In the 155 years since the first intercollegiate football game was played in 1869, between Rutgers University and what’s now Princeton University, a Black head coach has never competed for the National Championship.
That all changes in 2025.
Either Notre Dame University, who won the Sugar Bowl, or Penn State, their Orange Bowl opponent, will play in the 2025 National Championship game on January 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
This matchup is historic, not only because of these teams’ storied legacies on the football field. It also sets the stage for either Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman or Penn State’s head coach, James Franklin, to become the first Black head coach to compete in the national championship game.
This is hard to believe.
While Black athletes have long dominated in football on the gridiron, on the sidelines, it’s a different story—one of exclusion for coaches of color.
The Numbers
Across the NCAA’s collegiate football today, the racial diversity on the field trends heavily toward Black players. While the percentage varies by region, position and conference, these overall percentages of Black players are synonymous with the sport:
- Division I schools: 49% of all football players are Black
- Division II schools: 46% of all football players are Black
- Division III schools: 23% of all football players are Black
While the overall numbers convey a strong on-field presence, the championship opportunity numbers seem bleak in comparison.
The SEC, which is considered one of the top football conferences in Division I, has no Black or minority head coaches. Yet it accounted for seven teams in the AP Top 25. Their Black players/student-athletes make up approximately 75% of those 16 teams.
In fact, Black men hold just seven of the 69 Power Five head coaching jobs. Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Penn State’s James Franklin are the only ones leading what would be considered traditional powerhouses.
Looking Ahead
Of the 14 Black head coaches roaming the sidelines at the 133 Football Bowl Subdivision programs over the past several years, one in particular has gotten more fanfare than his counterparts.
Enter Deion Sanders.
As a two-time Super Bowl champion and National Football League Hall of Famer, Sanders played 14 NFL seasons and nine seasons of Major League Baseball. He’s the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
In 2017, Deion Sanders became the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian High School, so he could coach his sons, Shilo and Shedeur Sanders. He’d go on to coach them throughout their careers: both at Jackson State from 2021 to 2022, and then as part of the Colorado Buffaloes over the past two seasons.
His flare, style, personality and commitment to winning—along with his connection to entertainment and putting on a show—made the University of Colorado, which was flailing before he arrived, a big-ticket box office experience that many would say changed college football.
He had his players put their Instagram handles on their practice jerseys; had his namesake, Deion Sanders Jr., head up video and documentation of the journey at practices and behind the scenes. He also leaned into the college transfer portal—something that wasn’t being leveraged by many coaches. And he was vocal about the reality of NIL deals, a topic coaches were hesitant to discuss in public, because of its effects on programs.
It all paid off. His games were nationally televised, he led Colorado to its fourth bowl game since 2006, and he coached the 2022 Heisman Award Winner, Travis Hunter (a two-way player like Sanders himself), into national relevance to what will hopefully translate into a top five pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Recently, Michael Vick was introduced as Norfolk State’s head football coach. The former NFL Pro Bowler grew up about 30 minutes away, in Newport News, Virginia. This was an attention-grabbing hire for a program that has struggled in recent years.
With the landscape of college football changing perhaps more than any other collegiate sport, due to its relevance, size and influence, this may be the moment when Black former professional and college players have an opportunity to coach their way up to the head position.
The shift toward more diverse coaches is happening slowly in the NFL, with 2024 representing the year of the highest number to date.
Is this progress? Absolutely. Did it take a bit longer than many may have hoped? Possibly. But the trend is going in the right direction for America’s diversity—and for the sport that was built by so many who played it.
So this year, tune in to the College Championship Game for the action, but stay to witness history in the making—no matter holds the trophy when the game clock expires.