The NFL has been toying with ways to increase opportunities for minority coaches and executives. That's a good thing and it is absolutely an important goal. The NFL isn't different from many corporations in this regard, as many seem to struggle to figure out the right approach to increasing the diversity of those who make decisions.
The Rooney Rule was adopted by the NFL in 2003 with this objective in mind. It was named after the late Dan Rooney and was put into the league's bylaws after the 2002 season when two successful black coaches, Tony Dungy and Dennis Green, were fired. The idea was to create more opportunities by ensuring that teams interview minorities before hiring new head coaches.
In 2009, the rule was expanded to include senior front office positions. The rule is now being revisited mostly because there are only four minority head coaches in the NFL.
It is a sad commentary on society that the Rooney Rule is still necessary. It is 2020 and if corporations and businesses haven't figured out why having a diverse group of decision makers is beneficial, then there is something wrong. The face of society is changing rapidly and having a diverse group to help make decisions ensures that fresh ideas and differing views help shape policy.
The Rooney Rule should be expanded to include coordinators, quarterback coaches and assistant general managers and director of personnel positions. These are all the most direct and successful pathways to the head coach and general manager positions, historically. And a lack of diversity in these areas has led to a lack of a larger pool of candidates when the bigger jobs open up.
I don't like offering incentives, like higher draft picks, to teams for actually hiring minority coaches and executives because that doesn't feel genuine. That feels forced and also puts minority coaches in a terrible position where people say that the only reason they got hired was the incentives and not their merit.
I am not sure what the perfect system is, but I do know a system is needed and I do think the NFL is clearly on the right path. People can't get a job for which they don't get an opportunity to interview, and expanding the Rooney Rule to include more positions should help.
As sad as it is that the Rooney Rule is still necessary, it is even sadder that it is as misunderstood as it is. It is sad that it has to be explained to people who don't want to open their minds and understand what it actually is and what the objective is.
The purpose isn't to "give unqualified minorities jobs they didn't earn," and if that's what you think it is, you may need to re-examine your heart and your value system. This isn't about giving unqualified minorities an unfair hand up. It is about giving qualified minorities a fair hand. It is about opportunities that should but don't exist.
Mike Tomlin is a great example of this. Tomlin would never have had the opportunity to get the Steelers job when he did if the Rooney Rule didn't exist because he was young and relatively unknown.
However, there is nothing dumber than people telling me that Tomlin only got the job because of the Rooney Rule. That's not true at all; Tomlin got an interview because of the Rooney Rule. Tomlin got the job because he nailed the interview and impressed Rooney with his answers. He got the job because people whom Rooney trusts, like Tony Dungy, gave Tomlin a great recommendation as a bright young coach who is destined to be a success.
White coaches get these kinds of opportunities all the time, and many are able to similarly ace their interview and get the job. Minority coaches and executives aren't asking for anything other than to get these same opportunities.
Ultimately, teams will and should hire the coaches and executives they feel most comfortable with. But at least if the pool of candidates is expanded to include minorities, it will increase the chance of minorities getting those jobs.
Many qualified minority coaches deserve the opportunity to interview for jobs and haven't even gotten that. The more they interview, the better they will get at the process, the more exposure they will get, and, eventually, the more jobs they will get. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, for instance, didn't get a job this cycle, but he interviewed several times and got his name out there. It is clear he will be a head coach at some point in the future, mostly because he will keep getting opportunities to interview.
It isn't perfect, but there are flaws in every system. The important thing is the goals of the Rooney Rule are correct and expanding it will only increase the chances of it having an effect.
