Relationships play a big part too. It's true in business, it's true in life, and diversity only comes with some steps to increase representation and NFL is doing that. The Rooney Rule was enacted in 2003 as part of the NFL's plan to "develop a deep, sustainable talent pool at all levels of the organization" and "increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager and executive positions.". After serving as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. Art Shell became head coach of the then-Los Angeles Raiders in 1988, a job he held until 1994, after the franchise moved to Oakland, according to the Raiders website. He's accusing teams including the New York Giants and Denver Broncos of conducting sham interviews with him last year. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. This revelation meant Flores upcoming interview with the Giants was a sham because they had already hired their next head coach, who is not Black. Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. Tony Dungy has been coaching in the NFL for more than 40 years, including when he landed his first head coaching gig in 1996 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which he led for 13 seasons. Raheem Morris was an NFL head coach with two separate teams from 2009 to 2020, including leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, with the first three seasons of that tenure including double-duty as the teams defensive coordinator. He says that there's been some improvement with diversity in the coaching ranks. When Stephen Ross Miami Dolphins fired Brian Flores on Monday, it sent shockwaves around the NFL. Interestingly enough, Caldwell was mentioned in Brian Flores lawsuit as an example of a Black NFL head coach who was fired in spite of the success he enjoyed. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, beginning with the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 season and four other seasons leading the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018. Eric Studesville was the head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. He has a 3-3 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season. Coaches[edit] Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2022 NFL season. Tomlin has been the coach of the Steelers since 2007, making him the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL behind only Bill Belichick. This revelation meant Flores upcoming interview with the Giants was a sham because they had already hired their next head coach, who is not Black. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Todd Bowles Starting our list on number 20 is the NFL franchise head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Todd Bowles. The league in general is very tough because it's not like a lot of other industries where there's a criteria of how you get promoted. Lewis was hired by the Bengals after a 2-14 campaign. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. When I look at the NFL landscape from top to bottom, they are really behind when it comes to diversity and inclusion. In his three full seasons with the Vikings he compiled an 18-20 record and was eventually replaced by Mike Zimmer who was fired on Monday. Just 24 of them have been Black. Cully was 4-13 this past season. In the text message, Belichick confirmed Daboll had already secured the job, but Flores had not yet interviewed for the position. Women being interested in this area of business or law, from my viewpoint, has really grown. The thinking basically went there are lots of black men who played running back, so when they transition to coaching, that's the position they know, it's the easiest way to get into the business. Singletary took over midseason for the 49ers after Mike Nolan was fired after starting the season 2-5. As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy. This is the NFL, a place where Black coaches get treated like third-class citizens. He coached the Los Angeles Chargers. | Source: Wesley Hitt / Getty. Interestingly enough, Caldwell was mentioned in Brian Flores lawsuit as an example of a Black NFL head coach who was fired in spite of the success he enjoyed. This in a league where seven out of ten players are minorities, and most of them black. The rule was named after Dan Rooney, then owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was replaced by Jim Harbaugh. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. With all the controversy surrounding the NFL and its alleged efforts at diversifying head coaching around the professional football league, its worth putting things in their proper perspective for folks who may be shrugging and wondering what the big deal is. Specifically, Flores claims hes had multiple incidents of racial discrimination that involved several teams, as well as coaches and executives around the league. Jim Caldwell has been head coach for two different NFL franchises: the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017. He ended his career with a 113-94 overall record. In the text message, Belichick confirmed Daboll had already secured the job, but Flores had not yet interviewed for the position. Singletary went 5-4 as the interim coach to finish out the season. The NFL's 32 teams began the season in full on Sunday with only three Black head coaches and two Black general managers in a league where the players are roughly 70% Black. Pittsburghs Mike Tomlin and Houstons David Culley are the lone Black head coaches in a league thats over 70 percent Black. Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. There are just SIX head coaches of color out of 32 in a league with a 70% non-white player base. Wilks didnt do a good job in his first season with the Cardinals, but well never know if it was a fluke or the norm, as it was also his only season in Arizona. Jacksons second stint as an NFL head coach was atrocious as he was 1-31 in his first two seasons in Cleveland. He has a 90-90-1 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season. He was never coached by a man of color at any point in his career, and he said on the teams that he was a part of the coaching staff, there was always one coach of color, and it was almost always the running back's coach. For perspectives sake, the NFL entered Black History Month 2023 with just one single Black head coach despite its vow a decade earlier to increase diversity among its head and assistant coaches. While the policy has been able to open more doors for Black coaches during the interview process, front offices have largely declined to hire those candidates. Tony Dungy has been coaching in the NFL for more than 40 years, including when he landed his first head coaching gig in 1996 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which he led for 13 seasons. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. How would you use that player? Marvin Lewis, who coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, is among the current and former NFL coaches who have denounced the league for racial injustices and told NBC Sports that Black coaches have been getting sham interviews like those alleged by Brian Flores for years. Personality's always going to play a big role. Crennel was the head coach of the Browns (2005-2008), Chiefs (2011-2012) and Texans (2020), going 32-63 with those three teams. He has captured two AFC championships and one Super Bowl title. In the suit, Flores cites text messages from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who said he believed he was contacting Brian Daboll, another coach interviewing for the New York Giants head coaching position. Contact The Promotions/Community Department, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process, the NFL is an organization akin to slavery,, Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History, According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, according to the Pro Football History website, according to the pro football hall of fame website, according to the Pro Football Reference website, coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, named interim head coach of theAtlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons, NFL head coach with two separate teams from 2009 to 2020, a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job, head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season, Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons, Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing, Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams, reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job, Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Culley lasted just one season with the Texans, completing the 2021 campaign with a 4-13 overall record. Smith wasnt able to capture the magic he had in Chicago with Tampa Bay. Ray Rhodes coached in various NFL capacities for nearly 40 years, including a five-year run as head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and later with the Green Bay Packers. Joseph, who is the current defensive coordinator of the Cardinals, coached the Broncos for two seasons (2017-2018). Interestingly enough, Caldwell was mentioned in Brian Flores lawsuit as an example of a Black NFL head coach who was fired in spite of the success he enjoyed. Source . He was replaced by Eric Mangini who was 23-26 in three seasons with only one playoff appearance. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. I always used to ask questions like this, what do you do when you get up in the morning? With all the controversy surrounding the NFL and its alleged efforts at diversifying head coaching around the professional football league, its worth putting things in their proper perspective for folks who may be shrugging and wondering what the big deal is. Anytime you have to implement a rule to interview a black head coaching candidate or a minority head coaching candidate, that's admitting there's a problem. Brian Flores, who used to be head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process. Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. Flores still has upcoming interviews for head coaching positions with at least two other teams, so, considering the public relations fiasco that his lawsuit is, chances are that pressure will result in him being hired. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Gerald Alexander. Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Emmanuel Sanders. You're going to be like, "All right, let me just check that box and go through this process, but I'm still going to do what I want to.". The following is a list of the top National Football League (NFL) head coaches in wins. "What do you do". If they could bring that character into our building, others would pick up on those same qualities. Edwards was hired in Kansas City after the team went 10-6 in Dick Vermeils last season. For some reason, fans of all genders and races were stunned that Flores was unemployed as if Ross doesnt have a long history of being a contradictory figure. There were five black NFL head coaches at the end of the 2022 season. Do you remember what your initial thoughts were when you heard that this kind of thing was being implemented? All Rights Reserved. James Franklin (Penn State coach) So far, the best bet to be the first Black coach to win an FBS national championship remains Franklin, whose Nittany Lions will likely enter the season as a . Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of theAtlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. Edwards was with the Chiefs for three seasons and compiled a 15-34 record that included a postseason loss to the Colts in his debut year. Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. Were they invited to lead your team? Jim Caldwell has been head coach for two different NFL franchises: the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017. In that time, they hired two head coaches. Lovie Smith was a head coach with the Chicago Bears for eleven seasons from 2004 to 2012 before he was hired as thehead coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014to2015. Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. No matter what you make, if I came in here and told you how to spend your money, what would you say? Jackson only got one season to prove his worth with the Raiders after finishing 8-8 in a season in which the team started 7-4. The fact is that Flores claims are hardly unique and help bolster critics suspicions that the NFL is intentionally trying to keep its head coaching ranks as white as possible despite the leagues so-called Rooney Rule, a policy that requires teams to interview at least one diverse candidate when looking to hire new coaches. He compiled a 34-32 record in four seasons and was replaced by Brandon Stanley. The league has even gone to such drastic measures as partnering with rap legend JAY Z in the name of entertainment and social justice as a way to help accomplish its evasive mission. Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. Over a nearly 20-year career as a coach in the NFL, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013. from Todd Haley that season when he was let go after a 5-8 start. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. His saying was, "It's great to have a mentor, but it's even better to be a mentor." 12. And what goes into hiring a head coach? was originally published on Sports news website the Ringer reported that Flores was not fired because of his coaching but rather because of his troubled relationship with team owner Stephen Ross, a supporter of former President Donald Trump who has refuted claims of racial discrimination. Let's take a look back at the Black coaches who have been able to rise up the ranks, starting with the trailblazer who broke the NFL's color barrier more than 100 years ago. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. So all minorities, look for a mentor, but pay it forward by being a mentor. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. Someone that has familiarity with your roster, a lot of our interview time was spent, what do you think of this player? That's Doug Whaley. Check out the FULL list below! Download Our New Praise 107.9 Radio Mobile App For Your Smartphone! But as we see now, just like anything, people that have children and even to yourself, when someone says you have to do something, you're obviously automatically going to have a bias towards it. Fewell was the interim head coach for the Bills in 2009 and Panthers in 2019. In the meantime, keep reading to get familiar with the dozens of Black people who have worked as NFL head coaches in the leagues more than 100-year history. Of the five head . What I was looking for is the kind of person that I don't know, does 50 pushups right out of bed, that makes a to-do list right out of bed, that has a routine. McDaniel, who identifies as biracial, was named the head coach of the Dolphins in February 2022. Just 25 of them have been Black. Dungy enjoyed a Hall of Fame career from 1996-2008, racking up 139 wins and 69 losses across 13 seasons with the Buccaneers and Colts. If you like this show, write a review on Apple Podcast or wherever you're listening, and do me a favor, share it with a friend. 'Dilbert' Comic Creator Calls Black People A 'Hate Group,' Urges Segregation So Whites Can 'Escape', Bernie Mac Show Star Camille Winbush Is Not Ashamed Of Joining OnlyFans, Kyle Rittenhouse Faces 2nd Civil Lawsuit, Continues To Beg For Money From His Supporters, Ben Stein's 'Aunt Jemima' Rant Is A Master Class On White Privilege, Why Did tWitch Kill Himself? Brian Flores, who used to be the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/W1bXqGIfl0 He had an aggregate record of 36-28, a winning percentage of .563 the best winning percentage of any Lions Head Coach since the 1950s, Flores lawsuit said in part. He went 36-30 during his tenure and has been replaced by a litany of coaches that havent been able to get the Lions to sniff the playoffs since he was fired. John Allen (American football) Lamar Allen. After taking over for Bruce Arians who went 8-8 in his final season, Wilks was 3-13 and was replaced by Kliff Kingsbury. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. After all, he'd led a Colts team in constant need of consistent . He lasted three years in Indianapolis (2009-2011) before getting another opportunity in Detroit (2014-2017). Del Alexander. All Rights Reserved. We see coaches, as I mentioned, like Ron Rivera, Mike McDaniel, Robert Saleh, not exclusively African American. When I started teaching seven, eight years ago, I'd have a class of 50 students, it'd be 47 guys and three girls. Crennel took the reins over in K.C. The franchise was founded in 1960 by Lamar Hunt and were known as the Dallas Texans when the team was located in Dallas, Texas. Suicide Note Revealed After Shocking Death, Indicted! Mike Tomlin, who, as of the time of this list being published, was the lone Black head coach in the NFL, has led the Pittsburgh Steelers for 15 seasons since 2007. Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? Who are the youngest coaches in the league, and which ones are getting long in the tooth? For perspectives sake, the NFL entered Black History Month 2022 with just one single Black head coach despite its vow a decade earlier to increase diversity among its head and assistant coaches. To date, he has a 162-93 record, is the youngest coach in league history to win a Super Bowl, has Pittsburgh in the playoffs for the tenth time in his tenure, and is the only coach in league history to begin his career with 15 straight non-losing seasons. After all, they may be musing, isnt the NFL disproportionately made up of Black players? It seems like an impossible task to succeed when the most important position on your roster is in such flux. He was also a terrific running back, earning All-America honors in 1916 while playing for Brown University. Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah - General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings. He compiled a 56-52 overall. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. One Black head coach in a league dominated by Black players. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, During his pro football career the two-time All-America played and sometimes coached for four different NFL teams, the Pros/Indians (1920-21/1925-26), the Milwaukee Badgers (1922), the Hammond Pros (1923, 1925), and the Providence Steam Roller (1925)., It also added: In 1928, Pollard organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African American professional team based in the Windy City.. The team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri and were renamed the Chiefs in 1963. Romeo Crennel was a head coach for four seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008 and later for one season with the Houston Texans, according to the Pro Football History website. Flores still has upcoming interviews for head coaching positions with at least two other teams, so, considering the public relations fiasco that his lawsuit is, chances are that pressure will result in him being hired. He is embroiled in a lawsuit that he filed against multiple teams, including Miami, and the NFL for discriminatory hiring practices. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. That's what we'll be discussing today. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 37-42-1 across five seasons including going 1-2-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. He has a 29-44 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season. He coached the Raiders from 1989-1994, then returned to the team for one season in 2006. Herman Herm Edwards, largely seen as a mentor to many current and former NFL players, coached the New York Jets from 2001-2005 and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2008, according to the Pro Football Reference website. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. He signed on to be the head coach of the Texans in February 2022. Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. Mike Tomlin, Brian Flores and David Culley are the three NFL coaches. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) Smith has been part of the Titans' staff since 2011 first as a quality control coach, then helping with tight ends, then coaching tight ends, and eventually replacing current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur as the team's offensive coordinator in 2019.