Hiring minority coaches in the NFL comes down to owners
by ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer
No matter how much the NFL pushes teams to hire minority coaches, owners have the final say.
The league established the Rooney Rule in 2003 and has expanded it several times over the years to encourage teams to hire more minority coaches. It started the Quarterback Coaching Summit in 2018 to create more opportunities for many of those coaches.
Earlier this year, the NFL implemented an initiative that requires all 32 clubs to employ a woman or a member of an ethnic or racial minority to serve as an offensive assistant coach.
In May, the league launched an accelerator program, bringing 60 minority coaches and executives to Atlanta to meet with owners in short sessions so they can get acquainted.
There’s been progress. After just three Black coaches were hired from 2018-21, three Black coaches were hired in the last cycle. There are six minorities in head coaching positions now: Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Houston’s Lovie Smith and Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles, who are Black; Miami’s Mike McDaniel, who is biracial; the Jets’ Robert Saleh, who is of Lebanese heritage; and Washington’s Ron Rivera, who is Hispanic.
Also, three of the five openings for general manager following last season were filled by minorities, bringing the total to eight minority GMs.
Still, many folks want to see improvement, especially following Brian Flores’ lawsuit alleging racial discrimination.
Led by Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, and Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, the league is doing its part to increase opportunities. But everyone knows it comes down to owners making the decisions.
“It’s not about forcing anyone to hire anyone. It’s about exposing good coaches to those who make the calls,” Vincent said.
HOW DO BLACK COACHES FEEL ABOUT LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES?
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy is most often mentioned as a deserving candidate who hasn’t landed a head coaching job. Bieniemy has an impressive resume, leadership qualities and strong endorsements from Chiefs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He has interviewed 15 times with 14 teams over the past four years but is still waiting for a team to give him the chance. He doesn’t blame the NFL.
“They have done an outstanding job of putting that together,” Bieniemy said of the annual Quarterback Coaching Summit. “Each and every year, I’ve been more and more impressed.”
About Author
