The NFL’s Rooney Rule: When Will Execs Take Coaches of Color Seriously?
January 8, 2020
Alexis Mansanarez
The NFL has seen, at most, only a quarter of its top coaching positions go to people of color in 2011, ‘17 and ‘18. At the end of 2018, there were eight vacancies. Seven went to white coaches. At the end of the 2019 regular season, there were five available. Four went to white coaches.
Rivera was “recycled” and tasked with changing the culture of a tumultuous Washington Redskins franchise. In fact, Rivera’s quick return made him the first non-interim coach of color in Washington’s 87-year history. He accomplished another … impressive (?) or rather sad, ridiculous-this-is-still-the-case feat by becoming one of the few coaches of color to be rehired. According to a recent study by Arizona State University’s Global Sports Institute, exiting white head coaches were hired for other NFL head-coaching positions at twice the rate of head coaches of color: 14.3 percent versus 7.1 percent.