Currently led by former NFL general manager Rod Graves, the Fritz Pollard Alliance for the promotion of diversity is none too pleased with this year's cycle of hires throughout the league.
With Washington Redskins head coach Ron Rivera serving as the only minority hire this go-round, the Fritz Pollard Alliance has released a statement regarding the a “shameful” hiring practices seen around the NFL over the course of the last several weeks.
“We were painfully reminded through this past hiring cycle that attaining diverse leadership in the NFL can only happen through the willful actions of the team owners and decision makers,” the statement reads, via NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk. “True devotion to diversity starts with a recognition of the profound good that it can bring to the Game. It embraces a belief that the benefactors who contribute to the business of football should also share in the benefits. It embraces a core belief that the Game should be accessible at every level for those that possess the skills and who have the resources to meet their aspirations.
“The abysmal record of hiring people of color in high ranking levels of NFL management is a reminder of the dark periods of civil rights history. In 100 years of professional football, the NFL has moved from Fritz Pollard as its first African-American Head Coach in 1921 to four Head Coaches of color in 2020. The League has only one African-American General Manager. There are no African-American club presidents.”
The aforementioned Rivera was hired alongside four other NFL head coaches with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers all passing on candidates of color.
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