INDIANAPOLIS – In a candid moment during the NFL’s scouting campaign this week, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians made his thoughts known on the league’s performance on inclusive hiring .
Frustrated that Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, both black, were not offered head coaching jobs in the last two hiring cycles despite the team’s success, Arians said there was clearly a problem.
“When those two guys aren’t head coaches anymore after the last two seasons…something’s wrong,” he said.
Given that former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a complaint for racial discrimination — which seeks class-action status — against the NFL recently, which alleges that the most successful and powerful league in professional sports commits widespread malfeasance in its hiring practices, Arians’ assessment of the situation n It’s hardly revolutionary.
But his willingness to comment candidly on this long-standing issue is another example of how Flores’ trial has shed more light on the situation.
A cloud continued to cover the NFL as officials from the league’s 32 teams evaluated former college players ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft in April. After talk of who ran the fastest, who jumped the highest and who lifted the most died down, many black coaches and player personnel officials refocused their thoughts on Flores’ battle with the NFL.
Flores is also fighting for them, several Black coaches and executives told Andscape during the league’s main event aimed at scouting draft-eligible players. At the rally, which ends Sunday, it is common for black NFL employees working in football and business operations to argue over the hiring cycle that ends before the rally.
There’s a lot more to chew on this year, however, due to Flores’ lawsuit and the league’s response.
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Just four days after the NFL quickly announced that Flores’ lawsuit, who was recently hired as assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is without merit, Commissioner Roger Goodell revealed in a memo sent to owners that the league understands the concerns expressed by Flores and others, and that it will launch a full review of its entire approach to diversity and equity. and inclusion.
The move surprised some black NFL employees, several said, as did the willingness of many league decision-makers to speak more openly about the general lack of progress in achieving Goodell’s stated goal of significantly increasing diversity from the front office to the field.
The Arians, for their part, did their part.
Twice selected as Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year, Arians built a Buccaneers team that is the first in NFL history to have three African-American coordinators: Leftwich (offense), Bowles (defense) and Keith Armstrong (special teams). Harold Goodwin, who is the team’s assistant head coach, offensive line coach and running game coordinator, is also black. Arians hired the first two women’s coaches in Buccaneers history: Lori Locust (defensive line assistant) and Maral Javadifar (strength and conditioning assistant).
In February, the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which advises the NFL on diversity and inclusion issues, honored Arians with a lifetime achievement award for his commitment to fostering opportunities for candidates of color in coaching, scouting and front office roles. Arians believes there are far more qualified and talented people of color than there are positions to fill.
So what is the problem?
“(Coaches) don’t own it,” said Arians, who led the Buccaneers to a blowout victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
“We know what good coaches look like. … It’s not difficult for us.
Over the previous five hiring cycles, 36 head coaching positions have opened. Four black men were hired to fill positions. Four.
In the cycle completed before this season’s combine, white coaches were chosen for seven of the nine openings. Mike Tomlin of the Steelers and Lovie Smith of the Houston Texans are the league’s only black head coaches.
Mike McDaniel of the Dolphins, whose father is black, is biracial. Ron Rivera of the Washington Commanders and Robert Saleh of the New York Jets are the other minority head coaches in the league.
Once again, Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who is black, was not offered a head coaching job.
Bieniemy’s situation has attracted a lot of attention due to the team’s success over the past four seasons under head coach Andy Reid, and the fact that Bieniemy’s two predecessors in the coordinator role Chiefs offensive linemen – Matt Nagy and Doug Pederson – became head coaches. Like Arians, Reid is disappointed that a qualified assistant on his team was not given the opportunity to move on.
“Try to hire the best people you can who (can) help you win football games,” said Reid, who was honored by the Fritz Pollard Alliance in 2018. “Stay focused on that, what people are doing a decent job., but somehow the diversity part kind of got pushed aside (along with many other teams).
During this cycle, the Chicago Bears hired former Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles as their new general manager. The Minnesota Vikings have hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, former Cleveland Browns vice president of football operations, as their new general manager.
Three black general managers were hired in the previous cycle: Terry Fontenot of the Atlanta Falcons, Brad Holmes of the Detroit Lions and Martin Mayhew of the Commanders. The league now has seven black general managers.
Each team needs to get its own house in order, Atlanta’s Fontenot said.
“What I have to do is look in the mirror, see what we’re doing in Atlanta,” he said. “I can focus on that area…to help that part of the process.” I have to make sure that, No. 1, everyone in the building… has the opportunity to continue to grow. Whether it’s coaches, people in the personnel department, training staff (teams need to) make sure that the people in your building are able to grow and develop.
“You have to (be) very intentional in doing this. Then (there is) also the pipeline. (When) you bring people in, whether you bring in coaches (or) scouts, in any area of the organization, make sure that you bring in minorities and that everyone has the opportunity to enter your organization and then grow. For me personally, I just look in the mirror and make sure we’re doing the right things here in Atlanta.
Now more than ever, officials are speaking openly about the NFL’s hiring problem. If only the entire league would do what it took to fix this problem.
