The NFL is looking into alleged discriminatory comments made to a former assistant coach of the Kansas City Chiefs during a recent job interview with an unnamed team.
Eugene Chung played in the NFL from 1992-2000 and has been an assistant coach in the NFL for the past 10 years. Chung first coached with Kansas City after spending time as the assistant offensive line coach with the Philadelphia Eagles under Andy Reid. He held the same title when he joined the Chiefs in 2013. He remained in Kansas City through 2015 before returning to Philadelphia under Doug Pederson, adding assistant tight end and run game coordinator to his coaching resume. He was with the Eagles during Super Bowl LII, but was let go by the Eagles after the 2019 NFL season and hasn’t coached in the league since.
In a recent interview with the Boston Globe, Chung, who is of Korean descent, revealed that while interviewing for an NFL job he was told he was not the “right minority.”
Here are his full comments:
“It was said to me, ‘Well, you’re really not a minority,’ ” Chung recalled.
Chung, who is Korean, froze.
“I was like, ‘Wait a minute. The last time I checked, when I looked in the mirror and brushed my teeth, I was a minority,’ ” he said.
“So I was like, ‘What do you mean I’m not a minority?’ ”
The interviewer responded, “You are not the right minority we’re looking for.”
The NFL, which has long had issues with diversity hires, has since announced that they’ll be investigating these allegations made by Chung.
“We will review the matter,” NFL PR head Brian McCarthy said in a league statement. “That comment is completely inappropriate and contrary to league values and workplace policies. The NFL and its clubs are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all personnel in a manner that is consistent with our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
