I say the following both in sadness and anger but I feel I have no recourse. UofL was the first college in the state of Kentucky to offer black student scholarships but last to have a black basketball head coach or even interview one. The university must do a better job of mentoring the student athletes and help them to be successful on and off the basketball court. Without relatable guidance from a person who looks like you and has traveled this road this imperative can be lost. Many times this is the false narrative when the real goal should be getting an education. Not every black kid playing a sport has the promise or should have the promise of going professional. I saw first generation black kids attend college and witnessed the type of guidance that’s necessary. I speak from the experience I have had as that role mode, at two HBCU schools. Respect comes from the top the head coach. Players need and want head coaches to confide in on real life issues on and off the court. You may think assistant coaches in these sports are sufficient, they are not. No black role models exist for the student athletes playing mens basketball or football. The university has been remiss and negligent in its hiring practices within the athletic department. Which leads me to the reason for writing to you. It’s unfortunate that never came to fruition. In addition, prior coaches such as Coach Drumo talked about the university helping players further their careers in and out of the university. These are simply the facts, yet the university refuses to recognize someone like Wes Unseld who’s shoulders every player stands on today. Without Wes Unseld or Butch Beard there would never have been a Denny Crum era of basketball. There were fifteen black athletes on scholarships during my time at the university. In the 1960’s UofL coaches were recruiting based on the premise that the University of Kentucky was a racist institution and UofL was a promise of a more progressive university. Today’s black student athletes have no idea who blazed the trail for them.
I find it hard to believe that the university hasn’t deemed it important to honor Wes Unseld. To be direct, it was home grown black Kentuckians that changed the history of the basketball program. However, the basketball program didn’t achieve national recognition until Wes Unseld walked onto the campus in 1964 followed by myself in 1965. These men helped to integrate the basketball in the 1960’s. I am still connected to several former alumni Wade Houston, Eddie Whitehead and Dave Gilbert.
The reason I humbly share this list of accomplishments is to give you an understanding of my credentials in the world of basketball, both at the college and professional level, and the many years I’ve devoted to a sport I love and have dedicated the lion share of my adult life.įor me, it all began at UofL.
Please indulge me as I share a few of my career highlights. As you are aware, this will be an ongoing effort into the unforeseeable future to rectify the ills of the past. I know you came to the university during challenging times and more specifically the athletic department. To begin, I would like to congratulate you in being named president in April 2018. I am a former alumni and All American basketball player at the university during 1965-1969. "Wes Unseld or Johnny Unitas? It's not even about Butch Beard."īelow is the letter from Beard to Bendapudi in its entirety:Īllow me to introduce myself my name is Butch Beard. "Who do you think did more for the University of Louisville when they played at the University of Louisville?" Beard told WDRB. In an interview with WDRB, he said that he wants "my pictures and everything taken down", and that he was unsure why former Louisville quarterback Johnny Unitas has a statue in his honor, but not Unseld. 14 jersey is honored on a banner at the KFC Yum! Center, Louisville's home arena. Miami Transfer WR Dee Wiggins Commits to Louisville Footballįollowing his playing career, he has head coaching stops at HBCUs Howard & Morgan State, as well as the NBA's New Jersey Nets. He was inducted into the Louisville Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 as well as the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988.īeard's name appears 35 times in the 2020-21 men's basketball media guide, and his No.