On Wednesday afternoon Butler University introduced their new head coach, LaVall Jordan, to the rest of the world. For the first time in school history they’ve hired a black head coach, which is very significant. Butler was founded in 1855 bruh and this is the first time that someone that looks like me has been in charge of the basketball program. Big props to Butler for givin’ Jordan an opportunity to do what we know other black coaches have been qualified to do but weren’t given the chance to do in the past.
He’s more than qualified to handle the responsibility of runnin’ the show at Butler. He’s a Butler guy and he has significant coachin’ experience. He played there from 1997-2001, then was on Todd Lickliter’s staff at Butler before followin’ him to Iowa from 2007-2010. Then he went to Michigan as an assistant under John Beilein from 2010-2016 where they went to the Final Four and national title game with duns like Glenn Robinson III of the Pacers. This past year he was the head coach at Milwaukee!! So ole boy was definitely qualified for the job.
Let’s keep it real or all the way 100,, whichever comes 1st! The reason that the hire was so significant is because it says that there is opportunity for us at the table. That’s all we want bruh. If we’re qualified to do the job then all we want is an equal opportunity.
Most white folks don’t think about things like that because everywhere they go they see people that look like them doin’ the jobs their interested in doin’. EVERYWHERE!!! When you’re a black kid growin’ up in America you’re constantly lookin’ for people that look like you doin’ the things that you want to do.
When you don’t see them in those positions you don’t always believe that it’s something that’s possible for you to do. Black kids in the Indianapolis community finally get to reach out and touch a guy that looks like them runnin’ the basketball program at Butler!! That’s a huge confidence builder for them.
Not every kid growin’ up will have the DNA to become a Division 1 athlete but they may have the capacity to coach or become an athletic director etc. However, they need to see people that look like them doin’ the things that they want to do.
When I was a kid I never saw a black sports writer so I never thought about writin’, becomin’ a sports analyst or doin’ sports radio until I was a grown man. After I saw people that looked like me doin’ those jobs. The more opportunities that become available to us the more our kids will aspire to become those people. They have to see themselves in people like LaVall Jordan or Dr. So and So or Attorney this and that etc. Remember, there are very few pioneers out here.
I’m thankful that Butler saw the qualifications of this young man and not his skin color this week. Why? Because you know as well as I do that there has been more than one qualified brother applyin’ for that job in more than 100 years of Butler basketball. Stop me when I start lyin’!
Playas Thesaurus:
1) Dun: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, etc. It’s whoever I’m talkin’ about and its non-gender specific.
The G is excluded from the endings of all words because the G is near and dear to my heart because I’m from “The G” which is Gary, Indiana. So I only use the G when I’m talkin’ about “The G!”
The caption under the photo isn’t real but its real talk!