The killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in police custody Monday and the handling of that by local officials (Derek Chauvin, the police officer, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, was only charged with third-degree murder Friday) has led to outrage from everyone from police chiefs to athletes to entertainers to sports media figures, and there are now growing numbers of college football coaches speaking out about it. Here are a few of the notable ones, starting with a thread from Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason (pictured above):
If anything is truly going to change, then we all must stand together peacefully to make sure that we stop trying to say who is at fault and find a way to get it right.
The cost of getting it wrong has become increasingly too expensive.
— Derek Mason (@CoachDerekMason) May 30, 2020
And there are plenty of other coaches also offering their thoughts here. Miami’s Manny Diaz referenced a conversation with Coral Gables police chief Ed Hudak, and said he stood with Hudak in condemning Floyd’s death:
Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, whose team has been in the news thanks to the university’s decision to “limit ties” with the Minneapolis police department (including no longer contracting them for football games), also offered a statement here:
As did Texas head coach Tom Herman:
Penn State head coach James Franklin offered thoughts on the wider situation, including the deaths of Ahmaud Aubery (shot by white civilians in February) and Breonna Taylor (shot by Louisville police earlier this month):
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh appeared on The Rich Eisen Show, and said “I’m really very upset about the George Floyd death. That’s got me preoccupied today. Horrendous. I’m just watching right now and looking forward to there being an investigation and waiting for charges. That’s completely outrageous.”
Indiana head coach Tom Allen offered support for Floyd’s family:
Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker offered a long statement:
https://twitter.com/Coach_mtucker/status/1266533637324849153
Washington head coach Jimmy Lake also called for change:
https://twitter.com/CoachLakeUDUB/status/1266803325816565760
Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald called for everyone to speak out:
And Maryland’s Mike Locksley said this should never be normalized:
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops spoke out about injustice:
Those are just a few of the many coaches’ comments out there about this. More can be seen in this collection by Zach Barnett at FootballScoop.