Diversity Kelly Kjetsaa 1
Kelly Kjetsaa
Professor Sears
STCO 16103-080
4 December 2023
Diversity in Sports: Racial Disparity in Positions of Power in the NFL
Final Project
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Introduction
Twenty years ago, in 2003, the National Football League (NFL) introduced the Rooney
Rule, based on recommendations made by the league’s Workplace Diversity Committee. The
committee’s initial main focus: the historically low number of people of color in head coaching
positions.1 The new rule required every team with a head coaching vacancy to interview “at least
one or more diverse candidates” prior to selecting their new hire.1 Since then, the policy has been
amended to include general manager and front-office positions. Teams now must interview a
minimum of two external minority candidates. Most recently in 2020, a proposal was approved
to reward teams whose “minority talent” went on to become a GM or head coach on another
team. Such teams would receive compensatory picks in the following NFL drafts. In 2021, a
change was made to require teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for open
head coaching positions and/or at least one external minority candidate for a coordinator
position. It was also included that “at least one minority and/or female candidate” must be
interviewed for senior level openings.1 The NFL has put in the policy work over the past twenty
years to build a more equitable workplace. But this rule and all of the amendments it has
included since 2003 begs the question — why is this needed?
NFL Diversity Landscape
The NFL as an organization is made up of players from backgrounds across the United
States and even around the world. According to data from 2022, Black or African Americans
constitute the largest majority of players in the league, at just over 56% of players. White players
are the next largest population, making up not even half the Black percentage at just about 25%
of players.2 However, heading into the 2022-2023 NFL season, there were just three Black head
coaches — six total minority head coaches.3 In an organization that is comprised of more than
69% minority players (according to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the
University of Central Florida), to have only six minority coaches out of 32 teams is a
staggeringly low number.3
This leads back to the aforementioned Rooney Rule. Why was this rule introduced in the
first place? Prior to the start of the 2003 regular season, head coaches Tony Dungy and Dennis
Green were fired from their respective teams. Dungy, over a six season tenure, built a winning
54-42 record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shortly after Dungy’s firing, his successor, Jon
Gruden, led the franchise to its first Super Bowl Championship, but it is Dungy’s team building
that is widely credited for the eventual success.4 Green, meanwhile, with the Minnesota Vikings,
made the playoffs eight of his nine seasons as head coach, but was fired midway through the
2001 season with a record of 5-10.4 What did these coaches have in common? Both were Black
1 “The Rooney Rule.” NFL Football Operations, National Football League, [Link]/inside-football-ops/inclusion/the-
rooney-rule/. Accessed 23 Nov. 2023.
2 Gough, Christina. “Share of NFL Players by Race 2022.” Statista, Statista, 5 Sept. 2023, [Link]/statistics/1167935/
racial-diversity-nfl-players/.
3Brandt, David. “Same Ol’ Same Ol’: No Progress for Black Head Coaches in NFL.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News &
World Report, 16 Feb. 2023, [Link]/news/sports/articles/2023-02-16/same-ol-same-ol-no-progress-for-black-head-
coaches-in-nfl.
4Edmonds, Charlotte. “How Effective Is the NFL’s Rooney Rule and Why Does It Exist?” NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC
Sports Philadelphia, 9 Jan. 2023, [Link]/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/how-effective-is-the-nfls-rooney-rule-
and-why-does-it-exist/367068/.
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men, only the third (Green) and fifth (Dungy) Black or African American head coaches hired in
the NFL by this time.4
The firings of Tony Dungy and Dennis Green prompted heavy internal and external
scrutiny across the league and media. An investigation initiated by civil rights attorneys, Johnnie
Cochran and Cyrus Mehri, determined that when “compared statistically, Black head coaches
have a higher winning percentage than their white NFL counterparts, but were still more likely to
be fired.”4,5 Thus, the Rooney Rule was instituted to address the stubborn challenge of fostering
diversity in NFL coaching positions.5
Twenty years following the institution of this rule, the league does not seem to have made
much progress, however, despite the great strides it declares to have made on paper in policy
changes. “The Rooney Rule, while well intentioned, has not been effective,” said Vince Benigni,
a communications professor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. “Courtesy
interviews of black candidates are anything but. Black candidates — usually successful
coordinators — who interview and don’t receive jobs become skeptical of the process because
positions are offered to less qualified coaches.”3 Despite the goal of ensuring Black coaching
candidates an opportunity to receive at least a reasonable chance to be hired, the rule has been
largely deemed a “flop” by experts. In an interview with NPR on the topic, Michael Lee, a
Washington Post reporter who focuses on diversity, gender, and sports, said “the Rooney Rule is
not working, and that’s been evidenced by what’s happened over the last decade.”6 He added,
“The initial years it did actually have an influence, and within… eight years of the Rooney Rule,
you had seven Black head coaches in the NFL.”6 However, Lee also reiterated the civil rights
investigation’s findings — that Black head coaches are held to much higher standards. He stated
“when [NFL teams] do provide [minority coaches] opportunities, they’re given two years, maybe
one year, to try to put their imprint on a program. And no one’s going to be able to have that kind
of turnaround or success.”6 Simply put, NFL teams and their leaders, if they do hire Black
coaches, hold them to impossible standards and afford them much shorter tenures than their
white counterparts.
NFL Racial Hiring Patterns
According to the 2023 NFL Diversity & Inclusion Report, during the most recent annual
hiring cycle (February 14, 2022 - February 12, 2023) NFL teams hired a total of 41 head
coaches, offensive coordinators, defensive coordinators, special teams coordinators, and general
managers for open positions.7 Of those jobs, 26 of these 41 positions were filled by white
individuals and 15 men of color were hired. Men of color accounted for approximately 37% of
the filled positions. This number is somewhat comparable to the 31% filled during the
2021-2022 hiring cycle (15 out of 47) and a significantly improved amount from the 2019-2020
hiring cycle, during which only 10% of open positions of this nature were filled by men of color
5Johnson, Samuel M. “Rooney Rule Revisited: Race and Diversity in Sports and Corporate America.” The Temple 10-Q, Temple
University, 7 Oct. 2022, [Link]/10q/rooney-rule-revisited-race-and-diversity-in-sports-and-corporate-america/.
6“20 Years after Rooney Rule, the NFL Landscape Is Still Bleak for Black Coaches.” All Things Considered, National Public
Radio, Inc. (NPR), 3 Mar. 2023, [Link]/apps/doc/A743642932/OVIC?u=txshracd2573&sid=summon&xid=7bdb1956.
7National Football League, 2023, 2023 NFL DIVERSITY & INCLUSION REPORT, [Link]
[Link]. Accessed 23 Nov. 2023.
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(6 out of 32).7 The report also stated that from 1993-2023, NFL teams have hired 402 individuals
as general managers and head coaches — only 16% (63 out of 402) of these individuals have
been men of color.7
Figure 17
Another key statement in the report is in regards to the hiring patterns of head coaches
specifically, over the past ten year period. During this time (September 5, 2012 - February
12, 2023), NFL teams hired 77 total new head coaches. 62 were white men, 81% of total head
coach hires, and 15 were coaches of color, 19% of total head coach hires.7
Figure 27 Figure 37
The NFL has given a name to the process in which many head coaches and key position coaches
continue to get “shuffled” around the league, thereby preventing new talent from entering the
candidate pipeline. They call this the “Reshuffling Effect” — “limiting the leadership talent
pipeline and restricting occupational mobility pathways for prospective first-time NFL head
coaches.”7 Why is this important? Equitable access to career opportunities is crucial and a
primary challenge for candidates of color breaking into the head coach pipeline.7 The three most
common prior positions for new head coaches to have held before being hired is a previous head
coaching job, offensive coordinator (OC), or defensive coordinator (DC), with OC being the
primary pipeline, according to the Diversity & Inclusion Report. From the start of the 2002 NFL
season through February 2023, a total of 222 head coaches were hired to NFL teams. 59 of these
hires served as an NFL defensive coordinator in the immediately prior season (including 13
coaches of color), 58 of the head coaches hired served as NFL offensive coordinators in the
immediately prior season (including 4 coaches of color), and 34 of the hires served as NFL head
coaches in the immediately prior season (including 6 coaches of color).7 This data on mobility
pathways underscores the cruciality of minority coaches earning opportunities to serve as
coordinators within the NFL. These findings confirm that these two positions serve as
“springboards” to NFL head coach opportunities.7
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White coaching candidates are provided with a much wider and more diverse set of
routes to the NFL’s most prized coaching positions. Black coaches and other coaches of color,
however, face a much narrower set of paths.8 A study conducted by the Washington Post showed
that minority candidates have to serve “significantly longer” as mid-level assistants and are more
likely to be given interim jobs than full-time positions.8 This study also echoed the
aforementioned statements that coaches of color are continuously held to a higher standard when
it comes to keeping their jobs. In fact, the Washington Post found that since 1990, Black coaches
have been “twice as likely as others to be fired after leading a team to a regular season record of
.500 or better.”8 It appears that the same bias that prevented Black players from becoming
quarterbacks in the NFL for decades now appears to be blocking their paths to head coaching
jobs8; that is — players in “thinking” positions such as quarterback, middle linebacker, and
center usually had to accept that if they weren’t white, they would need to change positions if
they wanted to play the next level.9
Figure 47
Imperative Changes
In a letter penned to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and published in the Washington
Post, ESPN panelist, Kevin B. Blackistone, expressed his disappointment in Commissioner
Goodell’s handling of recent racial justice issues, particularly surrounding those within the
league. Blackistone reflects on a time in which his father, a native of Washington DC, and his
friends changed their allegiances to the team in Baltimore due to their hometown team’s owner’s
insistence on maintaining the league’s last whites-only roster.10 His letter urges Goodell and the
league to go beyond symbolic gestures and take real measures to address systemic issues.
Blackistone emphasizes the need for substantial change rather than “token gestures.”10
Former head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, Anthony Lynn, mentioned a similar
sentiment during an interview. Before landing the job with the Chargers, Lynn interviewed with
six different franchises. However, he added that he was offered more, but refused to meet “with
an organization that had not already interviewed a minority because [he] did not want to be a
token interview,” this being in reference to the Rooney Rule’s mandatory interviewing practices.8
8Dave Sheinin, Michael Lee. “How the NFL Blocks Black Coaches.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 21 Sept. 2022,
[Link]/sports/interactive/2022/nfl-black-head-coaches/.
9Lee, Michael. “‘We All Thought That He Would Be the One.’” The Washington Post, WP Company, 14 Nov. 2021,
[Link]/sports/2021/11/12/eldridge-dickey-black-quarterback-nfl/.
10Blackistone, Kevin B. “Roger Goodell’s Apology Isn’t Enough. The NFL Must Do More to Combat Systemic Racism.”
ProQuest, The Washington Post (Online), 19 June 2020, [Link]/blogs-podcasts-websites/roger-goodell-s-apology-
isn-t-enough-nfl-must-do/docview/2414931756/se-2.
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In 2005, leaders of the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA), a diversity group that works closely
with the NFL on its minority hiring practices, called for an expansion of the Rooney Rule to
include executive and front office positions.11 At the time, the league’s diversity committee had
recently issued a set of guidelines that recommended teams interview minority or female
candidates for all front office positions filled by persons outside of the organization (an
exemption was made for roles filled by family members of team owners). However, unlike the
official mandate regarding the hiring process for coaching jobs, this guideline did not subject
teams to penalties if they did not adhere.11 FPA chairman John Wooten, a former NFL player,
scout, and executive stated his concerns. “If you don’t put more teeth into it, they’ll keep trying
to cut corners,” Wooten contended. “By having teeth, they are going to try to find ways to get it
done,” he added. Wooten and the FPA believed that if teams violate the guidelines there needs to
be a high price to pay in order to enact effective change.11
Thirteen years following these statements and 16 years after implantation of the Rooney
Rule, the NFL was (and still is now) struggling to grapple with its minority hiring issues. Despite
efforts made by the league during the 2018-2019 season to strengthen its hiring practices by
bolstering enforcement of the rule, these advancements were quickly set back after a firing cycle
that disproportionately affected the league’s African-American head coaches.12 Of the eight head
coaches fired midseason, five were Black, dwindling the NFL’s minority coach count to just
three.12 The FPA, again, stated that they were watching the current firing-and-hiring cycle, and
while they were not overly concerned by the number of minority coaches dismissed, they
acknowledge that it does, yet again, “reinforce the need for ongoing efforts to ensure that fair
opportunities exist for minority coaches.”12 Over the years, Fritz Pollard Alliance leaders have
stated that their goal is not to attempt to dictate which coaches are hired or fired by teams, but to
ensure that the interviewing and hiring practices are fair.12
As highlighted earlier, the offensive coordinator position is becoming increasingly
apparent as the primary pathway to head coaching roles in an offense-first league. Noting this,
the Fritz Pollard Alliance emphasized the lack of diversity among minority coaches in OC roles
and advocated for an extension of the Rooney Rule to encompass coordinator positions.12
Despite this, the NFL has not enacted such a recommendation as a formal rule, opting only to
apply the rule to some coordinator vacancies on an informal basis, without penalties for
noncompliance in December of 2016.12
Figure 57
11 Bell, Jarrett. “Group Seeks Diversity in NFL Front Offices.” Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2005,
[Link]/apps/doc/A129932871/OVIC?u=txshracd2573&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=7ffab971.
12Maske, Mark. “NFL Firing Cycle Is Disproportionately Affecting Minority Head Coaches.” Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints, The Washington Post, 31 Dec. 2018, [Link]/apps/doc/A567894794/OVIC?u=txshracd2573&sid=bookmark-
OVIC&xid=6d1fe6db.
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Longtime [Link] reporter Michael Silver tweeted in January of 2022: “There is systemic
racism in the NFL, and there are actual racists in some positions of power. I’m done dancing
around the latter.”13 Dave Zirin, sports editor at The Nation and author of 11 books on the politics
of sports, discussed the need for immediate tangible change across the NFL. Agreeing with
Silver, he wrote, “There are some very real racists with very real power who sit in owners’ boxes
and pull the levers of this league.”13 He also expressed his fervent belief that teams need to face
severe consequences when they violate the Rooney Rule. Zirin asserted, “forget the fines. Take
away first-round draft picks.”13 NFL teams and their owners need to understand the
repercussions of not taking diversity hiring practices seriously. Zirin contended that the loss of
draft picks would leave a much more bitter taste in the mouths of white team managers and
owners. Finally, Zirin suggested a call for a shift in the focus of discussions and interviews from
Black coaches and assistant coaches to white head coaches and management. He said, “Put them
on the spot to actually have to endorse or condemn this state of affairs. They have gotten a pass
for way too long.”13
Conclusion
In an organization that’s group of playmakers, or rather money-makers, is comprised of
nearly 70% men of color (56% Black/African American), it is rather dismaying that there have
have only been 25 Black head coaches in the NFL’s entire history.14 That is twenty-five out of
over 500 total head coaches during the league’s century-long tenure. So, why is this? What has
caused such a staggering disparity between coaches of color and their white counterparts? Racist
hiring practices and prejudicial views from white owners are leading factors. And when minority
coaches are hired, they face statistically evident higher standards in order to keep their jobs, as
shown by Black coaches’ higher winning percentages, yet greater likelihood of being terminated.
Coaches of color are also disproportionately affected by the “shuffling effect” which hinders
their access to career opportunities that are crucial for breaking into the head coach pipeline. The
NFL has a clear problem. The twenty-year-old Rooney Rule and its successive amendments are
clearly not solving it. Dave Zirin stated that for “two decades, the NFL central office has had to
compel its almost all white franchise owners to just sit down with candidates of color—an
embarrassment in and of itself—and it has produced few results.”13 Thus, the stark contrast
between the significant representation of men of color, particularly Black/African American
individuals, as playmakers contributing to the NFL’s success and the underwhelming presence of
Black head coaches raises critical questions about the league’s commitment to diversity and
equality.
13 Zirin, Dave. “How to Change the NFL’s Racist Hiring Practices.” The Nation, The Nation, 20 Jan. 2022, [Link]/
article/culture/nfl-black-coaches-racism/.
14“Here’s Every Black Head Coach in NFL History.” NewsOne, Interactive One, 2 Nov. 2023, [Link]/playlist/nfl-black-
head-coaches-full-list/.
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Works Cited
“20 Years after Rooney Rule, the NFL Landscape Is Still Bleak for Black Coaches.” All Things
Considered, National Public Radio, Inc. (NPR), 3 Mar. 2023, [Link]/apps/doc/
A743642932/OVIC?u=txshracd2573&sid=summon&xid=7bdb1956.
Bell, Jarrett. “Group Seeks Diversity in NFL Front Of ces.” Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2005, [Link]/apps/doc/A129932871/OVIC?
u=txshracd2573&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=7ffab971.
Blackistone, Kevin B. “Roger Goodell’s Apology Isn’t Enough. The NFL Must Do More to
Combat Systemic Racism.” ProQuest, The Washington Post (Online), 19 June 2020,
[Link]/blogs-podcasts-websites/roger-goodell-s-apology-isn-t-enough-n -
must-do/docview/2414931756/se-2.
Brandt, David. “Same Ol’ Same Ol’: No Progress for Black Head Coaches in NFL.” U.S. News
& World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 16 Feb. 2023, [Link]/news/
sports/articles/2023-02-16/same-ol-same-ol-no-progress-for-black-head-coaches-in-n .
Dave Sheinin, Michael Lee. “How the NFL Blocks Black Coaches.” The Washington Post, WP
Company, 21 Sept. 2022, [Link]/sports/interactive/2022/n -black-
head-coaches/.
Edmonds, Charlotte. “How Effective Is the NFL’s Rooney Rule and Why Does It Exist?” NBC
Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Philadelphia, 9 Jan. 2023,
[Link]/n /philadelphia-eagles/how-effective-is-the-n s-
rooney-rule-and-why-does-it-exist/367068/.
Gough, Christina. “Share of NFL Players by Race 2022.” Statista, Statista, 5 Sept. 2023,
[Link]/statistics/1167935/racial-diversity-n -players/.
“Here’s Every Black Head Coach in NFL History.” NewsOne, Interactive One, 2 Nov. 2023,
[Link]/playlist/n -black-head-coaches-full-list/.
Johnson, Samuel M. “Rooney Rule Revisited: Race and Diversity in Sports and Corporate
America.” The Temple 10-Q, Temple University, 7 Oct. 2022, [Link]/
10q/rooney-rule-revisited-race-and-diversity-in-sports-and-corporate-america/.
Lee, Michael. “‘We All Thought That He Would Be the One.’” The Washington Post, WP
Company, 14 Nov. 2021, [Link]/sports/2021/11/12/eldridge-dickey-
black-quarterback-n /.
Maske, Mark. “NFL Firing Cycle Is Disproportionately Affecting Minority Head Coaches.” Gale
In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, The Washington Post, 31 Dec. 2018, [Link]/
apps/doc/A567894794/OVIC?u=txshracd2573&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=6d1fe6db.
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National Football League, 2023, 2023 NFL DIVERSITY & INCLUSION REPORT, https://
operations.n .com/media/5qwhe0ba/2023-n -diversity-inclusion-mobility-report-
[Link]. Accessed 23 Nov. 2023.
“The Rooney Rule.” NFL Football Operations, National Football League, operations.n .com/
inside-football-ops/inclusion/the-rooney-rule/. Accessed 23 Nov. 2023.
Zirin, Dave. “How to Change the NFL’s Racist Hiring Practices.” The Nation, The Nation, 20
Jan. 2022, [Link]/article/culture/n -black-coaches-racism/.
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