I hated losing Holliday as our only black, non LDS coach. Some people have told me they didn’t think that was such a big deal. I just saw Harmon’s article from Saturday and loved reading what Coach Lamb said about Jernaro Gilford, and what Jernaro said about himself:
Lamb on Gilford’s ability to recruit:
“When BYU has been really, really good, it’s been with very good defensive backs, in particular corners who may not be from the state of Utah nor of the LDS background. This state does not produce a lot of top flight corners.
“Jernaro came here from Inglewood, California and not only succeeded at a high level, but thrived academically and went on to get a Master’s Degree in Education at Whittier College. He thrived as one of the best corners to ever play at BYU. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from BYU in 2004. In no way has he ever lost his identity. He still walks and talks like a guy you’d expect from Inglewood. Yet, BYU has been an important part of his life.” He added that Gilford has strong (recruiting) contacts "throughout the inner city of Los Angeles, from Inglewood to Carson from Hawthorne to Westchester and from South Central to Orange County.
Gilford on Gilford:
"Being non-LDS and African American, I can relate to other guys and this is something I am looking forward to in months to come.”
I appreciate Bronco’s hiring Holliday, and I thought Holliday was great, but in the end he was just “passing through” (9 jobs in 23 years). My hope is that Gilford, as a BYU alum who loves BYU, will stick around longer and help BYU elevate its recruiting status. Better players=better teams.