If you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past two days, I have some breaking news for you: Lovie Smith is officially the new head football coach of the Fighting Illini.

The same Lovie Smith who led the Chicago Bears to their only Super Bowl appearance of the last 30 years. While this appears to be a great hire for the football program, I wanted to discuss something outside the realm of sports: Lovie Smith’s hiring has brought diversity at the University to the forefront.

Up until Monday, the University had never had an African-American head coach in either football or men’s basketball. That’s correct, in the combined 237 years of Illinois football and men’s basketball, no team has been coached by a person of color.

There were 41 coaches hired for the two programs before an African-American took the reins. For the average person, this seems more perplexing than vicious. However, the recent hire of Smith is a much bigger deal at second glance.

For those of us that attend this university, we know this school as very diverse. 22.3 percent of our student population is international, while approximately 30 percent of students identify as Asian, African-American or Hispanic. We see this every day out on the Quad or walking down Green Street. But not everyone sees that; to outsiders, all of our school’s prominent faces have been white.

While the majority of this campus would recognize our chancellors and presidents of past and present, to the average outsider they see two main faces for this university: our head football and men’s basketball coaches. The two men, as the University has yet to hire a female coach for either position, who hold these titles are the faces of the University for better or worse.

So what does it say that in its entire history, the University has had only white men holding these two roles? It sends a very different message than what we see here everyday on campus. It shows that, while this university is willing to accept those of all different backgrounds, it hasn’t been represented by those same people.

But that has all changed now with this exciting hiring. Football and X’s and O’s aside, this decision makes waves for our campus. We finally have a head football coach who illustrates our diversity to the outside world. A coach who exemplifies the values the University holds near and dear.

And while Smith illustrates the University’s diversity, he also exemplifies what it means to be an Illini in several ways. Smith is also a sincere, good-hearted and trustworthy guy by all accounts. There’s a reason few players have ever said a bad word about him, and why his players miss him when he’s gone.

On top of illustrating what is special about this university, Smith also gives a voice to minorities on campus. I’m not suggesting he will become a political figurehead by any means, but it does not hurt to have a voice that can be heard on your side.

Smith, the first African-American coach for Chicago Bears as well, understands the gravity of the situation, stating, “I want to lead my team to championships. I realize who I am and what people see. Hopefully, that will inspire more young men to dream big.”

“For me, to be the first in any role is pretty special, especially at a university like ours. I’m going to be the best I can be for other African-American coaches to follow me,” Smith concluded.

Last week, I touched on a similar subject in my column about Bernie Sanders running from his Judaism and missing an opportunity to give his support for a group of people that need it.

With Smith now at Illinois, our administration is finally showing the rest of the country what we already know: this university is as diverse and unique as it gets.

Jason is a senior in LAS.

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