The Rooney Rule is supposed to promote black NFL coaches, but the system doesn’t work. Now it’s about to be changed. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is speaking plainly.
It was January 8, 2020, when the New York Giants surprised the NFL with a personnel decision.
Joe Judge will be the new Head Coach and will take care of Running Back Saquon Barkley from next season. Who is the new head coach, whose appointment came as a complete surprise to most NFL fans?
The 38-year-old coached at several universities before he was signed by the New England Patriots in 2012. First he worked as an assistant coach for the Special Teams, later he even became the Special Teams Coordinator for the Pats.
Tomlin: “A broken system”
Experience as Head Coach? None. This example shows once again that the NFL has a dark secret: the drastic imbalance between black players and black coaches.
“It’s a broken system. We know that. Minorities don’t get enough opportunities. We have to figure out how to create incentives,” said Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin in a podcast by basketball coach John Calipari.
Experience is no use to McGaughey
The Judge case supports Tomlin’s argument. Because in their own ranks, the Giants could have easily found a more suitable candidate: Thomas McGaughey. The 47-year-old is training the special teams in New York for the second time. He has many years of experience, has worked for the 49ers and the Carolina Panthers, among others, and his units are also clearly ahead of Judge in the statistics.
So why didn’t the Giants’ management decide on the experienced man from their own ranks, who was already working as a coach when the new head coach was still cramming at college?
McGaughey has two distinct disadvantages, and both have absolutely nothing to do with his professional qualifications. The 47-year-old comes from an African-American family. Moreover, and this weighs much heavier, his commitment is less likely to be palatable to his followers.
After two negative seasons, fans and the media are unlikely to be enthusiastic about McGaughey. Judge may have much less experience in comparison, but he is surrounded by the glory of three Super Bowl wins with the Patriots.
“Rooney Rule has done little for the NFL
In the NFL, the issue of equality and diversity has been on the agenda for many years. Again and again the league points out problems in this area. But pointing them out is not enough.
It has been 17 years since the introduction of the “Rooney Rule” to prevent inequalities. Named after the former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dan Rooney, it stipulates that every team looking for a new head coach must ask at least one member of a minority group for an interview.
Best trainers are not always hired
But the reality in the NFL is different. Although more than 70 percent of the players are black, there are hardly any black coaches – currently a full four – or managers. In 2019, eight new head coaches were introduced, only Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins is not white.
When a head coach position becomes vacant in the top-selling league in the world, hiring a successor is often not about the best and brightest. The team owners are usually looking for a salesman or politician. Someone who can spread good cheer towards journalists, so that they praise the team and staff in the highest possible terms.
The well-being of the team, the general manager and, of course, the owner himself is paramount. Strong leaders do not always fit into the concept. This even leads to a situation where assistant coaches in particular no longer train the players with the necessary toughness and avoid confrontations, just so that the athletes don’t talk badly about the coaches in the media.
Friend instead of leader is the credo, for many teams a vicious circle.
More opportunities for minorities
In order to eliminate the imbalance in the filling of management positions, some changes were made by the owners last week. At their annual meeting, which was held online because of the Corona crisis, it was decided, among other things, that in future, if a vacant head coach position becomes available, two applicants outside the franchise and a minority applicant must be heard.
There will also be more rights for assistant coaches in future. They will be able to talk to another team when it comes to a job as offensive, defensive or special teams coordinator. So far, such negotiations could be prevented by the current employer.
Also for jobs in finance, marketing, sales, etc., NFL teams will have to invite an ethnic minority applicant or a woman for an interview.
Coloured Head Coach = better draft picks?
But as much as the new rules sound like a departure, the most hotly debated proposal has not yet found the approval of the bosses.
According to the NFL Network, the owners had a proposal that would have rewarded the hiring of a minority candidate as head coach or general manager with better draft picks.
Under the draft model, a team hiring a coloured head coach in his second season would be able to move up to six positions in the draft from the third round onwards. The hiring of a coloured quarterback coach was also supposed to have a positive effect on the draft.
If a minority candidate is appointed GM, the team could even move up to ten positions forward. “Of course there is room for discussion about what a reward might look like, but I like the discussion. It would be a 180-degree turnaround. But why not reward someone who develops and hires talent,” Tomlin said.
Owners have not voted
But that has not (yet) come to pass. To get a resolution passed, at least 24 of the 32 mostly old, white owners must vote for it. According to Commissioner Roger Goodell, this very special proposal has not even been voted on yet.
According to Goodell, there was no lack of support. “There has been a great deal of support. But there were also some suggestions, changes and ideas that we should look at again and discuss with the Fritz Pollard Alliance (a group of coaches and managers who want to strengthen the opportunities of minorities in NFL leadership positions),” the commissioner said.
It is not known when and if there will be a vote on this landmark proposal. The fact is that it is one of the most important issues the NFL urgently needs to address.
