "sell out" if he marries a white woman. My only response to the first statement sent by anonymous would be that he needs to make sure that teaches his child to keep any conversations with white women to a minimum, because they just might hit it off and find out that they have some things in common, and Black Jesus forbid!!!!! become attracted to each other since that's something that's only supposed to happen between male & female chicken's and goats and pigs and zebras and ducks and border collie's. Every human being was created to communicate, to socialize, and the last time I checked, men were still attracted to women, and it doesn't matter whether you're in Riker's prison or at the swap-meet in Compton, conversation is going to take place. I understand one's disgust for another when that person's only reason for seeking out someone is only because that person is black or white or Hispanic or whatever, especially when that person believes all of the stereotypes about that particular race, but I don't know Turner Gill or his WIFE, not his "baby mama" or his "girlfriend" but obviously someone that he wants to spend the rest of his life with, that's what marriage is supposed to mean last time I checked. The idea, no, the "BELIEF" that soooo many black families have that a black man needs to marry a black woman makes my blood boil. Yes I am a black man married to a black woman but I can assure you that the only reason that I married my wife is because our initial "conversations" kept me coming back for more and so 3 years and 2 kids later we're still "conversating". I think of all of the people out there who are miserable while being married to their "own kind" and knew for a fact that they made a genuine connection with someone who was not of their race, but chose not to "disgrace" the family by seeing someone who wasn't white or black or whatever. I understand that some people have never been or will ever be attracted to someone of another race. This comment or should I say essay is not for them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, not the beholder's parent's, because i can assure you that as much as i love my mother, my mother can't love me in certain ways that my wife can if you know what I mean. So having said all of that, my prayer would be that someone reading this would know when to back off of your son or daughter or anyone who may "conversating" with someone of a different race. Posted 12/16/2008 10:49 AMReply