WCC creates 'Russell Rule' to encourage hiring of minorities

The West Coast Conference has created an initiative to create more opportunities for minorities in college basketball.

The WCC is implementing the "Russell Rule," which is named after Boston Celtics legend and University of San Francisco alum Bill Russell. The initiative will ensure minority candidates are included as finalists for athletics job openings, the conference said in a statement. 

Schools filling an opening for an athletic director, head coach, full-time assistant or senior administrator role must now consider a candidate from an "unrepresented" community.

"It is my hope the West Coast Conference initiative will encourage other leagues and schools to make similar commitments," Russell said in the statement. "We need to be intentional if we're going to make real change for people of color in leadership positions in college athletics. I'm proud to assist the WCC and commissioner Gloria Nevarez by endorsing this most important initiative."

The WCC is the first Division 1 conference to implement a conference-wide diversity hiring initiative.

Russell spent 13 seasons with the Celtics after playing college basketball at the University of San Francisco, which is part of the WCC.