Hurley confronts social justice issues with players
Hoops coach, other ASU staff members step up
It takes a lot to shake Arizona basketball coach Bobby Hurley to his core. Sure he likes to get on a referee when a foul is called against one of his players, but when it comes to other things, he usually has an even keel.
That has all changed with the racial and social injustices that have created a movement the likes of which have seldom been seen in this country.
Hurley and his family took part in some of the protests in downtown Phoenix after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis.
Hurley, starting his sixth year at the head of the ASU program, says part of his job as one of the most visible employees of the state’s largest universities is to not just be involved in conversations when it comes to such things, but lead them.
So he has had some candid talks with his players, most of whom are Black, as well as those on his coaching staff.
“I don’t know what it’s like to be the guy that goes into a store and is followed around by security or what it’s like to be a Black man in fear when his car is pulled over by a cop. I don’t know because I have not experienced that. I’m trying to put myself in that place and I just can’t imagine,” he told the Arizona Republic in an exclusive interview.
“He (Hurley) is like our honorary Black brother, that’s kind of our standing joke. We know coach has our back. That means a lot to us.”
Caleb Christopher ASU sophomore guard
The coronavirus pandemic has put preparations for the coming season in slow motion. By now Hurley’s players are usually going full throttle in summer skill work but that has been delayed for a couple of weeks.
Instead Hurley has been limited to some sessions with his players on Zoom. It’s tough enough to confront such social issues but having to do so over a conference call rather than in person made it even more challenging.
He addressed the players concerns and asked for open dialogue the first time he met with them on Zoom earlier this month.
“It was one of the toughest that I’ve made as a coach in terms of how I felt in the moment based on what happened to George Floyd and how ashamed I felt that racism exists like this,” Hurley said of that call with his players, on a recent college basketball podcast. “Just such a lack of humanity that was demonstrated in the situation, it really kind of forced me to think more, listen more and to not be OK with just saying that’s disgusting behavior. It’s more my responsibility as a leader to look for racism and to make sure it doesn’t exist in our program.”
Racist encounters
Players appreciate Hurley’s passion and willingness to take a stand with them.
No player has been more front and center on the issue than sophomore guard Caleb Christopher, whose passion is right up there with Hurley’s. He took the recent injustices so personally that he designed a logo that both got his point across and celebrated the Black athletes who play all sports at ASU. That logo will be displayed on T-shirts worn by athletes of all sports as a sign of solidarity.
“He (Hurley) is like our honorary Black brother, that’s kind of our standing joke,” he said. “We know coach has our back. That means a lot to us.”
Christopher says he has been stopped by police twice, the most recent coming last month close to his family’s home in Carson, Calif. He was on his way home and encountered police who had the road blocked while looking for a suspect who was reportedly 5-foot-7 and bald.
Christopher stands 6-1 and has a full head of hair yet was asked to get out of his vehicle, which was then searched. After being cleared, he left the vehicle there and walked the short distance home.
Christopher said he didn’t feel his life was threatened because his parents had talked with him about how to handle that type of situation after the death of Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012.
“I knew what to do and what not to do,” he said. “I heard the description on the radio and I don’t look anything like the guy they were looking for so I don’t think it was right. I don’t think they would have taken me out of the car if I wasn’t a Black man.”
Other ASU athletes have dealt with racist encounters, the most notable incident involving a trio of football players at a fast food restaurant, also last month. The establishment didn’t have dine-in service and the players — Jordan Clark, T Lee and Nolan Mathews — were on foot. They approached the driver of a car to ask if they would order food for them with their money. That led to racial slur being directed at them.
The players talked about the incident on social media and it drew some national response. Among those helping the players through the ordeal was Alonzo Jones, who has been with the school as associate athletic director for inclusion the last four years.
“It was a learning experience and a teachable moment,” Jones said. “We praised them for the way they handled the situation, that they didn’t let it escalate when they were there in the moment. At the same time we had to remind them that walking up to someone’s car wasn’t the best decision for them to make at that moment. They didn’t mean anyone any harm but other people don’t know your intentions, especially in today’s climate.”
Raising awareness
Jones added that the current climate has brought about new awareness of racism and social injustices. Shortly after Floyd’s death and amid the protests 150 or so ASU student-athletes participated in a Zoom call to vent their frustrations, exchange ideas and come up with ideas to unite the community moving forward, with one of the most vocal being track standout Cortney Jones.
Out of that came Sun Devils United, a group of 10 that includes Christopher and Cortney Jones and now meets weekly to continue the dialogue.
Alonzo Jones added that another “pillar” was added to the athletic department’s foundation, that one being “social impact” which will be integrated with the others: Championship
Championship Life and
Asset Innovation.
In addition, a group of 22 coaches and administrators have formed a group dubbed “WE 22” which is promoting change and racial justice both on campus and in the community. The mission is also to help student-athletes deal with and discuss injustices they encounter.
Among the group is defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce who announced the group’s mission in a social media post. It read:
“We are black men who have the responsibility of serving student-athletes at Arizona State University, a power 5 conference institution. The largest in the country, were are also fathers, sons and husbands who are angered and frustrated with the repeated cycle of national disregard for black life. Our department is home to many young black lives who represent our university in their sport, but who are also developing their mind, spirit and identity and promise as coming of age leaders who will influence their future families in an uncertain America. We are concerned. With this as a preamble. WE 22 collectively share our thoughts in the moment.”
Hurley grew up in Jersey City playing for his father Bob Hurley who built a national power house at St. Anthony’s which racked up 28 state and four national titles, one of those coming in 1989 with Hurley as a senior. The school, which closed in 2017, was located in a diverse neighborhood and most of Hurley’s teammates were Black.
That’s why current events have hit him hard. “I was exposed growing up in Jersey City in a very diverse area my whole life, but to hear the stories of racial profiling and different things that our coaching staff and players have had to go through as Black men gave me more awareness. It’s going to make me think about things I can do to impact the Black community in a positive way,” he said.
Hurley has also joined with the other Pac-12 coaches in supporting the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative which will provide minorities practical career experiences and opportunities to build their network. The coaches will act as liaison with the McLendon Foundation and serve as ambassadors and mentors to the future leaders.
Hurley added that he will also be looking into ways to impact both the campus and Arizona communities but isn’t quite sure yet what that will entail.
“It used to be you had talks with your players about the brand and how they want to portray themselves, things like that,” He said. “Now these things (social injustices) have to be part of those discussions as well.”
Performance, Resource and