White Coaches Make History

MIAMI, FL - The build-up for Super Bowl XLI has been mostly highlighted with talk of equality and opportunity. But for 25 non-African American coaches, Super Bowl week just doesn’t have the same pasty feel to it.

“For me, the Super Bowl has always been a corporatized event full of great football, pageantry and white coaches.” Said Andy Reid, who reached the super bowl two seasons ago. “This year, everything will be the same, except for the part about white coaches.”

Gone largely unreported by this year’s Super Bowl press, 2007 marks the first time in NFL history that a white coach has failed to reach the final game. The significance was not lost on Buccaneers coach John Gruden.

“Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that one race of people took a gigantic step forward this week,” Gruden Said. “But the argument could be made that there are a whole bunch of other qualified coaches that are being hung out to dry.”

Two-Time Super Bowl-winning Coach Mike Shanahan noted that this is a critical period for the future of white NFL coaching.

“We hope that this doesn’t deter generations of whites from getting into the sport that has treated us so well in the past,” he said.

Former NFL coach Art Shell, a self-admitted African American, remained skeptical about the possible trend.

“I’m not sure this will establish a pattern of white-coaching failure,” said Shell. "That is unless owners start taking chances on the Shula sons again.”