The NFL expanded the Rooney Rule to give more minority candidates the chance to become head coaches and reward teams that develop them.
More interviews did not equal more hiring in this low season.
According to an analysis of candidates known to have interviewed for seven head-coaching openings this month, 11 were minorities and 16 white. Only two of the seven jobs went to minorities.
Some see it as progress, but most agree that there is still a long way to go.
“There is still work to be done in this area, no doubt about that,” Pittsburgh Steelers team chairman Art Rooney II said Thursday.
The Houston Texans hired David Culley this week, hiring the 65-year-old assistant the league’s third black head coach. The New York Jets previously hired Robert Saleh, the son of Lebanese immigrants and the first NFL head coach known to be Muslim.
Culley and Saleh join Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Miami’s Brian Flores and Washington’s Ron Rivera as the league’s only minority coaches. In a sport where about 70% of the players are in the minority, the lack of diversity among the head coaches stands out.
Rooney said the league will take another look at the rule named after his father, Dan Rooney, who chaired the NFL’s diversity committee.
“We didn’t make as much head coaching progress as we would have liked,” said Rooney. “But I would say we have made some progress on the CEO side, which is encouraging. And then we will have to look on the coordinator’s side to see how much progress we are making on that front.
“There are a lot of bits we have to sit down when it’s all said and done and really analyze what happened, and there are things we can do to strengthen the opportunities for minority coaches. I think last year we have a Taken some steps that I think will pay dividends over time, but that’s not to say we can’t do more, and we’ll take a closer look at them off-season. ”
Two of the seven general manager vacancies were filled by minorities when the Atlanta Falcons hired Terry Fontenot and the Detroit Lions put Brad Holmes on the map. They join Andrew Berry from Cleveland and Chris Grier from Miami as the only black GMs in the league.
Perhaps an increase in the number of minority leaders will lead to more minority head coaches. Ultimately, it’s the owners who make the decision, and 31 out of 32 are white. They must be convinced.
“I got this job simply because I was the best football coach they wanted in this situation, and I just happen to be an African American,” Culley said Friday. “I’m proud of that. I’m happy about that. And I hope that if I get this job for that reason, other teams in this league can see that … so be it. I’m part of it and There is I for. “
In November, the NFL implemented a resolution that rewards organizations with concept choices for developing minority coaches and front office managers to become head coach, general manager, or team president for other clubs.
That was part of a seven-point mobility plan designed to increase opportunities.
Last May, the NFL changed the Rooney rule to require teams to interview at least two minority candidates who are not linked to their own team for a head coaching position. Also, a minority candidate must be interviewed for coordinator positions and for senior positions in the front office, including the role of general manager.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy had six interviews but was again passed over. Coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other Chiefs were disappointed that Bieniemy didn’t get a chance.
“It’s very shocking that he hasn’t gotten a job,” said wide receiver Tyreek Hill. “I know he will look at himself deep down in the mirror and say, ‘What could I do better so I can get that job?’ He’s such a guy. He wants to get better and he wants to be a head coach. His time is yet to come. “
The list of black candidates who interviewed for head coach positions included five men who previously held the position: Marvin Lewis, Jim Caldwell, Todd Bowles, Leslie Frazier and Raheem Morris.
The Eagles interviewed their assistant head coach / running backs coach, Duce Staley, who left for Detroit after Nick Sirianni was hired to replace Doug Pederson. They also interviewed Patriots within linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, Bowles and Saleh among a total of 10 candidates.
“I was blown away by the quality of these candidates,” said Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie. “The NFL misses in slots, not candidates. … They’ll be the hot candidates in a year, two or three, no doubt about it. That’s what we’ve learned in the process.”
The Jets interviewed then-secondary coach Aaron Glenn of Saints. He later joined Dan Campbell’s staff in Detroit.
Many players, and their union leader, have expressed concerns about the lack of diversity in the coaching ranks.
“A rule or any change to a rule that has very little transparency and very little accountability, none of us should be surprised if it fails, right?” The director of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, said this month. “So I think it is to the league’s credit that they have asked the NFLPA and us to help them improve diversity in the NFL, not just coaches or head coaches, but entire coaching classes, the front offices of the NFL team, the league office and ultimately ownership, these are conversations that I know we will have with the league after the Super Bowl.
“But for me, it has to start with those two things. Without a level of transparency and accountability, none of us should be surprised if there are only incremental changes or times when we have deteriorated. There are concrete ways to go about this. Many of them reflect what people have been doing in corporate America for years. But by increasing transparency, giving someone the responsibility to increase diversity, and then being accountable, I think when you have those three things as the At the heart of how you want the league to look like its membership and its community, I think that’s the only way to go about it. ”