KANSAS CITY, Mo. – NABC Executive Director Craig Robinson released the following statement in support of collegiate men’s basketball coaches’ partnership with the McLendon Foundation’s John McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative.
“I am incredibly encouraged and proud of the efforts of so many men’s basketball coaches to help launch the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative,” said Robinson. “This program, which will provide a pathway for minorities to launch careers in intercollegiate athletics administration, has the potential to profoundly impact our industry, and reinforces our coaches’ commitment to making a difference beyond basketball.”
“It’s long been the NABC’s desire to see an increase in minority representation in college athletics,” Robinson added. “I offer my gratitude to NACDA and the coaches who have joined this initiative, and I encourage others to consider participating.”
The McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative will create access to and opportunity for meaningful experience for minority candidates – known as MLI Future Leaders. Coaches participating in this initiative are Ambassadors of the program and will serve as mentors to the Future Leaders on their campuses.
The NABC also intends to establish an MLI Future Leaders position at its national office in the future.
John McLendon, a founding class member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, was a pioneer in the integration of basketball. He led the first all-Black college team to a national tournament in 1954 at Tennessee A&I, and later became the first African-American coach in professional basketball when he joined the ABL’s Cleveland Pipers staff in 1959. In 1966, McLendon was hired by Cleveland State, becoming the first African-American head basketball coach at a predominately white institution.
More information on the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative can be found at minorityleaders.org.