In the world of Black achievement, it is polarization when the culture celebrates another first-time accomplishment by a Black person. The bitter and the sweet stem from how long it takes to break glass ceilings based on the politics of business and society and the lack of ubiquity for Black professionals in too many areas.
Enter Wilfried Nancy, the newly minted first Black Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup-winning coach. On Saturday, Nancy’s Columbus Crew defeated Los Angeles FC 2-1 to capture the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy. However, he took the time to lament his status as the first black coach to win the honor. Additionally, he is the only Black coach to lead an MLS club, which evoked a moment of reflection.
“Obviously I’m happy,” Nancy said at the postgame press conference. “I’m so proud of that. Because there is a lot of work behind that. There is a lot of courage also behind that. But I’m not happy at the same time. Because this is not normal. Simple as that. So I’m proud to represent, yes, to be the only Black. But I’m not happy with that. So this is something that has to change. I know that MLS tries to do that, but this is not only in MLS.”
First Black And Only Black
Nancy joined the Columbus team a year ago in Montreal and won his first major title at the end of his first campaign. The 46-year-old is a former French lower-division player who is one of a handful of Black coaches who have coached in the MLS.
While there have been several Black coaches in recent years in MLS, including his famous peers Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, Nancy’s achievement shines a light on a deficit in the MLS coaching ranks and beyond.
“This is everywhere,” he said.
In February, MLS officially launched its MLS ADVANCE initiative. The invitation-only program is focused on identifying and developing underrepresented candidates for various sporting roles within the league and across the MLS ecosystem, including its development league and academy. Candidates participating in the program will have unique opportunities to meet with team officials and front office executives, mentorship, and access to skill-building resources.
New Rules And Winning Ways
Revamped in December 2021, the MLS Diversity Hiring Policy emphasized accountability and inclusion in hiring Black coaching and front-office candidates in the league. The new “MLS Advance” program acts as the talent pool, providing teams with overlooked candidates who are ready for their opportunity.
Now with the win, Nancy understands the pressure to repeat and maintain his winning ways.
“The way I see things in my life is, we want to compete all the time. So I’m going to compete next year,” Nancy said. “I don’t know if we’re going to win or not. But what I know is, with my staff, we’re going to try to put everything to help the player to be better. And after that, we’ll see if we’re going to be able to win or not.”