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NFL Stepping Backwards in Black Hires

By SEAN JENSEN,
AOL
Posted: 2008-01-25 21:49:52
Filed Under: NFL
Sports Commentary

Nearly a year ago, on television’s grandest stage, the nation celebrated a monumental moment in African American history.


Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears led their respective teams to Super Bowl XLI, a remarkable achievement since the first African American head coach of the modern era (Art Shell) didn’t get his chance until 1990.

Yet with Super Bowl XLII days away, that momentum has seemingly stalled.

African Americans were shut out of three NFL head-coaching jobs, not to mention three front office positions, and only Kevin Sumlin landed one of the 18 Division I-A college vacancies. Even worse, at least one NFL club conducted what appeared to be token interviews, while several colleges didn’t even fake the charade. The Miami Dolphins singled out Bill Parcells as the executive vice president of football operations as their savior then, after interviewing a couple of African American candidates, hired the two men they were long rumored to want from the outset: Jeff Ireland as general manager and Tony Sparano as head coach. At the college level, Texas A&M and Mississippi, two public institutions, didn’t even bother to interview any minority candidates before hiring Mike Sherman and Houston Nutt.

“The fact that people are considered; that probably is progress,” Dungy said Thursday morning. “But you look at the bottom line, and you ask, ‘What happened?’”

Something is afoul in football.

Dungy and Fritz Pollard Alliance executive director John Wooten provided positive spins on the recent NFL hirings (the Washington Redskins have yet to replace Joe Gibbs), while Floyd Keith, the executive director of the Black Coaches & Administrators, admitted that he was “disturbed” by what’s happened at the collegiate level.

“We’re up to 8, which is actually an all-time high,” Keith said before letting loose an uncomfortable laugh. “But high compared to what?”


“Disturbed” is diplomatic.

Appalling is more appropriate to describe the racial “advancement” that has been made in the nation’s most popular sport, one in which more than half of collegiate and 70 percent of NFL players are identified as African American.

Only five of the 32 NFL head coaches are African American, while six of 119 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches are African American (the other two minorities are Mario Cristobal of Florida International, who is Latino-American, and Ken Niumatalolo of Navy, who is Polynesian-American).

Race is not often mentioned when managers in Major League Baseball, or coaches in the National Basketball Association or NCAA are hired and fired. That’s because the percentages aren’t as abominable as football, and plum jobs have been handed to black and white candidates, alike.

“You would think colleges would be ahead of the professional game. It’s an academic environment, and it’s not all supposed to be about winning, and it’s more open minded and progressive,” Dungy said. “But it just seems like when they do open up, the door has been closed for minorities.”

Specifically, minority coaches generally get their foot in the door as head coaches at programs that “historically haven’t been good,” Dungy said.

“That’s the tough part,” he said. “There seems to be a struggle to get an opportunity when a Nebraska opens up, or a Michigan opens up.”

Some people are wondering whether the Rooney Rule -- the NFL mandate that teams interview minority candidates before hiring a head coach -- has served its purpose. But the questionable searches being conducted, most obviously by the Dolphins, should raise red flags about the commitment of NFL owners of honoring the Rooney Rule.

In fact, if anything, the NFL should expand the reach of the Rooney Rule to other front office positions. A league spokesman said that is not under consideration at the time, and Wooten said his organization would not “push for that,” noting that Joey Clinkscales of the New York Jets and Reggie McKenzie of the Green Bay Packers were among those who recently interviewed for general manager jobs.

“Is it where we want it to be? No,” Wooten said of the diversification of the NFL. “There are still bumps. But the lights are shining on the bumps, and everyone is working together.”


Wooten noted a couple of milestones at Super Bowl XLII: Jerry Reese of the New York Giants is the first African American general manager to lead his team to the championship game, while Mike Carey will be the Super Bowl’s first African American referee. “Things are moving forward,” Wooten said.

Dungy, though, cannot fathom why the Rooney Rule can’t be applied to other top NFL jobs. “I’ve never understood the rational,” Dungy said. “If we have the same type of numbers problems, I don’t see what the difference is.”

Dungy lamented the Dolphins pursuit of Parcells.

“Even if they were going to hire Bill, had they interviewed a Kevin Warren, at least then, Kevin’s name gets out there,” Dungy said, referring to Warren, the Minnesota Vikings vice president of operations and legal counsel. “Then, more people say, ‘Here is a candidate,’ and you get those candidates unearthed a little bit.

“It’s not logical to say it’s a good rule for the head coaches but not for general managers or directors of football operations.”

And while the NFL has emphasized the issue, the league should take an even closer look to ensure clubs aren’t just going through the motions to fulfill the Rooney Rule.

Meanwhile, NCAA President Myles Brand recently had this to say: “The challenges facing African-Americans and other persons of color need immediate and strong action.” Strong words?

They’re generic coming from Brand.

He opened last year’s NCAA annual convention with a similar statement begrudging diversity among coaches, and West Virginia is mired in the NCAA’s latest multicultural mishap. The agent of former Mountaineers offensive coordinator Calvin Magee told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that a West Virginia administrator told his client that he would not be a candidate to replace Rich Rodriguez because of his skin color.

Magee is among the dozens of qualified coaches of color in the NFL (Frazier, Craig Johnson and Mike Singletary, among them) and the NCAA (Mike Locksley, Charlie Strong and DeWayne Walker, as examples) who have prepared themselves to lead a team. The racial barriers have been razed in other sports. When will football finally catch up? Ever the optimist, Dungy said he hopes that his achievement last year would “open up doors” for others.

“It might take a few years for it to show up,” Dungy said.

Sean Jensen covers the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He can be reached at nothinbutlovefor@aol.com.

2008 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved.
2008-01-25 13:06:26
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rbrossrocks 07:30:37 AM Feb 25 2008

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the media and government is trying to keep us hating each other. by using the word african american it separates them from americans white dontcare about blacks unless they commit crimes against them and the media brings up this crap about blacks needing coaching jobs. the elite in this world are treating us like dummys and most of us are falling for it white and black together need to wake up and see the real ememy.

dannyboy5454 12:00:46 AM Feb 25 2008

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maybe there should be white quotas on white athletes percentages in football..basketball and other college and professional sports.......seems like it is disportionate.What if sports become 90% black...is that going to make the need for more white athletes..stop moaning and enjoy your affirmative advantage

ded320 12:37:49 PM Feb 22 2008

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xenh20 02:49:06 PM Feb 20 2008

Report This! Why is it that every country in the world thats is run by people whom are darker is in Chaos, whereas those run by us with fairer skin run smoothly. Get over yourselves. This is a WHITE mans world either deal with it or get the hell out of MY country. That goes for blacks, yellows, browns, all of the colors.

You know what xenh20, your ancestors is not from America either. God put us all her for a reason, and this is defintely not a white man's world. Out of 32 coaches, only 6 are african american? If that is not racist, I don't know what is. This world is still racist and always will be with comments made by people like you.

pillowlamichael 09:15:13 AM Feb 20 2008

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U KNOW , IT,S A SHAME THAT SOME OF U PEOPLE ARE EITHER BLIND AS HELL OR JUST PLAIN STUPID, BECAUSE U WOULD HAVE TO, TO MAKE THE COMMENTS MADE,U KNOW SOME OF U WHITE PEOPLE HAVE ALOT OF NERVE,IT,S COOL WHEN U THINK U BEEN WRONGED, BUTWHEN IT,S SOMEONE ALSE U START CRYING LIKE LITTLE.......... IT,S A COLOR THING BECAUSE U MAKE IT ONE. NOW GET OVER THIS

jimchristison 03:58:26 PM Feb 19 2008

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I saw the comments on BET (black entertainment television), but I can't find a WET (white entertainment television). Is evething racial today? Geez...get over it. Blacks are better athletes than whites, but whites make better coaches, OK? Accept those facts, OK?

barriett49 08:24:31 AM Feb 17 2008

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Gee tye asians are also a minority, seems racist to me that EVEN asians are looked upon in a better light that African Americans?When will we be just Americans without the adjectives?Time to drop the labels, stop the hate and be happy in your lot in life.Just a plain working Joe who WORKED all his life and really tried not to complain about the what if's of life.30 years at the same company retired with a crushed disc in my back.I still believe I'm blessed.to bad people just can't seem to appreciate what they have and hunger for what the don't.

wjrjpr 11:22:18 PM Feb 15 2008

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Mabey there isn't any good black coaches.When are they (black) going to stop pissin and moaning about whats fair. Tiger Woods is no 1 in the world of golf and the 200 behind him are white. Gee thats not fair!!! Get a life all you moaners

boyadj45 10:51:22 AM Feb 15 2008

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its idiotic to thinkhat blacks are passed over. If its up to aol contributors, the whole world should be run by blacks. keep in mind the chairman of time warner is black, and if not for accounting gimmickery, aol and time warner are bankrupt.

tyelcid94 05:44:06 PM Feb 14 2008

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Because crv1953 you were not oppress for 200 years. . .killed and humilated in front of the entire human race. . .Thats why we deserve a chance in anything in society. . .no one calls you nig... behind your back or infront of your face and it still goes on racial equality has come a long way but its not there yet. . .when Asians get looked at better than Afican-American then its a problem. . .

dandrews1138 11:35:40 AM Feb 08 2008

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I hate this kind of irresponsible reporting! Black people were "shut out" of the three coaching jobs because a black guy wasn't hired for it? Give me a break! And if a black person doesn't win American Idol, were black people "shut out" of winning American Idol? How about if a white dude gets a role on a TV show...were black guys shut out of that role?

Just because you weren't hired does NOT mean you were "shut out!" That sickening, irresponsible type of wording is intentionally used to get people angry about nothing. That kind of divisive idiocy is creating additional racism and hatred in this country.

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