You may not think that the fact that minorities are not hired into high-ranking positions at a better rate is not a problem. But the NFL certainly thinks it’s a big deal, and that’s really all that matters.
If there is one subject that often arouses the passions of many people in the comments sections of any article or link published on the subject on the Internet and/or on social networks, it is the Rooney rule, a rule defended by the late Dan Rooney in 2003. .
In case you don’t know, the rule requires all NFL teams with head coaching and/or COO/GM vacancies to interview at least one minority candidate.
The rule was changed recently and now requires that, among other things, teams interview at least two external minority candidates for a head coaching position and at least one external minority candidate for a vacant position of coordinator.
The original intent of the rule was not to dictate to teams who they should hire. Rather, the rule’s goal was to raise awareness of minority applicants who may have been overlooked.
But the results are simply not there. As an example, the upcoming 2020 NFL season, which will feature only four minority head coaches and one general manager – the dolphins Chris Grier.
Again, there’s nothing that stirs people’s passions more than the Rooney Rule, and sports fans are often inclined to take it personally when discussing this controversial topic. But with all due respect, it’s not really about what the fans think, nor the media. All that matters is that the NFL clearly thinks this is a problem, so much so that in fact the powers that be discussed last week a proposal that would have improved a team’s position if it had hired a minority candidate for a coaching or high-ranking position. management position.
Was it acceptable to be against such a proposal without being portrayed in a bad light? Fortunately, many significant minorities with head coaching experience have spoken out against this measure, such as former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, who called the proposal “offensive.»
And it was an offensive proposition. It’s like the kid down the street who invites you to play basketball with him and his friends just because you have the prettiest ball. Although the proposal is offensive, it will not become a reality: the NFL has shelved it in favor of the aforementioned changes to the Rooney Rule.
Can the rule harm a team that has good intentions and wants to immediately hire the person they believe is best for the job? Andrew Brandt, former vice-president of Green Bay Packers and current writer for Sports Illustrated, appeared on Mark Madden’s radio show on 105.9 the X on Tuesday and recalled a conversation he had with the former Colts general manager Bill Polian. The two were discussing when Tony Dungy was fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2001 season; The moment Dungy became available, the Colts knew they wanted him and no one else. However, if Dungy had been white – and if the Rooney Rule had already been in effect – Indianapolis would have had to interview a minority candidate first, before offering the job to the person it wanted all along – to provided that Dungy is still available.
This is a good point from Brandt, and I’m sure many teams have and will continue to face this dilemma. But why, 17 years after the Rooney Rule was first implemented, aren’t there more minority coaches and managers like Dungy, whose credentials speak for themselves?
When I think of a list of names that come to mind, I think of Dungy, Mike Tomlin, Herman Edwards, Marvin Lewis, the late Dennis Green and, in the case of general managers, Ozzie Newsome. These men were allowed to settle; Once they did, the only thing that came up in their evaluation was their performance.
But since Art Shell was hired to be the Raiders head coach in 1989 – or 14 years before the Rooney Rule was first implemented – that’s a pretty short list.
During his interview with Madden, Brandt suggested that the best way to improve a minority candidate’s chances was to take a step-by-step approach, in which he eventually progresses to a coordinator position, often the next step before becoming a head coach. On the one hand, this makes sense. But on the other hand, countless minority assistant coaches are employed by NFL teams every year. Yet they are not being promoted to coordinator positions – especially offensive coordinator positions – at a high rate.
According to an article published by Atlantic as of January, 40 percent of head coaches hired in the NFL since 2009 have been offensive coordinators. Problem with that: 91% of offensive coordinators hired in the NFL during the same period were white.
Currently, there are two African-American offensive coordinators in the NFL: the Buccaneers Byron Leftwich and Chefs Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy has been in charge of Kansas City’s offense since 2018. Not only do the Chiefs have one of the most potent offenses in football, but they are also the most potent defenders. super bowl champions. But even though Bieniemy, 50, has interviewed for seven head coaching jobs over the past few seasons, he has yet to break through.
I repeat, you may not think this is a problem. You might think that NFL teams should be allowed to hire whoever they want – and that’s the case. The only question is: why don’t they seem to want to hire minority candidates at a much higher rate?
You can channel your anger at the Rooney Rule in many different places, but ultimately it’s on NFL owners that they’ve had a century to figure this out and get it right.
Perhaps the changes to the Rooney Rule will finally lead to positive results.
