NFL At 100: Rooney Rule has its positives and its faults

[Auggie]

By Barry Wilner?|?AP

In 2003, the NFL had three minority head coaches: future Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dungy, Herman Edwards and Marvin Lewis.

In the 12 previous seasons, there had been six. Total.

Considering that the majority of the players in the league 16 years ago were minorities, that imbalance was enormous. And disturbing.

Paul Tagliabue, then the NFL commissioner, put together a committee that established the “Rooney Rule,” which requires all teams with coaching and front office vacancies to interview minority candidates. The rule, long overdue, was named for the late Dan Rooney, then president of the Pittsburgh Steelers and head of that committee.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nfl/nfl-at-100-rooney-rule-has-its-positives-and-its-faults/2019/12/07/a6adc930-190c-11ea-80d6-d0ca7007273f_story.html

Faults?

The Pollard Alliance lodged a complaint with the NFL after Raiders owner Mark Davis said he’d decided on Gruden even before minority candidates were interviewed by GM Reggie McKenzie. Davis hired Gruden, and the league found no violations: two black assistants — Tee Martin of USC, and the Raiders’ Bobby Johnson — were interviewed.

(Tony) Dungy is troubled by such machinations.

“If you just say, `I am going to satisfy the letter of law, interview a minority candidate and then hire who I want anyway,’ then of course it doesn’t work, and it creates hard feelings,” Dungy says. “And that is what happens more and more. An owner wants an offensive coach, maybe a quarterbacks guy, so he interviews a defensive backfield coach who is a minority to satisfy (the Rooney Rule). And then he hires the offensive guy he wanted all along.

Full article at the link

[JonLP24]

1. Herman Edwards is a great coach for Arizona State

They out performed expectations the last 2 seasons and doing it with a lot of freshmen & sophomores. Marvin Lewis is also here as well to "coach the coaches". Antonio Pierce as linebackers coach & recruiting coordinator. Sun Devils have a great staff I can't wait til next season.