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It's Your Week: NFL coaches call on owners to increase diversity

Sallee Ann Harrison   | Paste BN

Of the 72 head NFL coaches hired in the past decade, just 14 have been men of color. In a league in which historically about two-thirds of the players are Black, there has never been more than eight nonwhite coaches in a single season.

I'm Sallee Ann and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers.

This week we're diving into our series on diversity in the NFL and what can be done for it to be more inclusive.

But first, don't miss these stories made possible with your Paste BN subscription:

Broadening the conversation

"Historically, I think there's been a lot of focus on the lack of diversity among NFL head coaches and the hiring issues there – and rightfully so, of course," Paste BN Sports reporter Tom Schad said. "But one of our other goals with this project was to look below the surface. What percentage of entry-level coaches are people of color, for example? Are they moving up the ranks easily or encountering roadblocks? And if so, what do those roadblocks look like?"

Schad said that when he and the team started asking these types of questions, using data compiled over more than a year, they made some interesting discoveries.

One finding was stark disparities in the racial makeup of coaches based on the positions they coach – evidence of subconscious segregation that has helped funnel white assistants to coordinator and head coaching positions while stunting the progress of their Black counterparts.

Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, told Paste BN Sports he carries a list that he would rather not carry. On it are reasons some of the NFL's 32 teams have given him and the league office for not hiring Black candidates.

"Biases are showing up before the (coach) even begins the interview," Vincent said. "This is consistent over the last 15 to 20 years but, in particular, over the last few years."

Wondering how diverse your favorite team is? We have a database for that. 

"The hope, at least on my part, is that these types of stories will help broaden the conversation and really illustrate the magnitude and complexity of these issues in the NFL," Schad said.

'A significant shift'

This very conversation made headlines this week during the NFL owners meeting.

"What is said during NFL owners meetings rarely becomes public – unless it involves Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones fighting with someone – so when a source mentioned that a high-profile white coach had pressed owners on the league’s diversity woes, going so far as to ask, 'What are you thinking?' it piqued our interest," said Paste BN Sports columnist Nancy Armour.

Armour said Vincent had already been extremely candid when she and fellow reporters asked league officials about the NFL’s struggles, so they want back and asked him if he recalled this supposed incident.

"He confirmed on the record that it did, and then shared that it wasn’t one coach, it was four, and gave us their names," Armour said.

Armour followed up with each of the coaches, and Frank Reich of the Indianapolis Colts talked – again, on the record – about what they said and, more important, why they said it.

"Reich was very emphatic that he didn’t want this portrayed as white coaches being heroes, but rather that they’re in a unique position to vouch for coaches who are getting overlooked for no good reason, and they feel a responsibility to stand up for them," Armour said.

In the story, Reich said, "It’s one thing to say 'Yeah, I agree this is an important issue,' but it’s another thing to actually try to take steps to try to help.”

Armour said this was astonishing candor from owners.

"(It) gave a peek into what could be a significant shift in who gets hired for the NFL’s top jobs," she said.

More from the NFL coaches project:

📊 Poll corner!

Last week, I asked you (in the spirit of spooky season): Do you like horror movies?

  • Yes, I love being scared: 15.2%
  • Nope, nope, nope: 84.8%

I hear you loud and clear. Real life is scary enough. So here are some lighter stories to start your week off (no jump scares, promise!):

Your turn! I want your help picking our next poll for the group. Submit your suggestions here.

Thank you

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