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MIAMI — You could call them myth-busters.

New Mexico college football leaders look at Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, the first black head coaches to make it to the Super Bowl, as both remarkable coaches and trailblazers.

And - they hope - a harbinger of great things to come.

"Their accomplishments are special because they emphasize that there really are no reasons black coaches can't lead teams to the highest level of success," said McKinley Boston, the New Mexico State athletics director. "One of them is going to win the Super Bowl, which is the ultimate prize in football, and no one will be able to come up with any more excuses why black coaches shouldn't have a chance to lead programs at the college and pro levels."

While Dungy and Smith take center stage this week in Miami, black coaches nationwide still fight an uphill battle for acceptance.

During the 2006 season, only five of the nation's Division I-A college football programs were led by black coaches. They account for 4.2 percent of the coaching jobs, while black players make up 46.1 percent of Division I football players, according to an NCAA study.

The statistics aren't much better higher up the college athletics food chain.

Boston is one of five black athletics directors at Div. I-A schools. Only four of the nation's 119 Div. I-A schools have black presidents.

Black coaches are making slightly quicker progress in the NFL. Black coaches held six of the NFL's 32 head coaching jobs at the end of the 2006-07 regular season.

"The college head coaching numbers are appalling and really discouraging for black coaches like myself hoping to eventually get a head coaching job," said Osia Lewis, the University of New Mexico's defensive coordinator. "I hope people will look at Tony and Lovie and see there isn't a reason a black coach can't lead a college program if they can obviously win the Super Bowl."

When Lewis first entered the coaching ranks in 1989, he said he was only seen as a recruiting advantage.

"Black coaches fought the stigma for a long time that we weren't smart enough to be X's and O's guys," Lewis said. "All they wanted to know when I got started was whether I could recruit. I think anyone can recruit if they have a decent personality and can talk with people."

Lewis hopes the success of Dungy and Smith debunks the myth black coaches lack technical skills and the ability to dominate the game.

Dungy's innovative take on the cover two defense, which he ran as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, has become gospel among NFL and college football coaches.

"Tony and Lovie didn't make it to the Super Bowl by just having good relationships with their players," Lewis said. "They made it this far because they are really great coaches."

Boston said he has succeeded in athletics administration by building a r‚sum‚ no one could question. He thrived as an athlete in the college and pro ranks, earned his doctorate and spent time as a college professor before deciding to go after a leadership role in college athletics.

"They say black coaches and leaders have to be better than the other candidates to get ahead, and I still think that's true today," Boston said. "I didn't run into a lot of trouble getting the jobs I wanted because I didn't give anyone room not to hire me."

He said the final barrier holding back black coaches is the idea they can't handle the business side of coaching.

"Once it becomes a financial problem not to hire black coaches, the whole system will change," Boston said. "I think the biggest obstacle they face is the idea black coaches can't raise money and can't retain boosters' support.

"If two guys can be skilled enough to lead multi-million dollar pro teams to the Super Bowl, surely they're going to break down that myth, too."

Lewis said it is tough to see head coaching jobs snapped up quickly each year and minorities left out in the cold.

"I get real frustrated the only thing people notice is a whole lot of young coaches getting hired," he said. "I'm seeing a bunch of 30 to 35-year old guys getting the chance to run major college programs and NFL teams while black coaches who have been paying their dues for years are overlooked."

Boston took over as athletics director in December of 2004. His first two hires were football coach Hal Mumme and men's basketball coach Reggie Theus.

Mumme, a white coach, took over for Tony Samuel, who is black. Samuel had a 34-57 record from 1997-2004. Theus, who is black, took over after Henson, who is white, retired. Henson compiled a 130-81 record during his second stint at NMSU from 1997-2004.

"So much of hiring coaches comes down to circumstances such as who is available at the time of the opening and who seems like the best fit for the program," Boston said. "I definitely feel a greater responsibility in my job to both make good hires for the university and give minority coaches a chance."

Worse yet, Lewis and Boston argue black coaches are set up for failure by being offered the worst jobs available at the weakest programs.

"You only get a year or two to turn things around with no resources to back you up," Lewis said. "You have to think long and hard about taking those types of jobs, because it's difficult to turn the tide quickly."

Boston agreed.

"I call it the John Thompson rule," he said. "Thompson had to turn Georgetown around really fast or be out of a job. It's the same way with college football coaches, and most of the time there's no way you can get it done with the resources you have behind you."

Lewis said the combination of more black athletics directors like Boston and the undeniable image of black head coaches emanating from Super Bowl XLI are the key to his future success.

"After this Super Bowl, people are going to run out of excuses," Lewis said. "They're going to see a black head coach win a Super Bowl and hopefully realize it's well past time for the world of college sports to change."