MBB vs. D'Youville November 25, 2022 - ERACISM INVITATIONAL SPONSORED BY BEST WESTERN

In December 2020, Stevenson University men’s basketball head coach/NABC vice president Gary Stewart; Joe Dwyer and Angela Lento from College Insider, Inc.; and Arthur Hightower of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers founded Eracism, a social inclusion movement committed to bringing forth change through education, awareness and action. Head coach Eric Eaton joined the Eracism national committee last school year.

Eracism also works to recognize the pioneers and trailblazers of the game and to help create more opportunities for minorities in coaching. Upon Eracism’s establishment, only 11 of 65 head coaches at Power 5 schools – in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference and Southeastern Conference (SEC) – were Black. Eracism’s executive committee has formed a panel to advocate and promote minority coaches in college basketball.

One of Eracism’s first initiatives is “This Game is No Secret,” a week of games that pays homage to John McLendon, the first African American coach to win an integrated national championship, in the NAIA in 1957, 1958 and 1959. In 1944, McLendon’s North Carolina Central University team used his revolutionary up-tempo style to dominate a team from Duke University, 88-44, in a “Secret Game.” Saint Michael’s hosted “This Game is No Secret” contests during last year’s Jan. 31 to Feb. 6 celebration.

CollegeInsider.com has long celebrated minority pioneers in college basketball. In 2012, it established the Coach John McLendon National Coach of the Year award, and played the first Coach McLendon Classic in 2016, created to showcase Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year has recognized the top minority D-I coach since 2010, Clarence “Big House” Gaines National Coach of the Year has gone to the top D-II coach since 2011, and awards named for HBCU legends Zelmo Beaty (blocks), Travis Grant (scoring), Marques Haynes (steals), Cleo Hill (assists) and Willis Reed (rebounding) all recognize national stat leaders.