(The College Fix) — When Minnesota State University-Mankato defensive linemen hit tackling dummies and run sprints this summer, they will do so under the watchful eye of a coach with an “equity lens.”
But how exactly the coaching staff defines “equity” and “anti-racism” remains shrouded in mystery, since the school denied a College Fix request to view submitted diversity statements.
The Fix requested copies of the diversity statements submitted by its defensive assistant coaching applicants as required by a May job posting.
The public university listed “[d]emonstrated ability to serve a diverse population and apply an equity lens, including social justice and/or anti-racism, to the role,” as a “minimum” qualification for the job.
The university previously told The Fix “the employee hiring process reflects the University’s vision, which includes improving a diverse community and world, and its core values, which includes ‘diversity in who we are and what we do,’” when asked about a chemistry professor job opening.
For this coaching position, the school listed “ability to coach and teach highly-talented student-athletes to succeed in a challenging academic environment,” as a “preferred” qualification.
But taxpayers and the general public may never learn what any of these terms mean to applicants and the hired coach.
“The data you are requesting in your attached data request is classified as private data as per Minn. Stat. 13.43, Subd. 3 & 4, and not subject to release under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act,” Sheri Sargent, the designated public records officer and the chief of staff to the university president, wrote back to The Fix.
She subsequently denied an amended request to provide the diversity statements with the names of applicants removed.
The state of Minnesota will not be helping out with public transparency either; it denied a request to issue an advisory opinion on whether someone’s background in diversity would fall under public data. The state code specifically states the “education and training” background of applicants is public.
Coach Mitchell Collicott, who the university hired under its latest job posting, also would not share how specifically he applies an “equity lens” and “anti-racism” to coaching.
Reached by phone on Tuesday, he said he would respond to previous requests for comment sent in the past week via email. The special teams coordinator and defensive line coach has yet to respond, however.
The decision to hide the diversity statements from the public did draw criticism from Phil Bell, an ambassador for Project 21, which promotes conservatism in black communities. Bell played sports in grade school and previously coached 10 to 13-year-olds in football.
He said the school should “absolutely” share the submitted diversity statements.
“They’re a public university. To me if you’re taking our tax dollars everything you do should be an open book,” Bell said during a recent phone interview. Project 21 is part of the National Center for Public Policy Research.
The mandated statements get to a deeper issue, Bell told The Fix.
He said young coaches are more “vulnerable” to pressure to conform since they may spend years as an assistant before landing a head coaching job. He said the university is trying to “cramp down” on people by pushing them to take an unrelated political stance.
Asked what universities should prioritize in coaching, Bell said it should be the actual knowledge, such as how to build up strength in the case of a weight training coach.
When it comes to “equity” he said it’s “not going to exist on a football team in any way whatsoever.”
The Fix asked if requiring diversity statements might lead to universities hiring unqualified coaches who can game the system and use the right DEI buzzwords.
“Absolutely, 100 percent,” Bell said. He said the situation is “odd” since college football has been a “bulwark” against “wokeness.”
When a football team embraces DEI then it signals the school is no longer interested in winning games, Bell said, mentioning that sports is a “meritocracy.”
“I absolutely think that they would be more than happy to hire someone who is unqualified or underqualified to serve in that role.”
This article was originally published by The College Fix and reprinted here with permission.
The post Minnesota State U. hides DEI statements it demanded from football coach applicants appeared first on Alpha News MN.
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