The NFL is preparing to set in place new rules that would allow more aspiring minority Head Coaches to have an interview. According to the Associated Press, the newly amended Rooney Rule will require teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head coaching jobs.
The new rule comes as the NFL makes an effort to improve minority coaching jobs in the NFL with only 4 of 32 head coaches being Black or Latino. In 2018, five Black head coaches were fired across the league none of whom landed an NFL head coaching job the following season.
The firing of Todd Bowles (New York Jets), Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals), Steve Wilkes (Arizona Cardinals) and Vance Joseph (Denver Broncos) was dubbed “Black Monday” by members of the sports media.
The fifth Black coach who was fired that season was Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns) but Jackson was fired mid-season and not part of “black Monday.”
In addition to requiring two minority candidates an interview, the league also plans to incentivize the hiring of minority coaches giving teams higher draft picks.
African-American Head Coach of the Los Angeles Chargers Anthony Lynn spoke out about the incentivization of minority hiring in a CBS Radio interview.
“I think sometimes you can do the wrong thing while trying to do the right thing,” Lynn said in a CBS Radio interview. “There are some qualified applicants, and they need an opportunity, and I think this is — out of desperation this is something that has been thrown out there.”
The rule changes would only pass with a 3/4 majority approval from team owners.
