Packers Considering Four Black Coaches

The Green Bay Packers are interviewing four black assistant coaches for their head coaching vacancy, but free safety Ken Stills--who is black himself--says it would be a big mistake to hire a black man for the job.

“I wouldn’t want to see a black head coach in Green Bay,” Stills said in an interview with the Capital Times of Madison, Wis. “Not in Wisconsin. That’s not what Wisconsin needs. That’s not what the Packers need. Anywhere else but here.”

Stills said the black coach’s treatment of the black players would be scrutinized too closely and that living in Green Bay is a learning experience for blacks from other states.

“It’s not like in California, where there are 10 million black people,” said Stills, a native of California who played at Wisconsin.

Packer Coach Forrest Gregg resigned this week to become coach at Southern Methodist. Tom Braatz, executive vice president of football operations for the Packers, said he has interviewed one black National Football League assistant coach--believed to be Dennis Green of the San Francisco 49ers--and would talk to Johnny Roland of the Chicago Bears.

As for reports the Raiders are also considering hiring a black coach as Tom Flores’ replacement, Braatz said: “My understanding is the Raiders will be looking outside their organization for a new head coach.”