The NFL officially has announced changes to the Rooney Rule.
According to a statement released by the league Monday, teams will be required to interview at least two minority candidates for open head coaching positions, one minority candidate for any one of the three coordinator positions and one external minority candidate for the senior football operations or general manager positions. Teams and the league office must include minority and female candidates when interviewing for senior-level office positions, as well.
Teams also will be tasked with developing their own minority coaching fellowship programs to help “provide NFL Legends, minority and female participants with hands-on training in NFL coaching.”
“The NFL is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which I believe is critical to our continued success,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, per the statement. “While we have seen positive strides in our coaching ranks over the years aided by the Rooney Rule, we recognize, after the last two seasons, that we can and must do more. The policy changes made today are bold and demonstrate the commitment of our ownership to increase diversity in leadership positions throughout the league.”
A resolution to reward teams that hire minority candidates with improved draft picks, however, has been tabled. But during a conference call Monday, Goodell said, “Our work here is not done,” per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
There currently are four minority head coaches in the NFL, one of the lowest numbers since the rule initially was implemented in 2003.
