Stanford University head coach David Shaw is one of several minority coaches in college football. (Photo: Christian Petersen/GettyImages)

There is real progress being made when it comes to hiring coaches of color in Division I football, according to the annual Hiring Report Card put out annually by the Black Coaches and Administrators.

This past offseason saw 10 minority coaches hired out of 29 openings at the Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision levels, bringing the total number of minority coaches in Division I to a record 28. The FBS, the highest level of college football, now has 19 minority coaches, compared with just five in 2007.

“When you see opportunities present themselves and coaches being placed, that’s encouraging,” BCA executive director Floyd Keith said Tuesday after the Report Card was released. “I think when schools are more open and more inclusive in their searches, the more the numbers will increase.”

To gain a successful grade in the hiring process does not mean a school has to hire a Black or minority coach, but institutions must include minorities in the search process and bring in a diverse pool of candidates. In the FBS, 14 of 21 schools earned an A, according to the Associated Press report.

Minnesota, UConn, Stanford, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Indiana, Vanderbilt and Miami all earned an A grade for their hiring process. San Diego State, which promoted defensive coordinator Rocky Long when Brady Hoke left, was the only FBS school to receive an F.

The progress minority coaches have made at the highest level of college football have been beyond impressive. Five of the six BCS conferences have at least one Black coach. The Big Ten is the only conference without a Black head coach. Consider that just two years ago four of the BCS conference teams did not have one Black head coach.

"It is refreshing to have an opportunity to acknowledge success," Keith said. "I believe it is one of the most shining examples of positive change on the landscape of intercollegiate sport in recent times as it pertains to diversity and inclusion efforts."

Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris