The situation for minorities in sport management has been even more dismal than for women. Many observers say that for most sport management jobs minorities simply aren't considered. In some cases those doing the hiring aren't aware of qualified candidates and other times they are ignoring them.
Among those who want to expand opportunities for minorities in sport management, there seems to be general agreement that promising candidates must be actively recruited and that training programs for college students must be developed and used.
ATHLETIC DIRECTORS
The NCAA reported that during the 1993-94 academic year, there were 32 African-American athletic directors out of 897. At the Division I level, it was 13 out of 296. (1) During this time, while 25.3% of athletic scholarship students at Division I schools were black, only 4.9% of associate athletic directors were. (2)
The Rainbow Commission for Fairness in Athletics looked at media guides for 18 of 40 schools that played in bowl games during the 1993-94 season; whites made up approximately 95% of administrators. (3)
PRO SPORTS
Baseball. In 1997, 36% of pro baseball players were minorities (18% African-Americans). (4)
Among those working at Major League Baseball's central offices in 1996, 28% were minorities, including 21% of the executives and department heads. (5)
At individual teams, minorities held 18% of front-end office jobs (9% were African-American, 7% were Hispanic, and 2% were Asian). Included in these numbers were minorities who held 11% of the executive and department head positions. Among top managers (chairman of the board, president, CEO, vice president or general manager of a pro franchise), only 5% were minorities. (6)
According to research done by The Boston Globe (based on media guides and league publications), there are fewer than 100 minorities (55 African-Americans, 36 Hispanics, and six Asian-Americans) working for league offices and the 28 major league clubs. Hank Aaron, senior vice president and assistant to the president of the Atlanta Braves, is the highest-ranking club official. Two clubs have a minority assistant manager and two have a minority chief financial officer. (7)
There is one black major league general manager, Bob Watson of the New York Yankees. He was hired as GM of the Houston Astros in 1993, and by the Yankees in 1995.
The National League has had two black presidents, Bill White, and now Leonard Coleman.
There is only one black minor league general manager, Pete Moore of the Charlotte Knights. a Class AAA team. Moore played defensive back and quarterback for Duke University. Due to an injury he was eligible to remain on scholarship for a fifth year, but chose instead to graduate in 1986 with his class. He worked as an account executive for a bank from 1986 to 1988 and earned his master's degree in business from Duke. George Shinn, owner of the Charlotte Hornets NBA team and the Knights (and now the WNBA Charlotte Sting), put him in charge of season ticket sales for the Charlotte Hornets from 1988 to 1990. After serving as an assistant GM of the team, he moved over to the Knights as assistant GM in 1992. In 1995 he became the GM.
Said baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, "There are no decision-making blacks in marketing, licensing, the Players Association, the commissioner's office. You've got to go to basketball to get some blacks with a voice." (8)
Football. In 1996, minorities held 18% of management level positions at the NFL offices. But they held only 6% of front-office jobs at the team level. (9)
In 1995, 68% of the players, 5% of top management, 11% of administration, and 11% of support staff were minorities. (10)
Basketball. In 1996 it was reported that 21% of professional staff jobs at the NBA offices were held by minorities. At the team level they held 17% of the top positions (chairman of the board, president, CEO, vice president or general manager of a pro franchise). (11)
In 1995, 82% of players. 15% of top management, 13% of administration, and 23% of support staff were minorities. (12)
OLYMPIC SPORTS
At the United States Olympic Committee, among top-level volunteer jobs in 1994, minorities held four of 20 seats (20%) on the executive committee; 13 of 101 seats (13%) on the board; and three out of 25 committee chairs or vice chairs (12%). (13)
In 1997, among 355 positions on 20 USOC committees, 53 were given to minorities (up from 22 for the 1993-96 quadrennium). (14)
Among USOC paid positions in 1994, minorities held four of 28 (14%) senior staff positions and 16 of 185 (9%) professional positions. Out of all 498 employees, 77 (16%) were minorities. (15)
Among 39 United States sports federations (or national governing bodies), in 1994 minorities made up 16% of the athletes but only 10% of the board members. (16) Only one had a minority executive director (usually a paid job) and two had minority presidents (usually a volunteer job). (17)
The sports with the highest percentage of minorities on their boards were track, boxing, taekwondo, and judo. Out of 94 members of USA Track & Field's board, 23 were minorities. (18)
In 1994, among those working for the Atlantic Committee for the Olympics, minorities made up 37% of employees and held 28% of the management positions. (19)