Documenting Instanity

It is the right decision. Mike Davis was put in an impossible situation. Nobody should try their first head coaching job at IU. Between the expectations of winning and graduating students it is a pressure cooker that is only going to be handled by someone with experience in being a head coach. On top of that, most IU basketball fans were more than a little peeved about Coach Knight being thrown out. Alumni donations plummetted and as far as I know have never recovered. As I said, an impossible situation. You might compare it to rebound dating.

The article linked has this in it:

Floyd Keith, executive director of the Black Coaches Association and a former assistant football coach with the Hoosiers, suggested some Indiana supporters never accepted the school's first black head coach.

"I coached in southern Indiana for nine years and I understand the culture of southern Indiana," Keith said. "I know there's always going to be a pocket of folks who don't quite think like other folks do. ... I wouldn't be honest if I said there wasn't a little bit of that that exists. It did, and Mike had to deal with it."

Honestly, he is partially right. There is still racism in the area. The KKK was founded just 30 minutes off campus. The call for his resignation, on the other hand, has nothing to do with racism. It has to do with basketball finaticism. I am guilty as charged. I know a lot of other people, including most of my family, that would similarly plead guilty. People in Indiana are absolutely nuts about high school and college basketball. If you have never spent time there you cannot understand. I have spent time in Texas. They like their football. I have spent time in Europe. They like their football (read soccer here). Multiply by 5 and you are in the right ballpark.

IU fans couldn't care if the head coach was purple, had 3 eyes and 1 eyebrow. They care if we win. They care if there are misconduct scandals. They care if the kids don't manage to graduate. They really, really care if we lose. They really don't care what color or religion he is.

Good luck on whatever is next for you Coach Davis.