The best coaches know how to walk the talk.
Head coach of Kentucky women’s basketball Kyra Elzy not only finished her first year as a head coach in 2021, but finished with more wins than any other first-year head coach in the country.
In true leader fashion,she attributes her success to others. And the sound of her success isn’t just the swish of a net, but the shattering of a glass ceiling.
Only 14 percent of head coaches in women’s college basketball are black women, though 42 percent of the players are black women, according to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport’s 2020 racial and gender report card.
But some conferences have worked to diversify head-coaching hires, such as the SEC.
That's a chance many coaches of color say they don't get as much time to achieve success compared to their white counterparts.
And second chances are slim to none, even though most of these women have decades of experience as assistant coaches.
So when one black woman wins, it’s a win for the whole community.
