The Rooney Rule isn't doing a good enough job making NFL coaches more diverse.
For 12 lucky NFL teams, the end of the regular season means the journey to the Super Bowl is just beginning. The other 20 franchises, on the other hand, are getting an early start to the off-season. This is a time that is inevitably filling with change and transition within NFL front offices, particularly for head coaches. And 2015 is no exception to this trend, with three head coach vacancies in the league.
One issue that has strong ties to NFL front offices are the hiring practices relating to racial minorities, who are noticeably absent from positions in NFL front offices.
There is no doubt that racial diversity is advantageous in any industry, professional sports is no exception. With this in mind, NFL adopted the Rooney Rule in 2003. The rule requires every team to interview at least one minority candidate every time there is a coaching or general manager opening.
The Rooney Rule has come under fire in recent years. Those inside the NFL and those outside the NFL argue that although the rule was developed with good intentions it is not living up to its intent in diversifying the league. This became inherently obvious following the 2013 season when eight NFL head coaching jobs and seven general manager positions were filled without a single nod to a minority candidate.
In my opinion, the Rooney Rule must be reevaluated. Due to this rule, many minority candidates are getting interviews just because it is required, not because teams intend on hiring these candidates. There have even been a few instances when NFL teams were ready to hire a head coach, but they had to wait to hire their preferred candidate until they had interviewed a minority candidate and fulfilled the obligation of the Rooney Rule.
The NFL should be able to hire the best and most qualified candidate regardless of race or even gender for that matter. With the Rooney Rule it is not guaranteed that the best candidates are getting the interview. For example, it is very possible that some extremely qualified non-minority candidates may have not gotten an interview as a result of the Rooney Rule. Teams usually need these positions to be filled quickly and don’t have the time to conduct dozens of interviews.
The statistical evidence of minority hires — or lack thereof with only four active minorities of 32 teams — prove the ineffectiveness of the Rooney Rule, despite its good intentions to promote diversity. This has not been incredibly successful over the last 12 years. In fact one could even argue that the Rooney Rule itself is actually inherently racist in its intent.
It is for these reasons that the NFL must find a new effective way to promote racial diversity in NFL front office, because the Rooney Rule, as it currently exists, just isn’t getting it done.
Christopher Miller is a junior studying broadcast journalism and sports management. How do you think the NFL can become more diverse? Let him know at cm001111@ohio.edu or @MLLRC93.
