When Horton interviewed with the team, which he wouldn’t identify, in 2013, the franchise’s majority owner didn’t attend, he says. But someone asked a question on the owner’s behalf: Why did Horton, with his passionate sideline demeanor and cornrows, seem “really aggressive” during games?
“Well, how do you want your team to play?” Horton says he replied. Team representatives in the room agreed his answer and overall performance had been pitch-perfect, and Horton recalls one executive saying he hadn’t hit a home run. He had hit a grand slam, and his fire and communication skills were precisely what the team needed.
So imagine Horton’s surprise when, later that day, a friend with the team called Horton to say that a replacement coach, a White man, had been selected. Indeed the general manager later called to inform Horton that the team owner felt more comfortable with the other candidate.“Now, what does ‘felt more comfortable’ mean?” Horton says. “I know what it meant to me.”