SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. — Every time Kory Minor walks the campus at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, he is reminded of a thought he had on his very first visit.

“I said to our athletic director, Pat, 'I don’t see anybody that looks like me,'" Minor said. "And he said, 'That’s the problem. We gotta change that.'"

As one of just five black head coaches in Orange County, there's no doubt about it — Minor stands out.

But it's not the first time he's been characterized by the color of his skin.

“I’m a Black man that’s out in South Orange County. It's not just Orange County but South Orange County," he said. "So, I feel it every single day I come out here, but I also know I’m doing good work here.”

His ability to advocate for change and to mentor young athletes were the primary reasons for taking the job two years, he said. After a successful college and NFL career, coaching provided him a new opportunity.

“I’m not a football coach," he said. "I'm just a mentor and I use football as my guideline."

His mentality toward mentorship was one that truly came into play over the last few months. With the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, conversations of race and racial injustice came to the forefront for him and his team.

“When I saw the whole thing with George Floyd, my first thought was that could be me right?" he said. "I’m a Black man near his age. That could be me.”

Because more than just thinking of game plans and schemes, he’s thinking about instances like these two every day on his commute.

“When I leave here, my whole goal is to get home," Minor said. "People couldn’t fathom that. I said, as a Black man, my whole goal is to get back to my family.”

Even in a position of power, like that of a head football coach, racism is still very much a part of his reality when he leaves campus.

“For me, I face it quite a bit in my life," he said. "I understand it and it happens every day. I still get cops behind me. I still get pulled over. I have to put my hands at ten and two. I don’t flinch. I don’t move too much."

But despite the challenges, he makes the hour and a half drive to St. Margaret's because with the support of the school behind him, Minor said he believes his presence and his relationship with his players means something important. 

“If I can help them see the role they can play by being coached or being around a Black man, then we’ve done our job," he said.