According to Charles Barkley, Turner Gill himself had concerns:

“We talked about the whole race thing in Alabama,” Barkley said. “I told him it’s there and it’s going to be anywhere you go. I told him you can’t not take the job because of racism. He was worried about being nothing more than a token interview. He was concerned about having a white wife. It’s just very disappointing to me.”

Also, Mark Schlabach, ESPN College Football Writer, reported two SEC coaches specifically told him that Turner Gill wouldn’t get the job because of his white wife.

"Don't hate the player"