Dennis Gates reflects on progress made by Black head coaches in college basketball

Black college basketball coaches have made plenty of in roads and progress over the course of Dennis Gates‘ life. And sitting in the seat of a high-major head coach as a Black man himself, Gates is appreciative of those who helped pave a way for him.

And he’s equally intent on trying to keep the progress going. And he knows he plays a role in that, something Gates offered extended remarks about at SEC basketball media day.

“Young coaches need opportunities,” Gates said. “Not just coaches that look like me. There’s other races, other backgrounds as well that may not get opportunities. But I can tell you this: That doesn’t stop them from living their journeys or coaching, because they coach with passion. I just wish they had opportunities and the lens was a little bit wider. Give them the same shot that I’ve gotten as an assistant under Leonard Hamilton, head coach at Cleveland State University and now here at Missouri. So, I’m thankful for my path. My door is always open to these same coaches to share what was shared to me by those coaches that came before me. So, if you’re out there listening, you’re a young coach and you’re looking for an opportunity, give me a call. I will try my best to have a conversation, I’ll try my best to give you time.”

Gates also recounted a number of mentors or figures he learned from.

From John McLendon being the first Black man to coach at a predominantly white school — Cleveland State — to getting mentorship from George Raveling, Gates shared how he’s gotten to steep in the history and progress that Black coaches have made.

“I stand on the shoulders of great people,” Gates said. “I chose to go from Florida State to Cleveland State because John McLendon was the first black coach in college basketball, got an opportunity at Cleveland State University. I heard those stories from Leonard Hamilton who I chose to work for by way of just people, networking and obviously one of my mentors was George Raveling, as well. Stood on the stage, stood on the podium during Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. There are several qualified, over-qualified assistant coaches who can’t get an opportunity. And I say that with respect, over-qualified. If they’re able to recruit high-level players, if they’re able to be assistants who are on the sides, left or right, and their coaches are Hall of Famers, they deserve a chance, deserve and opportunity.”

But perhaps no one has done more for Gates, he said, than Hamilton. The current Florida State coach hired Gates as an assistant, helping to jump start his career.

And Gates recalled how he soaked up the knowledge from Hamilton.

“I’m just thankful that Leonard Hamilton put his arms around me how he did and put me in position to learn on his watch, learn the hard way, learn through failure,” Gates said. “And he never took those responsibilities from me. He taught me, he allowed his doors to be open, he shared stories. One of the greatest stories he showed me or told me was not when he was Big East Coach of the Year, not when he was associate head coach for Joe B. Hall at Kentucky. But when he was at Miami and he went 0-17 in conference, that was one of the greatest stories.

“I didn’t know back then why he would share it. All those trophies, all those rings. He would share the story every single month or every two months of how he struggled in certain situations. How he was able to go from Kentucky to Oklahoma State and leave Eddie Sutton and a Sweet 16 team. How he was able to go to Miami and by the time he left, Miami was independent, went into the Big East, he was coach of the year. How he was able to build Florida State, which is one of the reasons I was there with him. So, what we have to reconnect with is the journey. We have to be able to share these stories.”