Sylvester Croom became the first black head football coach in Southeastern Conference history, accepting an offer Monday to take over troubled Mississippi State.
"We went after the best football coach, and we're confident we found that individual in Sylvester Croom," Athletic Director Larry Templeton said.
Croom informed Templeton he would take the job less than 24 hours after Templeton said he had offered it. A news conference will be held today in Starkville, Miss., to introduce him.
Croom, 49, has never been a head coach, but has been an NFL assistant with five teams since 1987 and worked for Bear Bryant and Ray Perkins at Alabama from 1977 to '86.
The SEC's hiring history came under increased scrutiny this year when Croom was passed over for the top job at his alma mater, Alabama, in favor of Mike Shula, another alumnus, who is white.
Every other bowl championship series conference has had at least one black head coach, but a lack of diversity among major college football head coaches is not exclusive to the SEC.
There were four black head coaches among 117 Division I-A football schools this season: Karl Dorrell of UCLA, Fitz Hill of San Jose State, Tony Samuel of New Mexico State and Tyrone Willingham of Notre Dame.
Alabama was criticized by some, including civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, for not hiring Croom, who had more experience than Shula.
"The issue of opportunities for minority coaches to become head football coaches is an issue for everybody, all the conferences in the country," SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. "The fact that the SEC has now provided that opportunity makes it an historic day for the conference and for Mississippi State."
Jackson said Croom's hiring is a positive step for the SEC, but the league still is lagging in minority hirings at high-profile positions such as athletic director and university president.
"So while this is a breakthrough, we're really way behind our potential," Jackson said. "But I think Mississippi State, its president and its athletic director deserve congratulations and I extend that to them."
Messages left at Croom's home and office were not immediately returned.
Templeton said he hoped Croom, who has coached running backs at Green Bay since 2001, would be cleared by the Packers to assume his new position immediately. He replaces retiring coach Jackie Sherrill, whose teams went 8-27 the last three seasons, 2-10 this season.
