This time, black and white coaches sat together, united in a stand against NCAA policies they believe discriminate against minorities.
The threat of a boycott at the Final Four led to an agreement mediated by the Justice Department that the coaches Thursday hailed as an historic step toward addressing racial and gender problems in college sports.Southern Cal coach George Raveling, one of the leaders of the Black Coaches Association that threatened the boycott to protest NCAA policies, declined to say exactly what kind of action was planned "because we might have to use it in the future."
If tangible results are not produced by next January at the NCAA convention in San Diego, the boycott may become more than a threat.
For the moment, the Black Coaches Association and the larger National Association of Basketball Coaches are working with the NCAA on ways to expand the opportunities for blacks and other minorities to play sports, coach them and govern them.
"I really thought the NCAA Presidents Commission showed a lot of courage," Raveling said, "because, frankly, I think they would admit that not everybody in the association thought they should meet with us and mediate these problems."
The black coaches, including Raveling, Nolan Richardson of Arkansas, John Thompson of Georgetown, John Chaney of Temple and Rudy Washington of Drake, fought hardest to get the presidents to review their positions on eligibility standards based on tests.
Raveling met Thursday with Eamon Kelly, Tulane's president who just replaced Judith Albino as chair of the NCAA Presidents Commission.
"I've seen a whole different attitude," Raveling said. "He called us and said, `Hey, I'm in town. We'd like to meet with you guys and start some dialogue.' Previous to this, that would never have happened.
"I think there's a perception thing, too. I think the Presidents Commission is very concerned that they don't leave the public perception out there that they're backing off of reform. A lot of this is about perception. It goes both ways. There's the perception that the coaches have to win this thing, that that would be wrong if they did.
"Initially, the presidents wanted to get that message out there that `We're in charge.' And the funny part about it is, I don't think there were too many of us who didn't recognize that they were in charge. It's just that maybe it was little bit like absentee management or ownership, where they just weren't watching over the store every day. But we knew they owned the store."
Raveling and Mike Jarvis of George Washington sat with white coaches of the NABC in a show of harmony over the talks. When the NABC met in Charlotte in October, the black coaches met with the Black Congressional Caucus in Washington about the issues that led to the boycott threat.
"There was a perception out there when we were in this city not too many months ago that the BCA and the NABC were not on the same page," Seton Hall's P.J. Carlesimo said. "The method was great, the way it was done. And it was so important that a group was in Washington and a group was here. That's the story, and it's going to get better and better."
George Blaney, president of the NACB, said the agreement shows a "sensitivity toward racial equity as well as gender equity."
The Presidents Commission acknowledged the validity of some of the black coaches' complaints, Raveling said.
"In some areas they're still not convinced that change is necessary, but they're saying to us we're willing to go back and look at this again and make sure that what we've done is fair and ethical," he said. "But you have to listen to what they don't say. What I hear them saying also is, `Sure, we'll go back and revisit those things, but we want you to show us some proof of why this is disproportionate for minorities more than anybody else.'
"So we've got to do our homework. We've got to come up with a rationale that makes them feel comfortable about making these decisions. I think we're prepared to do that."
Men's basketball coaches, in fighting for restoration of a 14th and possibly 15th scholarship, realize they must show the NCAA how that can be done without raising expenses and without hurting women's programs. The coaches also have to learn how to work within the NCAA legislative system to make changes.
"When I look back on it now, coaches were a large part of the problem," Raveling said. "A lot of times we operated out of ignorance. We tend to be reactionaries. The time has come when we just can't sit around anymore and (complain). It's not enough to just identify the problem. You also have to be prepared to offer a viable solution."
Raveling said he's been coming to the NABC meetings at the Final Four for 32 years, and for the first 25 years it was simply a social affair.
"You came down, watched the games, hung out with the guys, listened to the rumors, checked on jobs, got on a plane and went back," he said. "But if we're going to have a voice in the destiny of intercollegiate athletics, and in particular basketball, we have to establish a more mature posture than we have in the past."
The immediate result of the agreement, which was signed last week, will be greater representation of blacks and other ethnic minorities on NCAA committees and in positions of authority, Raveling said.
"We have prioritize the things we want," he said. "One thing I've learned in this process is we can't have it our way all the time. We're not going to get everything we want."