George Will once wrote, “Nowadays no diplomatic farce is complete without a cameo appearance by Jesse Jackson.” Truer words have never been spoken.
Jackson is now weighing in on the Alabama coaching vacancy, hollering that Alabama ought to hire a black coach rather than the front-runner, Mike Shula.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson urged the University of Alabama on Monday to consider hiring a black head coach.
Jackson told the Associated Press the hiring process should focus on “the best coaches available in the market.”
He added, “The crisis at the University of Alabama creates an opportunity for them to consider a qualified African-American football coach.”
Commenting on Alabama’s interest in Shula, a son of NFL coaching great Don Shula, Jackson said: “You shouldn’t get these jobs by incest and an inheritance. You should get them based upon some track record of service.”
The idea that Mike Shula is unqualified except for the fact that his father is a legend is silly. He was a solid quarterback for the Tide and has gone on to an exemplary coaching career of his own. Further, while I have endorsed the idea of strongly looking at hiring Sylvester Croom, I don’t want the school to do it under pressure from Jesse Jackson. Doing so would demean the University and be insulting to Croom, who by all accounts is a decent man and a solid football coach.
