The NFL It was announced on Monday that all 32 teams must have a minority assistant in their offensive staff for the 2022 season, a new requirement under Rooney’s league rule.
The move to specifically address representation on the offensive side of football is a direct acknowledgment that many of the league’s coaches have come from offensive ranks. In the 2022 recruitment cycle alone, twice as many coaches (six) came from an offensive background compared to defense (three).
The minority pipeline is not available, Steelers owner Art Rooney II confirmed Monday.
“We recognize that we have seen progress on some fronts, but we still have a way to go on other fronts,” said Rooney, chair of the league’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
The NFL saw the number of people of color in all coaching positions increase from 35% in the 2020 season to 39% last season. There was an unprecedented increase in the number of defensive coordinators to 15, an increase of two; An increase in the number of minority general managers (five to seven), and assistant general managers (three to six).
Teams will receive league funding against the coach’s salary for up to two years. In general, the inclusion of women in all requirements of the Rooney Rule is designed to address the underrepresentation of women in key football positions. The association believes that this will “encourage the identification and further development of female candidates and the ability to provide them with an additional opportunity to conduct interviews for vacant positions”.
The total of 12 female coaches at the start of the 2021 season was an all-time high. Dasha Smith, the NFL’s chief administrative officer and one of the highest-ranking women in the league, noted that for the first time, a female general manager candidate was interviewed this year.
Smith also said that virtual interviews will no longer be acceptable for the positions of head coach and general manager, and that there will be specific requirements for candidates to become offensive assistants. These will include at least three years of college or professional level experience.
Currently there are only five minority major coaches in the NFL: Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins), Ron Rivera (Washington Leaders), Robert Saleh (New York Jets), Luffy Smith (Houston Texans), and Mike Tomlin (Stillers). This percentage is contradictory in a league where more than two-thirds of the players are black.
The association also passed a resolution to increase diversity ownership in franchises, and established a diversity advisory committee that includes Peter Harvey, the former New Jersey attorney general; Rick Smith, former general manager of Houston Texans; and Don Thompson, former president and CEO of McDonald’s.
Earlier on Monday, Mike Tomlin said that Brian Flores has not been hired as an assistant coach With the Pittsburgh Steelers out of sympathy for the former Miami Dolphins coach.
Tomlin, who represented Flores Black, did so because Flores was a “good coach.” who – which Flores has sued the NFL And three teams — Dolphins, Giants and Broncos — alleging racist hiring practices have not dissuaded the Steelers’ longtime coach in any way, Tomlin said.
A member of the league’s Strong Competition Committee and one of the sport’s most influential coaches, Tomlin has spoken forcefully about the NFL’s lack of minority coaches.
“I haven’t been involved in any discussions and no, I don’t have a level of confidence that would lead me to believe things would be better,” Tomlin said. “I’m more of a show-man than a guy who just sits and talks about things.
Tomlin added amendments to the Rooney Act adopted in 2003 to boost employment opportunities for minorities: “I think we’ve gone through the whole discussion and the topic and have done a lot of useful things.” “But we have to land the plane. We have to hire qualified candidates.”
This, in Tomlin’s discretion and actions, includes Flores, whose lawsuit has been a major topic in this off-season. Flores was fired by the Dolphins despite helping turn a franchise that faltered in his three seasons as coach, going 19-14 in the past two years.
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