Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Over the past 50 years, we have seen sports evolve from merely entertainment to big business, one featuring an amalgamation of races, backgrounds, and perspectives. Through the ever-changing landscape, we learn about ourselves as sports feature poignant moments that often reflect our society.

Today, the major American sports are increasingly influenced by the presence of minorities, with figures like Lebron James, Colin Kaepernick, and Blake Griffin being idolized by the next generation with hopes and dreams of the pro athlete life. Where once black bodies were regarded as a means to an end, a way for teams to have a leg up on the predominantly white competition, they are now heroes, loved–and in some cases, hated–for their skill and presence in the game.

In fact, in the NBA, African-Americans make up 80-percent of the playing field, while in the NFL it is 70-percent. As a whole, black people make up only about 10-percent of America’s total population, meaning that blacks are over-represented seven and eight times, respectively, in sports.

On the coaching front however, some things have yet to progress as quickly.

One of the knocks against professional sports in America is that there are not an adequate amount of minorities in leadership position, something the NFL and NBA have been trying to rectify for decades. On the NCAA front things are better, but coaching and front office jobs are still largely dominated by white men.

During Black History Month, we often focus on the successes and contributions that black athletes have made on the game, but what is often overlooked is that same implication on the coaching realm. Coaches like Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin and Stanford’s David Shaw in NCAA athletics, and others still like Mike Tomlin, Lovie Smith, and Tony Dungy in the NFL have made landmark achievements for blacks seeking leadership roles, and their efforts will not go unnoticed.

But how did they get there? What is the road paved for black coaches in athletics, and how is it still changing to this day?

To get some insight into tje journey of African American coaches, Reign of Troy sat down with Tee Martin, the wide receivers coach at USC. From his journey as a collegiate quarterback to a collegiate coach, Tee has seen the role of the black coach evolve firsthand.

During his tenure as a player at Tennessee in the late 90s, there were hardly any black coaches on staff, let alone in NCAA athletics, but things were beginning to change.

“It was starting to turn where more African-American coaches were getting into it,” said Martin. “At my time, you had your older, more established coaches who had their positions for a long time.”

“And at the time, there were two younger African-American coaches, and it was a big part of my decision to [Tennessee] because I felt comfortable with them,” said Martin. “I felt like I could relate, and I still have a relationship with them to this day.”

Feb 19, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans former players Pam McGee (left) and Paula McGee pose during halftime ceremony to retire their numbers at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Today, Reign of Troy is going to pay homage to TWO Trojans for Black History Month, because it’s not every day that one gets to acknowledge a set of twins that left a lasting impression on a university. I’m talking about none other than Paula and Pamela McGee, the third (and fourth) elements of the All-Star team that was USC in the mid-80s.

Paula and Pam McGee grew up in Flint, Michigan, where they got their start in lady hoops. Like their teammates Cynthia Cooper and Cheryl Miller, they dominated other players of their age and there was no question that they would play ball at the collegiate level. At six-feet, four inches tall, the two of them were an imposing duo in the post. When it came time to pick a school to attend for college, they both chose USC, which gave the Trojans an incredible advantage over other teams.

And based on our tributes of their teammates, this cannot be disputed.

The McGee twins were a part of the back to back championship run that the Women of Troy went on in 1983 and 1984, and both were All-Americans. Pam McGee developed a reputation as a beast of a rebounder, averaging 8.6 rebounds per game during all four years of her career. Paula too made an incredible impact on this squad, putting up an average of 20 points and almost 10 rebounds (9.2) per game in her freshman year. To this day, her 683 points and 289 field goals stand as freshman records.

They both set a number of other school records that are well-documented throughout USC’s basketball arena, the Galen Center: Pam McGee grabbed 1,255 total boards throughout her career (second all-time), and put up 2,214 points (sixth all-time). She went on to compete on the 1984 U.S. Women’s Basketball team, returning home with a gold medal. At the end of the 1980-81 season, she made the WCAA All-Conference Second team; in 1983-1984 she was named a Kodak and ABA-USA All-American, and she was a three-time WCAA First Team All-Conference member. Paula scored 2,436 points over her career (fourth all-time), put up 993 field goals (second all-time) and blocked 190 shots (third all-time) over the course of four years. She too received all kinds of accolades: she was named a WBCA All-American in the 1981-82 season; a Kodak All-American in the 1982-83 season; she made the 1983-84 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team; and like her sister, Paula was named to the WCAA First Team, but she received the honor all four years.

With both of them having such dominant collegiate careers, one would think that they both would pursue careers in the WNBA. However, the similarities between the McGee twins stopped when their college hoops days were over.

Paula hung up her sneaks and became an ordained minister, pursuing her “life’s calling” to preach. She is now known as Reverend Paula McGee, and is currently pursuing a Ph. D in Women’s Studies in Religion at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA. She is also penning a book called Accepting Your Greatness.