June 30, 2004

Sports Illustrated Announces Top 101 Influential Minorities In Sports

FROM THE PRE-EMINENT SPORTS PUBLICATION COMES the 2004 ranking of the top 101 most influential minorities in all of sport.

Amidst the various professional, media, league, association and agent rankings were an impressive list of college athletics people:

• #21: Mike Garrett, USC AD

• #22: Tyrone Willingham, Notre Dame football coach

• #29: Keith Tribble, Orange Bowl CEO

• #31: Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State football coach

• #41: Dan Guerrero, UCLA AD

• #50: Damon Evans, Georgia AD

• #55: Craig Littlepage, Virginia AD

• #60: Tubby Smith, Kentucky basketball coach

• #71: Paul Hewitt, Georgia Tech basketball coach

• #72: Gene Smith, Arizona State AD

• #73 Herman Frazier, Hawaii AD

• #75: Floyd Kerr, Southern University AD

• #79: Kelvin Sampson, Oklahoma basketball coach

• #87: Floyd Keith, Exec. Director, Black Coaches Assoc.

• #88: Karl Dorrell, UCLA football coach

• #98: John Chaney, temple basketball coach

SI was not particularly specific in detailing its selection method.

Criteria for the rankings included power to hire / fire, senior-level position and the size of the league or enterprise. Factors included company size, budget and the breadth of influence. No quantitative rationale was offered.

Kudos to our college athletics colleagues.

(this excerpt was distilled from an article in the Sports Illustrated issue of 6-28-04)