There were five teams in the NFL that hired new head coaches and there were concerns that arose pertaining to the hires. Due to the lack of hires for coaches of ethnic-minority, the league is considering making changes to the Rooney Rule.
The Rooney Rule was named after the former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. When the rule was created, it was constructed to have every team interview a diverse candidate for a vacant head coaching position.
Then, in 2009, the rule was expanded to include executive and front office positions. But in recent seasons, there haven't been many ethnic-minority candidates hired in any of the prominent roles in the NFL.
The five head coaches hired included the likes of Ron Rivera, Mike McCarthy, Kevin Stefanski, Joe Judge, and Matt Rhule. Among them, Rivera was the only minority coach that was hired by an organization.
Additionally, there are only four minority head coaches in the NFL. Art Rooney II, the Steelers' current owner, shared his disappointment in the current hiring process.
“I think where we are right now, is not where we want to be, not where we need to be,” Rooney said in an interview with Steve Wyche that will air during Wednesday night's NFL Total Access. “We need to take a step back and look at what's happening with our hiring processes.
Many fans and media members expressed their displeasure with the current state of the hiring cycle in the NFL. The people have spoken and it appears that it has prompted the NFL to make the necessary changes to correct the hiring procedures.
Follow Us
Subscribe