Also, what's your assistant coach set up? And since America loves to ignore blatant racism unless they can watch it on video or it can be quantified into numbers, Deadspin took a look at the plight of Black coaches in the NFL over the last 20-plus years. He was 41-44 in his tenure and took the Jets to the postseason in three of his five seasons. The franchise was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL . Mike Tomlin, Brian Flores and David Culley are the three NFL coaches. Andrew Brandt would know. He was replaced by Vic Fangio who was fired on Sunday. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. But, if history is any indication and it is thats far from a guarantee. Culley lasted just one season with the Texans, completing the 2021 campaign with a 4-13 overall record. 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. Vance Joseph, who was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and is reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. 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. There have been six head coaches of the Houston Texans, a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas, United States.The Texans play in the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL).. Relationships play a big part too. 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. He led Indianapolis to the franchise's second Super Bowl title in 2006. "Brush my teeth?" This is the NFL, a place where Black coaches get treated like third-class citizens. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. 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. Eric Studesville was the head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. Tony Alford. If they could bring that character into our building, others would pick up on those same qualities. During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website. 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. 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. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. We should be able to have a system where the best person for the job gets hired, not the person you know the best. Doug Whaley says this could too. What's your systems? 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. Frazier finished the year 3-3, and got the interim tag taken off him. In that time, they hired two head coaches. Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing while he was head coach in order to increase the teams odds in the NFL Draft. Smith was hired in Chicago after the Bears were 7-9 the year before, with Smith going 5-11 in his first season. Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. 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. Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. 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.". Personality's always going to play a big role. His saying was, "It's great to have a mentor, but it's even better to be a mentor." Of course, that type of logic is counterproductive and completely beside the point, what with the racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a former Black head coach and alleging that the NFLs ownership is colluding to keep teams head coaches as white as possible. Whaley says women and minorities struggle to break through In this insular world. I think leadership's basic premise is can you get people to do things that they necessarily don't want to do just because of you? Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. Gerald Alexander. The NFL has a serious diversity problem. 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. Our recent USA Today sports analysis found that in the last 20 years, about four white coaches were hired for every coach of color. Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! When I started teaching seven, eight years ago, I'd have a class of 50 students, it'd be 47 guys and three girls. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. There's also disparities in the type of coaching roles black coaches are hired for. It seems like an impossible task to succeed when the most important position on your roster is in such flux. 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. Coaches[edit] Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2022 NFL season. You can just interview a black or minority head coach and know that you're not really going to hire them, you're just making sure you cross all your Ts and dot your Is before you make that hire of the white coach you want. During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website. 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. Dungy was hired in Indianapolis after they went 6-10 before he arrived. All Rights Reserved. The year before, Norv Turner was 4-12, and the year after Shell left, Lane Kiffin was 4-12 in his first season. He was also a terrific running back, earning All-America honors in 1916 while playing for Brown University. | Source: Wesley Hitt / Getty. That's USA Today's Tom Schad, he's part of the NFL Coach's Project, USA Today's ongoing series analyzing the demographics of football coaches. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. 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. The Houston Texans broughtCulley in to clean up the mess that Bill OBrien left after he underachieved with J.J. Watt, Deshaun Watson, and DeAndre Hopkins on top of trading Hopkins and getting into it with Watt. 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. He compiled a record of 21-32. Crennel showed up in Cleveland after a season in which Butch Davis and Robiskie led the Browns to a 4-12 campaign. He was fired in September 2022. After serving as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. No matter what you make, if I came in here and told you how to spend your money, what would you say? These days, he runs a sports law program at Villanova University and hosts the Business of Sports podcast. Todd Bowles Starting our list on number 20 is the NFL franchise head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Todd Bowles. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. All Rights Reserved. Either way, Flores. Studesville was the interim head coach of the Broncos in 2010, going 1-3 to finish out the season. He was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2009. What do you think of that player? 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. Is it right, wrong or indifferent? There were three Black head coaches in the NFL when the Rooney Rule took effect, and the league hasn't made a ton of progress toward its goals in the years since. In seven seasons with the Colts, Dungy was 92-33 as he made the playoffs every season and won Super Bowl XLI. Jackson, who is the current coach of Grambling State, was the head coach of the Raiders (2011) and Browns (2016-2018). Notably, Jackson responded to Flores lawsuit by claiming he was subjected to similar treatment described in the complaint. Brandt is a sports agent turned NFL executive who spent about 10 years with the Green Bay Packers. Caldwell was only in Detroit for four seasons, but the Lions made two postseason appearances under him. Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. Smith wasnt able to capture the magic he had in Chicago with Tampa Bay. Image: Getty Images When Stephen. 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. I'm James Brown. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Having them sit in non-interview settings with the decision makers, presidents, and owners, everything I've talked about. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. He has an overall record of 62-50 in seven seasons. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. Owners and front office people who are in charge of hiring, they found loopholes in the rule. Who are the NFL's Black head coaches? For so many reasons, DeMeco is everything we are looking for in a leader and coach for our organization, said Texans owner Cal McNair in a statement. His career record is 92-90. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. He compiled a 34-32 record in four seasons and was replaced by Brandon Stanley. He ended his career with a 113-94 overall record. 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.. NFC Head Coaches Arizona Cardinals | Jonathan Gannon* Atlanta Falcons | Arthur Smith Carolina Panthers | Frank Reich* Chicago Bears | Matt Eberflus Dallas Cowboys | Mike McCarthy Detroit Lions | Dan Campbell Green Bay Packers | Matt LaFleur Los Angeles Rams | Sean McVay Minnesota Vikings | Kevin O'Connell New Orleans Saints | Dennis Allen Whaley is part of a group that launched One Global Culture Events, which helped minority candidates in pro sports connect with upper management. The following year the team was 11-5 and Smith won Coach of the Year. 20 years ago, the NFL adopted a policy known as the Rooney Rule. Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah - General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings. He only coached eight total games, getting all three of his wins with Buffalo. 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. Like our content? Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. 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. Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. Emmitt Thomas. Notably, Jackson responded to Flores lawsuit by claiming he was subjected to similar treatment described in the complaint. During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 89-87-0 across eleven seasons including going 3-3-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. How would you use that player? Tyler Dragon, sports reporter for USA Today, says the league already has similar programs in place. Joseph showed up in Denver after Gary Kubiak stepped down two years after the Broncos won a Super Bowl. Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History After a long career as an assistant with the Patriots, Flores got a chance to run his own team when the Dolphins came calling in 2019. Yeah, I think the obvious point is that people tend to hire people like themselves, and that's not just true in the NFL, that's not just true in sports. Former NFL executives Andrew Brandt and Doug Whaley, and USA TODAY sports reporters Tom Schad and Tyler Dragon give their insights on the process of hiring coaches and executives in today's NFL. He went 21-38 across those four seasons. was originally published on He signed a 10-year, $95 million deal with the Spartans in November 2021. Eric Studesville was the head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. 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. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. He is embroiled in a lawsuit that he filed against multiple teams, including Miami, and the NFL for discriminatory hiring practices. Singletary coached the 49ers from 2008-2010, totaling 18 wins and 22 losses in three seasons. 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. Here's what our USA TODAY Sports investigation found. It's very rare for a coach interview to come in and say, "Yeah, I'll figure that out later." Which again, through experience, I've learned those are the key indicators for success. He has a 3-3 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season.

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