Praise for Crackback!
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Dr. Fitz Hill has, as much as humanly possible, eliminated emotion from this argument and has focused on the pure numbers. These numbers unequivocally highlight the bias in the hiring of black coaches. Crackback! is an education that will allow us to no longer hide for any reason, and to make the changes necessary to allow our children to be led by the best coaches, regardless of color.
- Tyrone Willingham, Former Head Coach at Stanford University, University of Notre Dame and University of Washington -
The issue of why minority coaches have not been as successful in college football as they have in other sports is a complex one. But because football is America’s favorite sport, it isn’t an issue that should be swept under the table or ignored. It has affected a lot of people, including me. But this whole thing isn’t really about me and the other old folks in the profession. This is about looking out for every African American kid in America who might be thinking about becoming a college coach. I think every college and NFL player ought to read this book—but I hope a lot more people do, too.
- Doug Williams, Head Coach at Grambling State University, Super Bowl XXII MVP, First African American Quarterback to Win a Super Bowl -
Dr. Fitz Hill’s Crackback!, co-authored with acclaimed journalist Mark Purdy, is a compelling firsthand account of how African-Americans were kept out of head coaching positions at the highest level of college football for decades. Hill has a great mind for football and did his doctoral dissertation on the experiences of African-American coaches employed at predominately white colleges and universities and the obstacles they faced in trying to go from assistant to head coach. His is the most authentic voice available on the issue. Crackback! is a must read for anyone who cares about sport in America and for anyone who holds social justice as an important value.
- Richard Lapchick, Ph.D., Chair of DeVos Sport Business Management Program, Director, Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport and Director, National Consortium for Academics and Sports, University
