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LadyGriz Nate Harris new head coach of the Lady Griz!

HelenaHandBasket said:
MSU women had a roster full of colored players. Good to know winning is that easy though...play fewer white players.

"colored"??? I haven't heard that term since my racist dad from Texas used to say it while I was growing up. Even he learned that it wasn't acceptable to use. You are free to still use it but expect push back when you do. Freedom cuts both ways.
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Yes, Helena, This is 2025, not 1925 !!!
 
No, Mom , it's not complex. If we recruit star Black girl's basketball players, we will sign some great Black girls, improve our team's athleticism, and be more competitive both in The Big Sky and outside of The Big Sky, just like our men's team and our LG will win some Big Sky Championships, just like our men !!! We don't have any Black Lady GRIZ because unlike our men's team, we don't recruit Black girls. Hopefully, that will now change !!!

Big Sky Championships 2018-25:

GRIZ Men: 3

Lady GRIZ: 0

And I also don't agree about only hanging out with people that look like you, Mom. One of my best friends is Crow and I am White. I also work as a counselor in a government youth service's center in Billings, where 7 of our 20 staff members are Black, Native or Asian, and we frequently get together outside of work. Kai Johnson described his teammates as " family" and so did several of his teammates. I don't think he was exaggerating and when Kai and his teammates graduate from UM and leave Missoula, a lot of them will be friends for life !!!
 
Yes: The LG, unlike The GRIZ, their male counterparts in both basketball and football, have never actively recruited star Black girl basketball players. And The LG, unlike the men's basketball team and football team, has never had a Black coach.

But UM AD Kent Haslam and President Seth Bodnar should appoint a commission of students, professors, and former players to study for the next year why The LG have no star Black women basketball players while the men's teams have successfully recruited star Black men's basketball and football players for decades, at which point that commission will conclude ...

1. The LG don't have any star Black girl's basketball players because The LG don't actively recruit star Black girl's basketball players, past or present.

2. Unlike the men's team and the football team, The LG do not have any Black coaches to facilitate the recruitment of Black girls for The LG.. Both the men's team and the football team largely, not totally, use their Black coaches to recruit Black student athletes.

If we want to have some Black women on The LG, it's not an unsolvable mystery: we have to actively recruit them !!!
 
billingsgriz said:
No, Mom , it's not complex. If we recruit star Black girl's basketball players, we will sign some great Black girls, improve our team's athleticism, and be more competitive both in The Big Sky and outside of The Big Sky, just like our men's team and our LG will win some Big Sky Championships, just like our men !!! We don't have any Black Lady GRIZ because unlike our men's team, we don't recruit Black girls. Hopefully, that will now change !!!

Big Sky Championships 2018-25:

GRIZ Men: 3

Lady GRIZ: 0

And I also don't agree about only hanging out with people that look like you, Mom. One of my best friends is Crow and I am White. I also work as a counselor in a government youth service's center in Billings, where 7 of our 20 staff members are Black, Native or Asian, and we frequently get together outside of work. Kai Johnson described his teammates as " family" and so did several of his teammates. I don't think he was exaggerating and when Kai and his teammates graduate from UM and leave Missoula, a lot of them will be friends for life !!!
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I can see your mind's made up so I won't confuse you with facts.
 
HelenaHandBasket said:
I believe you are oversimplifying the issue. There are reasons that schools like Montana and MSU don't have many black women players that goes beyond the lack of black coaches.
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The Griz Volleyball team has had black players over the past few years. The Tennis team had two black sisters a couple of years back. From Texas. How do you recruit black women from Texas to come play tennis in frozen Montana??
 
maroonandsilver said:
The Griz Volleyball team has had black players over the past few years. The Tennis team had two black sisters a couple of years back. From Texas. How do you recruit black women from Texas to come play tennis in frozen Montana??
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It's like the Field of Dreams except with recruiting "If you don't recruit them, they won't come".
 
maroonandsilver said:
The Griz Volleyball team has had black players over the past few years. The Tennis team had two black sisters a couple of years back. From Texas. How do you recruit black women from Texas to come play tennis in frozen Montana??
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I'm not sure if it's a result of the cattle drives of Longhorns from Texas but culturally Montana does feel a lot like Texas. Also, because of the train from Minnesota, culturally Montana is a lot like Minnesota.

My grandpa and grandma were born in Minnesota and moved from Minnesota to Montana in the early 1900s along with a lot of other Minnesotans and Wisconsinites and Midwest folk.
 
The relative lack of black players in women's basketball at schools like UM and MSU compared to their men's counterparts is a far more complex issue than simply deciding to recruit more black players. There needs to be more work put in to address the inequities that currently exist between low-income/black boys and girls in terms of their access to youth and recreational sports programs. Girls will never make it to college programs if they quit before they ever get to high school because they don't have any opportunities to play.
 
This isn't that complex. If you want to diversify the program, hire a diverse staff.

If you want to have more black players on a roster you need at least 1 black coach or more.

If LG want to start recruiting black players Harris needs to hire a black assistant.

The question is does Harris have anyone he can call to find that person and does that even fit into the equation for the recruiting that will continue under this staff?
 
BigSkyBreakdown said:
This isn't that complex. If you want to diversify the program, hire a diverse staff.

If you want to have more black players on a roster you need at least 1 black coach or more.

If LG want to start recruiting black players Harris needs to hire a black assistant.

The question is does Harris have anyone he can call to find that person and does that even fit into the equation for the recruiting that will continue under this staff?
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Are you suggesting that there is not a single black player on a team with an all white coaching staff? The only factor in recruiting black players is a token black coach?
 
HelenaHandBasket said:
Are you suggesting that there is not a single black player on a team with an all white coaching staff? The only factor in recruiting black players is a token black coach?
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All we are saying is that IF the LG wish to diversify their recruiting and to recruit black players they should have a black coach on staff. That's not a complex issue.

You used the word TOKEN not us and I would argue that getting a D1 HC or Assistant position means you are more than a TOKEN you add value.

IF the LG wish to diversify the roster then the staff should reflect that said diversity.

The whole issue isn't complex, you don't have to like it, that's the way it is.

IF the LG wish to change and recruit players from areas mentioned above you better have a black assistant.

Almost certain DeCuire would deliver this same message to Harris IF Harris wanted to get input.

We don't think the LG will move that direction anyways because the HC most likley won't divert from his traditional recruiting base, area or region.
 
BigSkyBreakdown said:
All we are saying is that IF the LG wish to diversify their recruiting and to recruit black players they should have a black coach on staff. That's not a complex issue.

You used the word TOKEN not us and I would argue that getting a D1 HC or Assistant position means you are more than a TOKEN you add value.

IF the LG wish to diversify the roster then the staff should reflect that said diversity.

The whole issue isn't complex, you don't have to like it, that's the way it is.

IF the LG wish to change and recruit players from areas mentioned above you better have a black assistant.

Almost certain DeCuire would deliver this same message to Harris IF Harris wanted to get input.

We don't think the LG will move that direction anyways because the HC most likley won't divert from his traditional recruiting base, area or region.
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All I am saying is having a black coach on staff is a small step that still doesn't overcome many of the bigger issues that make it difficult to recruit black female athletes to places like Missoula and Bozeman. Even schools like SDSU and NDSU find it difficult. There is a reason why Sacramento and Portland have an easier time.
 
HelenaHandBasket said:
All I am saying is having a black coach on staff is a small step that still doesn't overcome many of the bigger issues that make it difficult to recruit black female athletes to places like Missoula and Bozeman. Even schools like SDSU and NDSU find it difficult. There is a reason why Sacramento and Portland have an easier time.
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First, don't think every black person likes rap music and plays football and basketball. Second, create a truly welcoming culture that encourages black entrepreuners and families. Third, reach out to people of color in the community and develop friendships and invite them into your circle of influence. Fourth, welcome and develop a vibrant Black culture community. Any ideas from others?
 
GriznMN said:
First, don't think every black person likes rap music and plays football and basketball. Second, create a truly welcoming culture that encourages black entrepreuners and families. Third, reach out to people of color in the community and develop friendships and invite them into your circle of influence. Fourth, welcome and develop a vibrant Black culture community. Any ideas from others?
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Quite honestly, Bobbie Hauck would be a good resource also. He has had several Black assistant coaches in both tenures and his recruiting coordinator has been Justin Green for several years. If the Lady Griz are interested in attracting Black athletes, I would applaud a move in the direction similar to Travis Decuire and Bobbie Hauck’s staff.
 
GottaluvGriz said:
Quite honestly, Bobbie Hauck would be a good resource also. He has had several Black assistant coaches in both tenures and his recruiting coordinator has been Justin Green for several years. If the Lady Griz are interested in attracting Black athletes, I would applaud a move in the direction similar to Travis Decuire and Bobbie Hauck’s staff.
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Amen, if you want to recruit star Black girls basketball players, recruit them !!! A Black assistant coach that is a good recruiter would really help the effort as does empathy and understanding !!!
 
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