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Robert Kraft is officially hiring Mike Vrabel as the next New England Patriots head coach. The former linebacker played eight of his 14 NFL seasons in Massachusetts, so the hiring makes sense. That said, the team seems to have blatantly flouted the Rooney Rule in order to get its man, and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Aaron Glenn wanted no part of it.
“This week, the Patriots flew Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton into town to interview for head coach. Neither Black man has coached in the NFL since 2022, with Hamilton last serving as Houston's offensive coordinator and Leftwich as Tampa Bay's OC,” CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones reported on Sunday.
“And Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn turned down the Patriots' offer. He has requests from every team with a vacancy and plans to interview with them all except New England,” the insider continued. “Glenn declining the interview was met with praise across the league from coaches and personnel members of all colors who, in conversations with CBS Sports, believed the Krafts were making a sham of the Rooney Rule.”
The Rooney Rule, named after late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney, mandates that teams interview at least two minority candidates for any open head coach, coordinator, or general manager role and at least one minority candidate for any open quarterback coach position.
For a coach like Aaron Glenn, who is a top candidate for several jobs this hiring cycle, it makes total sense for him to skip this sham interview when nearly everybody understood that Robert Kraft wanted Mike Vrabel and was going to hire him. Going through the interview was a waste of time, so it's right to praise Glenn for sticking to his guns.
That said, while this may not be the exact way the NFL intends for the Rooney Rule to work out, it may be a good example of how it does good for the league even when not executed in good faith. Leftwich and Hamilton have been out of the league for several years now, and while they are not legit head coaching candidates, having their name associated with a head coaching search may help them get back in the league.
This obviously isn't ideal, but it may work out for all involved in the end.
