Stanford Continues Bill Walsh’s Legacy By Keeping Diversity on the Field a Priority - Higher Education

Stanford Continues Bill Walsh’s Legacy By Keeping Diversity on the Field a Priority - Higher Education: Though Stanford University has a reputation for strong academics, there is another distinction to add to its repute: athletics. The elite private school’s record of coaching diversity in major sports over the last 25 years is hard to match.

Stanford has had three Black head football coaches, more than any other school in Division I, outside of HBCUs.

“I think it is a pretty big deal,” says Dr. Boyce Watkins, a scholar who has pushed for racial equality in NCAA sports. “If you consider the history of racism, I think a lot of schools would be hard-pressed to have had three Black football coaches.”