YEAR: 1974 & 1989
SIGNIFICANCE: The first African-American Manager and Head Coach in MLB and NFL history were hired
A two-time MVP, 14-time All-Star, Gold Glove (1958) and Triple Crown winner (1966), Frank Robinson was without a doubt one of the greatest all-around players of his generation. Batting .300 in nine seasons and hitting 30 home runs in eleven, Robinson ranked in the top-ten in career HRs (4th), total bases (6th), extra-base hits (6th) and games played (8th) when he fully retired from playing in 1976. In the later years of his career, Robinson began honing his managerial skills by coaching in the winter leagues during the offseason, and on this day in 1974, he became the very first black manager in MLB history as Cleveland named him player-manager.
In an effort to replace longtime figurehead Tom Flores, the first Hispanic QB in pro football and first minority HC to win a Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Raiders hired a young Mike Shanahan in 1988. The very first outside hire in the team’s history, Shanahan clashed with players, assistant coaches, and owner Al Davis almost immediately on a number of issues. After a subpar 7-9 season, tensions between the staff’s opposing factions escalated, which resulted in several firings and re-hirings of assistants. The team began the 1989 season just 1-3, so Davis took the opportunity to finally replace Shanahan with one of his favorite assistants and former players: Art Shell. Named interim HC on this day and shedding the label after the season, Shell became the very first black HC in NFL history.