NFL looking to adjust Rooney Rule

[BigMeatballDave]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/88...sure-diversity

There has been plenty of turnover in coach and general manager positions in the NFL this offseason, but the league acknowledged Friday that teams can do better when it comes to hiring minorities.

NFL vice president of human resources Robert Gulliver said the league is looking at making adjustments to the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview a minority before making a hire.

Of the eight new head coaches and seven general manager jobs that have been filled since the end of last offseason, none have gone to a minority. The Jets have yet to officially hire a new GM, though sources tell ESPN that it will be Seahawks executive John Idzik, who is also not a minority.

Mike Tomlin of the Steelers, Marvin Lewis of the Bengals and Leslie Frazier of the Vikings are the only black coaches among the 32 teams.

"While there has been full compliance with the interview requirements of the Rooney Rule and we wish the new head coaches and general managers much success, the hiring results this year have been unexpected and reflect a disappointing lack of diversity," Gulliver said. "The Rooney Rule has been a valuable tool in expanding diversity and inclusion in hiring practices, but there is more work to do, especially around increasing and strengthening the pipeline of diverse candidates for head coach and senior football executive positions.

"We have already started the process of developing a plan for additional steps that will better ensure more diversity and inclusion on a regular basis in our hiring results. We look forward to discussing these steps with our advisers to ensure that our employment, development and equal opportunity programs are both robust and successful."

[Dayze]

I sort of think the rule is a slap in the face to the 'minorities'.
i mean, it would seem that teams do it to meet the requirement, so it's a token interview etc.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Fritz Pollard Alliance calls for expansion of Rooney Rule

The NFL has expressed disappointment regarding the fact that 15 key hires were made in the last two weeks and none of the jobs went to minorities.

In response, the Fritz Pollard Alliance has asked the NFL to expand the Rooney Rule, which currently requires at least one minority candidate to be interviewed for every head-coaching and G.M. vacancy. Under the proposal, the rule would expand to coordinators, assistant head coaches, and team presidents.

“We know that the clubs individually and collectively can do better,” said attorney Cyrus Mehri, whose efforts a decade ago with the late Johnnie Cochran prompted the creation of the Rooney Rule. “We believe that extending the Rooney Rule to the coordinator, assistant head coach and president positions will deepen the pipeline and enhance the competition for the top jobs in the years ahead.”

The recent shift away from minority coaching hires has been attributed to a trend that favors offensive coaches — and the lack of minority play-callers.

“In this quarterback-dominated era, it seems clubs are increasingly looking for offensive coaches to fill head coaching positions in particular, and far too few minority coaches have been given offensive coordinator and play-calling responsibilities,” Mehri said. “We want to see a special focus on offensive coordinator and play calling duties going forward. We have many experienced wide receiver and running back position coaches ready to be coordinators now.”

The use of the Rooney Rule for club presidents will, if it results in increased minority, ensure that there will be more diverse groups selecting coaches and General Managers.

“Last night at the Senior Bowl, we met with a good cross section of our members,” Fritz Pollard Alliance executive director John Wooten said. “They are very frustrated and disappointed with the recent hiring stats, but they are behind this new call to action. And just a day after Martin Luther King Day, we have to remember Dr. King’s words: The arc of history bends towards justice. We will learn from this and move forward in a positive way.”

The issue remains a thorny one for the NFL. The Rooney Rule does not mandate hiring; it only mandates an opportunity to interview, for one minority candidate per job. The problem is that owners typically enter the hiring process with a wish list containing a few names. The idea that the league office often forces owners to conduct unnecessary interviews is more likely to create resentment than diversity.

That same mindset will apply to coordinators and assistant head coaches. New coaches fill their staffs primarily by hiring friends or relatives, or relatives of friends. Tapping the brakes for interviews of people the coaches don’t plan to hire will serve only to anger the coaches.

And so there remains only two truly effective solutions to the current problem: The passage of time, which will result in an influx of owners who came of age in an increasingly open and diverse society, or the filing of a class-action lawsuit for racial discrimination.


http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...f-rooney-rule/

[Chief_For_Life58]

We need more native american and asian head coaches in the nfl. The nfl is so racist for not hiring a single one.

[TEX]

Did they look at adjusting the rule it last year? When it works fine - no credit seems to be given...

I think the best person for any job should get said job - period.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

I think teams should be required to bring in white wide recievers and running backs.

Yes. I think the qualification process is atheltically biased...

[bsp4444]

At what point does % minority come into the equation? Will they have to prove heritage? If a caucasian great-grandmother is discovered, do they not meet the Rooney Rule requirement?