NFL says all teams must add minority offensive coach, expands Rooney Rule to include women
PALM BEACH, Fla. -- All 32 NFL teams will hire a minority offensive assistant coach for the 2022 season, part of a series of policy enhancements announced Monday to address the league's ongoing diversity efforts.
The coach can be "a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority," according to the policy adopted by NFL owners during their annual meeting, and will be paid from a league-wide fund. The coach must work closely with the head coach and the offensive staff, with the goal of increasing minority participation in the pool of offensive coaches that eventually produces the most sought-after candidates for head-coaching positions.
"It's a recognition that at the moment, when you look at stepping stones for a head coach, they are the coordinator positions," said Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, the chairman of the NFL Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. "We clearly have a trend where coaches are coming from the offensive side of the ball in recent years, and we clearly do not have as many minorities in the offensive coordinator [job]."
Some teams already have a coach or coaches in similar assistant roles, which will count toward the program, NFL chief administrative officer Dasha Smith said. But the requirement for all teams represents the first hiring mandate in the history of the Rooney Rule, named after Art Rooney's father and designed to elevate minority hiring at all levels of the league.
MORE: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33617341/nfl-says-all-teams-add-minority-offensive-coach-expands-rooney-rule-include-women
Additional story highlights (from the link):
• Currently there are only five minority head coaches in the league.
• Women are not required to be interviewed, but they are now included in the fulfillment process.
• Publicized a mission statement to encourage and attract diverse members of prospective ownership groups (but the statement does not require minority participation in ownership groups).
• Announced a Diversity Advisory Committee, part of Goodell's pledge to invite outside experts to evaluate the league's diversity.
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No mention of how this will be enforced or what the response will be for teams that ignore the directive or under employ.
It's a start. We'll have to see how this plays out.
Thoughts?
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The day is still young!
