ISU Coaching Changes Raise Diversity Concerns
Students Say Diversity Is Important To Minority Students
DES MOINES, Iowa — Two recent coaching changes at Iowa State University are raising some concerns about diversity at the Ames campus.
It only took Iowa State University four days to find a replacement for men’s basketball coach Wayne Morgan.
Two weeks later, the athletic department announced a new wrestling coach on the same day that Bobby Douglas said he was retiring.
The abruptness of the two changes has raised some concern on campus.
“It just kind of made me think about how the school is running things and if they even considered hiring someone of a minority, “said TiAnn Taylor, an ISU junior.
Taylor and Brandon Davis, an ISU senior, say diversity is an issue that’s important to all minority students on campus.
The students question whether race was considered during the hiring process.
“I feel race wasn’t necessarily a motivating issue, but because race is involved, it is something that being a university on the state level, a public university, that it is something that they need to consider when making decisions like this, “Davis said.
University spokesman John McCarroll said ISU President Gregory Geoffroy did grant a waiver for the athletic director to bypass the normal search process.
“When you replace two African-American men with white men, people are going to ask the question. We understand that. I believe Jamie Pollard has made it clear that certainly race was not a factor in these coaching decisions, “McCarroll said.
McCarroll said the university felt the two candidates on the list for head basketball coach created a diverse pool.
“The assistant vice president for Iowa State responsible for those issues was aware of that and agreed that that was appropriate because of diversity is very much a consideration, “McCarroll said.
University officials said the athletic department was also granted a waiver for the wrestling coach position.
Because several other universities were looking for a new wrestling coach, Iowa State said it didn’t want to waste any time and possibly lose Cael Sanderson to another school.
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