The NFL head-coaching cycle came and went without any minority candidates securing jobs.
For context, the league has just three minority head coaches — the same number it had when the Rooney Rule was instituted in 2003. This deservedly put the league under scrutiny when an under-qualified candidate like Joe Judge or a retread like Mike McCarthy landed gigs over Super Bowl coordinators Eric Bieniemy and Robert Saleh.
As teams sided with white candidates over the Chiefs offensive coordinator Bieniemy, plenty of narratives were floated out there to justify the decision. Reporters and fans weren’t privy to the exact details of Bieniemy’s interview, so that theoretically presented the possibility that Bieniemy just interviewed poorly.
But to believe that would require someone to step outside reality. After the Super Bowl 54 win, Chiefs lineman Jeff Allen shared a video of Bieniemy’s postgame interview, and Bieniemy sounded like the exact kind of coach teams should want at the helm.
Just think: The Giants listened to that man talk about football and still decided to hire something called “Joe Judge.”
Bieniemy has given great interviews all season, but it was especially impressive to hear the Chiefs offensive coordinator reflect on the biggest moment of his career with such thoughtful responses in what was obviously an emotional moment. That’s no easy task.
Let’s hope Bieniemy gets an opportunity soon. He certainly deserves it.
