University of Arizona hired first African American basketball head coach?

1

10kinmidwest

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I was reading the news down here in Arizona tonight and thought I misremembered my brief history of ISU athletics.

How UArizona coach broke barriers as first Black head basketball coach

I guess they clarified? ”In 1972, Snowden would make history as the first Black head basketball coach at a major university”

Elliott, who is the author of the book, "Tucson: A Basketball Town," says Snowden deserves a lot of the credit for making UArizona the basketball powerhouse it is today.

A little disrespect to ISU and Will Robinson nonetheless.
 
10kinmidwest said:
I was reading the news down here in Arizona tonight and thought I misremembered my brief history of ISU athletics.

How UArizona coach broke barriers as first Black head basketball coach

I guess they clarified? ”In 1972, Snowden would make history as the first Black head basketball coach at a major university”

Elliott, who is the author of the book, "Tucson: A Basketball Town," says Snowden deserves a lot of the credit for making UArizona the basketball powerhouse it is today.

A little disrespect to ISU and Will Robinson nonetheless.
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In 1972, Arizona was in the WAC with Arizona State, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, Texas-El Paso, Utah and Wyoming. Not chopped liver, but not necessarily "major" either.
 
Apparently U of A isn't going to let facts get in the way of telling a good story. SMH.
 
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gobirds85 said:
Apparently U of A isn't let facts get in the way of telling a good story. SMH.
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I'm all for celebrating all of these pioneers, and recognize the average fan probably wouldn't have even caught this, but I guess it's all about selling news. Without knowing all the detail, I think a historic hiring decision shouldn't be attributed to the success of a program's success 50 years later. At least the way this article is suggesting.
 
10kinmidwest said:
I was reading the news down here in Arizona tonight and thought I misremembered my brief history of ISU athletics.

How UArizona coach broke barriers as first Black head basketball coach

I guess they clarified? ”In 1972, Snowden would make history as the first Black head basketball coach at a major university”

Elliott, who is the author of the book, "Tucson: A Basketball Town," says Snowden deserves a lot of the credit for making UArizona the basketball powerhouse it is today.

A little disrespect to ISU and Will Robinson nonetheless.
Click to expand...
I sent the author this article on Will Robinson
 

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10kinmidwest said:
I was reading the news down here in Arizona tonight and thought I misremembered my brief history of ISU athletics.

How UArizona coach broke barriers as first Black head basketball coach

I guess they clarified? ”In 1972, Snowden would make history as the first Black head basketball coach at a major university”

Elliott, who is the author of the book, "Tucson: A Basketball Town," says Snowden deserves a lot of the credit for making UArizona the basketball powerhouse it is today.

A little disrespect to ISU and Will Robinson nonetheless.
Click to expand...
It's poor Journalism any way you look at it. He got it from wikipedia "In 1972, Fred Snowden was hired as the head basketball coach, making Arizona the second Division I school and the first major program to hire an African American head coach".

What makes a school a major university?
 
Does anyone have the ear of anyone in the AD? Is there any way we can make a push to have Will rightfully honored? Maybe next February with a huge celebration for Will in honor of black history month? The university does a lot for diversity and inclusion, but this would be a huge way to celebrate a great man and that diversity.
 
BirdGrad2011 said:
Does anyone have the ear of anyone in the AD? Is there any way we can make a push to have Will rightfully honored? Maybe next February with a huge celebration for Will in honor of black history month? The university does a lot for diversity and inclusion, but this would be a huge way to celebrate a great man and that diversity.
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Mr. Collins might have someone's ear? ;)

Have a little "reunion" of the Robinson era teams?
 
I’ve always thought it deserved a 30 for 30 type documentary. Sadly a lot of potential interview subjects involved are no longer with us.
 
Article should have been titled, "Will Robinson paved the way for Snowden to be hired. Snowden went on to break barriers and put Wildcat basketball on the map" ;)
 
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