"Making a list and checking it twice" this month probably meant something apart from the holiday season to Jim Miller. Though the University of Richmond's athletic director introduced Mike London as Spiders' football coach only 11 months ago, Miller surely is already considering potential replacements.
London's team won the Football Championship Subdivision title in his first season as a head coach. That alone makes London, 48, a hot candidate for higher-level jobs. Add the fact that London is an African-American, and his attractiveness increases as search committees and college presidents become more attuned to the paucity of African-American head coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
There are six African-American head coaches among 119 FBS programs.
"In this profession, you always want to be judged by what you do on the field, how your players conduct themselves -- both in the classroom and off the field -- and then compare apples to apples with that," London said. "I just want to be judged as a football coach who can coach and teach and prepare young men for the next phases of their lives.
"Let everyone else come up with the criteria that decides whether or not you would be good enough to be a coach here or a coach there."
African-American coaches are much more common in college basketball. Take the two Division I leagues with the greatest presence in Virginia -- the ACC and the Colonial Athletic Association. Eleven of the 24 men's basketball coaches at those schools are African-American.
London, a UR alum (Class of'83), has in no way expressed dissatisfaction with his position. Nor are there indications at this point that he is being considered for another job. But Richmond next season returns 18 of 24 starters (counting kickers), and seems set for another run that will make the Spiders' coach even more eye-catching.
Asked about the chances of keeping London at UR, Miller said he preferred not to comment on personnel matters. London throughout this season expressed gratitude that Richmond hired him, consistently said he felt "blessed" to have the job, and never suggested he viewed Richmond as a stepping-stone. But he obviously is aware of the national dialogue regarding the lack of African-American head coaches in the FBS.
"I look at myself as a football coach who happens to be an African-American," said London, who grew up in Hampton, played defensive back at Richmond, and worked as an assistant at UR, William and Mary, Boston College and Virginia. He also has one season of NFL coaching experience (2005 as defensive-line coach of the Houston Texans).
The executive director of the Black Coaches & Administrators organization, Floyd Keith, said after Richmond's championship victory that London's achievement would benefit minorities who want to become head coaches. The Spiders' success under London helps focus the nation's attention on the issue, suggested Keith, the former Rhode Island football coach.
London's professional portfolio distinguishes him among all coaches. His goal upon graduating from Richmond was to become a Secret Service agent. He learned that law-enforcement experience would help. He became a member of the street-crimes unit of the Richmond Police, then began coaching as a volunteer at George Wythe High while a detective. London started his second career, coaching, full-time as a UR assistant in 1988.
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or joconnor@timesdispatch.com.
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