In 1971, recently desegregated T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia, hired Herman Boone to spearhead their football program. By the end of the season, his team had fought their way to a state title.
The accomplishments of the football team were eventually recreated (somewhat fictitiously, according to numerous accounts) in the 2000 Disney feature film Remember the Titans. The feel-good tale of heroism and courage in the face of racial prejudice and bias served to be a huge hit, grossing $137.6 million in box office sales alone.
While the movie was a tremendous success, its root cannot be ignored. The movie was heavily centered on the hire of an African American; even more so was the fact that he was hired to replace a white coach, Bill Yoast (who decides to stay in town, despite other offers, to work as an assistant coach on Boone’s staff). Boone, Yoast, and even many of the players on the team are subjected to undue tension for various reasons. In the early stages of the film, the biases even rest themselves in the hearts of numerous players on the team. But, as expected from a Disney production, the team is able to band together and overcome their differences.
Near the closing of the movie, the narrator (Bill Yoast’s daughter, Sheryl) says that the Titans not only earned a state title; they also finished second in the voting for the national championship. Shortly after the release of Remember the Titans, I found myself wondering (since it wasn’t mentioned in the film, for obvious reasons): if the Titans did all of this and only finished second in the country, who came in first?
It didn’t take much work to find the answer. After a quick Internet search, I found confirmation: T.C. Williams actually tied for second with Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Coming in first, and securing (yet another) national championship? The Valdosta High School Wildcats.
The heritage of Valdosta, Georgia, appropriately named “Titletown, U.S.A.” by ESPN in 2008, is heavily in part because of the winning tradition that has come to be expected within the walls of Valdosta High School. The team has claimed an astonishing 41 region, 23 state, and six national championships in its illustrious history.
Gracing the walls of the David S. Waller Sr. Valdosta Wildcat Museum are the names and likenesses of former Valdosta greats, including players such as Buck Belue, William “Red” Dawson, and Stanford “Stan” Rome. Also included the in the nostalgia are the notable accomplishments of storied coaches such as Wright Bazemore and Nick Hyder, who together were responsible for 480 wins over 50 seasons and 21 of the 23 state titles to the Wildcats’ name.
In January 2016, news broke that Rance Gillespie, the Wildcats’ head coach of the last six seasons, would be leaving the school after accepting an offer to serve as co-offensive coordinator with former Valdosta State University head coach David Dean at Georgia Southern University. For Gillespie, the move will be a “homecoming” of sorts: he was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles from 2007-09. During his time leading Valdosta, he led the team to a playoff berth in every season of his tenure, including clinching a region title in 2011. Unfortunately, his prowess failed to secure the state and national championships that locals have come to expect from the renowned program.
So the hunt for a worthy successor began immediately upon Gillespie’s announcement, and the field was quickly narrowed down to three candidates: Alan Rodemaker of Valdosta High, Ashley Henderson of Valwood, and Maurice Freeman of Brooks County High School.
After days of rigorous interviews, February 8th was the turning point. That Monday morning, Ashley Henderson officially withdrew his name from consideration in order to sign a multi-year contract with Valwood. That evening, the Valdosta Board of Education passed a unanimous vote to appoint Alan Rodemaker as the next head football coach of the Valdosta Wildcats.
While many are thrilled about the future of the program in the hands of Coach Rodemaker, the selection has met some resistance. Leading up to the appointment of coach Rodemaker, the Valdosta community and fan base was divided about the nature of the applicants. The point of this article is not to defend or disapprove of the hiring of Alan Rodemaker, it is meant to look at one of the leading points of conversation during the search for the man that would take over the position. As with any job opening, applicants are going to vary in experience, success, and style, but in this particular case, another factor was brought to the forefront of conversation: ethnicity.
Let’s face it: not only are we living in a time where race is too often thrown around as a motivating factor for just about everything, we are also living in South Georgia, where, in our recent history, a simple differentiating factor such as race has been used as a benefit, a crutch, and a source of blame and creating distance between individuals.
Rumors made their way around the city that, regardless of who was hired to follow the Gillespie era, race would be a part of the discussion. If the new coach were to be white, was there an equally, or possibly more, qualified African American coach in the air of discussion? And, on the other side: If an African American was hired to the position, did race play a factor in his appointment?
We have seen it rear its head before. On a larger scale, the National Football League implemented what is known as the “Rooney Rule” in 2003. Named after Daniel “Dan” Rooney (the owner and chairman of the league’s diversity committee of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the son of Steelers founder Arthur “Art” Rooney Sr.), the rule requires that teams interview minority candidates before making a decision on their coaching hire. Since the implementation of the rule, the number of head coaches has indeed increased; also of note, multiple minority head coaches have led their teams to Super Bowl victories.
While it can be incredibly difficult to fathom that race still plays such a major role in today’s society, facts are facts. While blatant, public racism is no longer as prevalent in today’s world, deeply rooted prejudices and biases still have detrimental impacts upon our society, manifesting itself within individuals and systems alike. And without policies such as the Rooney Rule, it can be argued that many minority applicants may still never receive their fair share of opportunity. It can be painful to consider, but it cannot be argued that unfair judgment still exists in our world. A qualified coach, no matter the background, should be able to accommodate job requirements in an exceptional manner. Race is not, nor should it ever be, a blockade of opportunity.
In the history of the Wildcats’ program, this assignment has never been given to someone of African American descent. However, I’m not going to advocate giving, or denying, someone a job or advancement based solely on his or her ethnicity. The most memorable coaches to lead Valdosta High School have shared a list of qualities. They have been determined, possessed a strong desire to win, a background of relative success in their craft, and an ability to mentor, support, and relate to their players in both sports-related and daily off-the-field issues.
A coach is expected to fill roles that extend far beyond what the title implies. Coaches are teachers, mentors, and confidants in the most trying of times. A valid argument could be that a coach’s ethnicity and upbringing may enable him or her to better relate to particular off-the-field issues or concerns of his or her players, namely those that stem from their shared experiences. This holds true for white and minority coaches alike, but given the high percentage of African American students and athletes at Valdosta High School, this would almost be an unspoken benefit for an African American candidate.
That may be an additional, almost intrinsic strength of any given African-American coach, but that is only one of a seemingly endless number of qualifications. Another coach, regardless of race, may be more qualified for the position on other grounds, such as a better résumé of winning, better X’s and O’s mind, and countless other factors on and off the field. One single factor, such as the ability to better relate to one ethnicity represented on the team, should never be the sole contributing factor to a hire.
While coaches may sometimes best relate through experiences that are unique to their ethnicity, this does not mean a coach is unable to relate to their players of different ethnicities. A student-athlete can and should feel loved, supported, and bettered by their coaches, even if there is a gap between sympathy and empathy due to their ethnic backgrounds. But, as previously stated, the value or relative significance of this gap must be measured in comparison to the other strengths and weaknesses of each and every candidate. Each candidate, no matter the color of their skin, has pros and cons; some are unique to that ethnicity, but most are shared through their common humanity and the love of their jobs.
During an unforgettable and emotionally driven scene in Remember the Titans, Coach Boone addresses his players prior to heading to preseason camp. He splits his players up in the simplest way possible: offense and defense. He starts his speech to his players with the following: “I don’t care if you’re black, green, blue, white, or orange…” before splitting them up according to their side of the line of scrimmage.
Regardless of when you watch this film, if you are familiar with the legacy of the Valdosta Wildcats, one thing should ring true. Players that have contributed to state and national championship teams in Winnersville have been of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. The coaching staff has followed suit, and the head coaching position should be no different.
The Valdosta Wildcats tradition is one that has been built on winning: national championships, state championships, region championships, and rivalry wins. The standard of the team, coach, and program as a whole has not changed in that regard. No one that takes the head coach position of the Wildcats can fail to meet that standard and keep his job, so that should be the leading criteria.
And it appears that is was. Coach Rodemaker has quite the task before him, but the leadership of the Valdosta High program clearly believes that he is up to the task. Chatters of continued discontent have rippled through the community, but Coach Rodemaker has the ability to silence his critics by winning football games, loving his players, and maintaining the level of intensity and passion that he has become known for.
Regardless, Alan Rodemaker now sits at the helm of the most storied football program in the country. The Valdosta faithful should support the coaches, the team, and most importantly, the players, as they strive for greatness in the 2016 season.
South Georgia/March 2016/Special Feature
Coaching Hire
Valdosta High School
Valdosta, Georgia
The Wildcat Tradition: It’s All about the Black and Gold
By James A. Washington
