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Dan Kaigler is in his second season as an assistant men’s basketball coach at University of Rochester. He spent four years at NCAA Division II LeMoyne College, three as a student-athlete after transferring, and one as an assistant coach. Kaigler earned Northeast-10 Honor Roll academic recognition four times.

The UAA “Conversations About Race and Racism” series seeks to lift the voices of people of color and recognize the challenges faced in both athletics and academics at the collegiate level. By sharing personal stories, we hope to elevate the conversation about race to raise awareness and bring about change.

Wide Range of Schools

“I started at a city school, attending a predominantly Black elementary school, and then I went to predominantly white private schools. The experiences were completely different. Seeing the differences in the upbringing of African-Americans in the city versus suburban white people shaped a lot of my thinking,” Kaigler described.

He started his collegiate career at NCAA Division II Gannon University in Erie, Pa. before transferring to LeMoyne in his hometown of Syracuse, NY. “I was very fortunate to play on two very diverse teams. Gannon had African-American and white players, but we also had a lot of foreign players from places like Denmark, Sweden, Senegal, and the Bahamas,” he recalled. “I got to see all different walks of life and experience other cultures, which created more diverse thinking for me.”

Although LeMoyne didn’t have as many foreign players, there was still a great deal of diversity. “We did have guys from Canada and Germany, but the rest of the team was from all over the U.S. There were guys from the middle class and lower class as well as some who came from money,” he recounted. “Being around people with different backgrounds helped me understand what others go through. I don’t know exactly what others go through, but I became much more aware.”

Common Misconceptions

Joking that he wished he knew a little more about what people are thinking, Kaigler says one thing in particular about him catches people’s attention. “I hear a lot about the way I speak. I am shocked to find some white people who have never truly interacted with an African-American. I have met people for whom I was their first. They are often surprised I can put together proper sentences and pronounce words the way I do,” he narrated. “By not putting themselves in the position to interact with Black people, they expect us to speak in heavy slang.”

He has heard two similar statements multiple times. “Phrases get tossed around like ‘You act white’ or ‘You don’t act Black’ and that is very discouraging. Are we supposed to revert to the stereotype?” he pondered. ‘What does it mean that I don’t act Black? Should I speak as though I am not educated?’ We have to normalize education and speaking well. I can speak any way that I want to.”

Kaigler believes stereotypes can have a profoundly negative effect on one’s own psyche. “When you hear stereotypes, you may begin to think the way others see you instead of the person you have actually made yourself to be. These subtle jabs at people take a toll,” he described. “Once you group someone into a category, you get an idea in your head about them that is very hard to change. Even attributing a positive stereotype to a group of people can cause there to be an unrealized expectation you have about that individual. We need to be more accepting of people for how they have shaped their life rather than consistently feeding into a preconceived belief.”

Coaching at a Predominantly White Institution

“I haven’t faced a lot of challenges at a PWI. Gannon and LeMoyne were diverse and very accepting institutions. Had I not had that background, it could be difficult to look around any department or school and not see a lot of people who look like me. However, I have gotten comfortable being uncomfortable,” Kaigler remarked. “That is an important skill to have in coaching and in life, to be thrown into a situation, believing you can succeed and thrive in it.”

He finds it important regardless of the team’s makeup to have conversations about race. “Head coaches should address the issues of social and racial injustice on a regular basis, especially if they don’t have a diverse roster. It is even more important if you don’t have coaches and players of color because they don’t have the others around them describing what is like to be a person of color,” he noted. “(Head) Coach Flockerzi has done a great job with his roster and having these important conversations.”

“Most coaching staffs are all white, which is surprising in basketball and football, where so many players are Black, but don’t end up becoming coaches,” he stated. “Having diversity is huge. Our school has done a great job with diversity among students from countries all over the world. It is critical to focus on diversifying staffs across campuses.”

Police Interactions

When police brutality was dominating the headlines, the team had a Zoom meeting that Kaigler found to be very positive. “We brought in African-American alums to speak with us. One was (longtime former Rochester assistant men’s basketball coach and Hall of Fame inductee) Adrian Smalls, who was a police officer for many years and teaches criminal justice. He shared a really good perspective,” he recalled. “For our Black players, it was good to hear from a police officer. For our white players, he shared the African-American experience.”

“Many Black individuals go their entire lives without one positive experience with a police officer. That is really challenging. These are people who are supposed to make you feel safe, but it is hard when your only interactions are negative. We are expected to trust them, but experience has led Black people to fear, rather than trust, police,” he explained. “My brother just told me a few weeks ago he had his first positive experience ever with a police officer and he is 26 years old. Having some positive interactions could make a big difference.”

Kaigler finds he alters his behavior based on fear of the police. “Whenever I see a cop, I go in the other direction. I haven’t done anything wrong, but being African-American, I am always looking in my rearview mirror when I drive or looking straight ahead when I am walking down the street hoping to not be stopped,” he disclosed. “The sad reality is that a Black person needs to raise themselves to a higher standard in everyday activity. My father taught me how to act in front of a police officer. It is scary, but hopefully there will be more police officers who are in the business for the right reason, not to just take care of people who look like them.”

Advice for Other Black People Who Want to Coach

“One of the most important things in coaching is knowing your audience and how to speak to different groups. The way I talk to close friends in high school is much different than the way I communicate with my boss or players. Know who you are talking to and how to best communicate with them,” Kaigler recommended. “It is not always about what you say, but how you say it, and it’s not always how you say it, but when you say it. You have to be able to switch up tone and diction. You can’t say things in front of a large audience that you say in private with a close friend because it may be taken in a different way than you intended. Know that someone is always listening. Be prepared to phrase things so that you can say them to anyone.”

He cites a critical trait that works not only in coaching, but in any context. “Listening is the key. People seem to have lost that skill. The best way to know how to address any audience is by listening and reading the room,” he remarked. “Understand that the loudest person in the room is often gaining the least amount of knowledge.”

Standing 6’-6”, Kaigler acknowledges that his physical size also affects the way people see him. “People naturally associate height with authority. Even in the movies, someone at the top of the stairs is seen as having authority over the person below them,” he explained. “When I walk into a room at my height, all eyes are on me. I tend to stand above everyone else. I have to keep in mind that eyes and ears are always on me.”

Role of Allies

“Don’t be afraid to speak out about what you believe in. It will come in all different shapes and sizes,” he related. “When you are white and in a 1-on-1 conversation with another white person who says something wrong and/or hateful, step up and say something. Otherwise, the person who said it will think it is okay to say to others and it will become normalized.”

Speaking up also requires learning. “When I say, ‘Don’t be ignorant,’ I mean it in its literal sense of someone lacking knowledge. Take the time to learn about others and try to understand, as much as possible, why the person is who they are today,” he expressed. “It may be uncomfortable to say things in large group settings, but to be part of changing things, you need to get comfortable speaking up.”

“Systemic racism and racial injustices are not going to end overnight, but we can consistently make gradual change. Focus on young leaders who are getting others thinking the right way. Racial justice is basically about right and wrong,” he articulated. “We have come a long way in the past 100 years, but we have a long way still to go. We may never see racism eradicated in our lifetimes, but I have hope we can see a change for my nieces and nephews, and my future kids I would like to have someday.”

Role of Team and Teammates

“A team is a place to understand and accept others. We have to understand that a white person may live in a predominantly white neighborhood and have attended all white schools. They may just stay around people who look like them if not for sports,” he described. “You spend a ton of time with your teammates. For people to become friends, there has to be that one thing in common that connects them. In this case, it is the sport. Teams give you the opportunity to gain knowledge and educate yourself about others. Start learning and ask questions of people you may not have met otherwise.”

Kaigler knows that this may feel uncomfortable at first. “The nature of a team pushes your boundaries and takes you out of your comfort zone. The more accepting you become of your teammates, the more natural it becomes. That is the cause and effect,” he communicated. “Athletes have a voice, but often don’t realize how much of a voice they have. They may think ‘I’ll just leave it up to the pro athletes to speak out.’ When our athletes speak, people will listen. We should encourage them to speak up and talk about what they are passionate about.”

He is encouraged by the activism of student-athletes of color at Rochester. “Starting BLAC (Black Letterwinning Athlete Coalition) is a huge step forward. It helps give others a different perspective, seeing people of color doing these positive things,” he said.