Pac-12 basketball coaches pledge money, time for minority leadership initiative

All of the Pac-12's head basketball coaches are among the 35 coaches nationally to pledge time and resources to a career developmental program for minority coaches.

The McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative says it aims to "provide minorities a jump-start to their careers through practical experiences, opportunities to build their network, and instilling the values of John McLendon: Integrity, Education, Leadership, and Mentorship."

Kentucky's John Calipari and Harvard's Tommy Amaker are scheduled to lead the program.

“The MLI is about access and opportunity: real-world experience and networking platforms designed to elevate talented young women and men of color who have previously been ignored by a system that lacks diversity and inclusion," Calipari said in a statement. "For this work, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate vehicle than the McLendon Foundation. I’m excited about where we’re headed and feel this is a great first step toward affecting measurable change in our corner of the world."

McLendon was known as a pioneer in the integration of college basketball. In 1966, he became the first African-American head basketball coach at a predominantly white institution when he took over the Cleveland State program. Among his other stops were stints on the U.S. Olympic basketball staff in 1968 and 1972 and head coach of the ABA's Denver Rockets.

“In order to advance diversity in sports, it is important we develop minority administrators and leaders who will go on to hire the next generation of college coaches," Oregon coach Dana Altman said in a Pac-12 statement. "We are only a small part of what we all hope will become a larger initiative. The Pac-12 coaches are excited to be involved with the McLendon Foundation and to become part of the solution."

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