2014 to 2017 Football Strong

A comment worth remembering from Professor Orville Wyss, “Trend is not necessarily destiny.” Somehow the Horns need to find the right combination again to stop losing and fulfill our destiny.

We invited UT scholars to reflect on the integration of sports for Black History Month.

Reflecting on Coach Charlie Strong’s recent arrival, what are your thoughts about sports integration at UT?

I applaud the hiring of Coach Strong. As a Texas Ex and a diversity researcher, I’m knowledgeable about UT’s history regarding access for African-Americans — Heman Sweatt sued UT for access in 1949; Erwin Perry broke the faculty color line in 1964; and freshman Julius Whittier was the first black football player at Texas in 1969 (he was ineligible for the 1970 championship team).

I’ve written about the uneasy feeling of standing in DKR Memorial Stadium and hearing the yells of majority white fans directed at a majority black team. I think 2014 is going to feel different — we’ll know that Coach Strong shares an identity with most of the players.
— Richard Reddick, assistant professor, Department of Educational Administration

The appointment of Charlie Strong shows how far we have come in challenging antiquated views that African-Americans might be okay as position coaches but shouldn’t be allowed to be the head coach. Yet, perhaps a true marker of change will be when the person who appoints the UT head coach is a person of color.
— Ben Carrington, associate professor, Department of Sociology

As of 3/29/2017 – research on the Coach Strong era will stop so I can spend more time on the history of sports prior to 2014. 

2014