The Black Coaches and Administrators organization turned up the heat on colleges today in an effort to increase minority hiring in big-time football programs.

During a news conference, the group introduced an employment lawyer who will be available to provide free advice to job candidates, opening legal routes to fight the dearth of minority candidates chosen as head coaches.

Only four minority candidates were hired as head coaches of college-football programs out of 31 searches in the 2007-8 hiring cycle, the coaches’ group said today in its fifth annual report on hiring in college sports.

“In order for us to resolve this issue, we’re leaving nothing unturned,” said Floyd A. Keith, executive director of the coaches’ group. “I think that we’ve tried, and we’ve tried for five years to bring a transparency to searches. What we’re disappointed with is we’re not in the end zone and we’re not getting enough head coaches hired when we should.”

The NCAA “can and will continue to call for athletic directors” to hire more available minority football coaches, said Charlotte F. Westerhaus, the NCAA’s vice president for diversity and inclusion. While some institutions have made progress, “interviewing is not the measure of true success,” Ms. Westerhaus said. “Interviewing is not hiring.” —Kate Moser