Dear NABC members,
Basketball is back!
Just typing those words gets me excited. There’s truly nothing like the energy of a new season – particularly coming off the challenges of the last two years.
While our country continues to slowly return to normal, the current state of college athletics feels anything but stable. Adjusting to landmark changes like NIL and the one-time transfer exemption has required significant efforts from programs at all levels. Findings from the NCAA’s gender equity report are sure to reverberate down to campuses. And perhaps most notably, the NCAA has launched a constitution review that may fundamentally reshape how college sports operate.
A priority since my first day at the NABC has been to increase coaches’ representation at decision-making tables across college athletics. Coaches have more day-to-day interaction with student-athletes than any other individuals on campus, yet far too often our input is overlooked when legislation and policies take shape. This must change.
I personally expressed to the NCAA my strong displeasure that no coaches – from any sport – were invited to join their Constitution Committee. While that disappointment remains, we have since made promising inroads towards gaining inclusion in the constitution review process. We are currently hard at work developing structural and governance-related proposals that we feel best position our sport for future success.
While the fate of our proposals remains to be seen, I’m confident the NABC’s voice will not be ignored.
The NCAA constitution review is far from our only ongoing advocacy effort. In September, we successfully pushed for the extension of a Division I blanket waiver allowing non-coaching staff members to engage in instructional duties during practice. Now, our focus has turned to cementing this waiver as permanent legislation.
Through the collective work of our Division I Congress, we advanced a series of proposed changes to recruiting person days and official visits into the 2021-22 legislative cycle. And we are actively evaluating the merits of a rule that would allow student-athletes to compete in a select number of games and still be eligible to apply a redshirt.
At the Division II level, we continue to support efforts to align the transfer notification date with the earlier Division I date, and we have amplified coaches’ desires to adjust the preseason practice model. In Division III, we are working to address a variety of issues that include enrollment flexibility for student-athletes that received a fifth year due to COVID, the practice and playing season model, and potential redshirt legislation. The Division II and III representatives on the NABC Board of Directors and our DII and DIII Congresses remain instrumental in leading these efforts on behalf of our members.
Our legislative and advocacy work continue to be strongly influenced by our Player Development Coalitions. Launched last season as a pilot program in Division I, we have since formed Coalitions in Division II and III as well. The feedback from these young men has been invaluable, and we consider them central to the NABC’s entire scope of work.
Last year, the NABC adopted inclusion as a fifth core value alongside leadership, education, advocacy, and service. But inclusion must go beyond words, and our Committee on Racial Reconciliation continues to champion initiatives that produce change on and off the court.
The Committee’s push to eliminate standardized tests as a component of college athletics eligibility – citing longstanding racial disparities – continues to gain steam. Last month, a NCAA task force recommended that Division I and II athletes no longer be required to submit test scores. A final decision is expected in early 2022.
The McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative – launched by men’s basketball coaches Tommy Amaker, Frank Martin and John Calipari and supported by many of you – has grown to over 40 participants. I don’t consider it hyperbole to say this program is changing the future of college athletics. At the NABC, we are proud to have transitioned our 2020-21 Future Leader, Elian Rodriguez, into a full-time role with our staff, and we recently welcomed Cameron Almaraz as our Future Leader for the upcoming year.
Alarmingly, our Player Development Coalitions have expressed a sense of waning enthusiasm across college basketball towards addressing issues of equality. While the news cycle may have moved on from the jarring race-related incidents of 2020, our commitment as coaches to advancing diversity and inclusion in our programs must remain steadfast. I encourage you to review the Committee on Racial Reconciliation’s resource guide for ideas on keeping the conversation alive, including our “Lift Every Voice and Sing” initiative and the civic engagement playbook.
Professional development also continues to be a top priority for the NABC. We just completed our second-annual NABC Fall Summit, with Hall of Famer George Raveling headlining an impressive list of speakers. Three regional NABC Championship Basketball Clinics provided learning opportunities for hundreds of coaches across the country earlier this fall. Phase 1 of the NABC Mentor Circle is off and running with nearly 100 participants, and Phase 2 – specifically targeting first-time minority head coaches – will launch soon.
And while the season may just be tipping off, we are already looking forward to returning to an in-person NABC Convention and Final Four in 2022. After two years that will hopefully never again be repeated, gathering as a coaching community in New Orleans is sure to be an unforgettable experience.
I’ve said before that I take great pride in going to work every day on your behalf. Now into year two as NABC Executive Director, that sense of pride only continues to grow. To every coach, I wish you a successful and fulfilling 2021-22 season.
Sincerely,
Craig Robinson
NABC Executive Director
