And then there were two.

What is most alarming about NCAA Division I-A schools currently having only two African-American head coaches in their ranks is the possibility that, if events break a certain way and a subtle form of racism masquerades itself as impatience, in a year or two there might not be any.

No black head coaches in major college football. Think about it.

There are approximately 10,000 scholarship players in Division I-A. About 50 percent are African-American.

Yet none would be led by an African-American.

That wouldn’t be a statistical anomaly. That would be a disgrace.

At the start of the 2004 season, there were five black head coaches in the Division 1-A ranks: Tyrone Willingham at Notre Dame, Karl Dorrell at UCLA, Sylvester Croom at Mississippi State, Fitz Hill at San Jose State and Tony Samuel at New Mexico State.

Hill resigned after his fourth straight losing season. Samuel’s contract was not renewed after eight seasons. And I think everyone knows by now that Willingham was fired by Notre Dame after three seasons, even though white predecessors Bob Davie and Gerry Faust were allowed to stay for five.

That leaves just Dorrell, in his second year in Westwood, and Croom, who just finished up his first at MSU.

Dorrell’s job seemingly has been in jeopardy ever since he was first introduced as UCLA’s head coach in December, 2002. The alumni grumbled about the school hiring someone who had no head-coaching experience. Dorrell went 6-7 in 2003, and followed that up with a 6-4 season thus far entering Saturday’s showdown with top-ranked USC.

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Oddly enough, Dorrell’s Bruins could face Notre Dame in the Insight Bowl. That would have been a vivid example of the “progress” being made in the hiring of black head coaches — before Willingham got fired, that is.

Now Dorrell is on the hot seat. One losing season, followed by one mediocre one. If his Bruins are whipped by the Trojans, which seems likely, and then Dorrell follows up with a disappointing 2005 season, the wolves will howl for his head.

Who knows? He made progress this year, he could make more next season. Dorrell’s Bruins could contend for the Pac-10 title a year from now.

Or he could be gone. Three and out.

That would leave Croom.

In his debut season of 2004, Croom’s Bulldogs finished 3-8 overall, 2-6 in conference. That’s a mulligan for anybody. A first-year coach is busy assembling a staff, implementing his system, familiarizing himself with his environment and his opponents, and trying to build a recruiting base. Besides, Mississippi State’s upset of Florida provided him with some coaching capital.

But what happens next year if he struggles again? The SEC is a strong conference. Florida figures to be better with whichever marquee name replaces Ron Zook. South Carolina might improve under Steve Spurrier. Auburn? LSU? Alabama? Likely they’ll all be as good or better than they were in 2004.

Croom could turn out to be a fantastically successful coach, but the odds are against him in terms of recruiting. In the South, Mississippi State traditionally gets the table scraps left from the other powers. Besides the conference rivals, MSU competes for kids against the Texas and Oklahoma schools as well.

If Croom doesn’t turn around Mississippi State in three years, he might be in trouble, too. If Willingham can get fired after three — like African-Americans Bobby Williams at Michigan State and John Blake at Oklahoma before him — so can Croom, so can Dorrell. Yes, I know Notre Dame is uniquely demanding, but the Irish don’t have a monopoly on insatiable alumni. In this climate of big money bowls, there is pressure and irrational impatience everywhere.

Then there would be none.

College football knows about embarrassing situations. After all, it hooked up with the BCS people. That’s the mother of all embarrassments.

Robert Laberge / Getty Images file After the firing of Tyrone Willingham, UCLA's Karl Dorrell is one of only two black head coaches in Div. 1-A college football.

But I don’t think the NCAA brass has seen anything until the football head-coaching fraternity of its 117 Division I-A schools goes lily white.

Now, aside from the distinct possibilities that Dorrell and Croom could steadily improve their programs and keep their jobs for the next 20 years or so, there could also be some more positive developments between now and the time the NCAA hits that objectionable ground zero in the hiring of blacks.

More black athletic directors could be hired, as well as school administrators, leading eventually to more black assistant coaches and more black head coaches, resulting in a more equal playing field. Also, after Notre Dame established itself as a bastion of unfairness by not giving Willingham a chance to finish the job he began, maybe other schools now will feel an obligation to give ALL coaches time to establish themselves.

Willingham should be fine. He is already rumored to be on the short list at Washington. And he could also go back to Stanford. He’s an excellent coach and those programs would be lucky to have him. Yet there is no guarantee.

Even if he does jump right back into a college job, is that the best the 117 Division I-A schools can do? Willingham gets fired, then is talked up for other jobs? Is that it? Is that all you’ve got, NCAA?

In 2002, the Black Coaches Association, working in conjuction with the NCAA, created a Hiring Report Card, as well as other programs, to increase the number of minority hires among the coaching ranks in football. The BCA wanted 20 percent of all new coaches to be minority hires.

In 1997, there were eight black head football coaches in Division I-A. At the start of the 2004 season, there were five. Now there are two.

If this keeps up, there won’t be any.

The NCAA had better lobby hard for Willingham to get another head-coaching job right away. It wouldn’t want to ruin its image.

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