Ashburn, Va. – The open receiver of the Washington commanders, Terry McLaurin, stopped for a moment to think while talking to a journalist after a practice this season.
“Now that you mention it,” said McLaurin, “I have never had a black chief coach at high school, university or NFL coordinators and position coaches only.”
McLaurin, like most NFL players, is black and, like some of his colleagues, houses concerns about the lack of black chief coaches. Associated Press surveyed more than 65 black players of 25 teams on the subject, and approximately 36% were discouraged or disappointed by the number of black coaches.
“Until you see more coaches,” said the Miami Dolphins supporter, Anthony Walker Jr., “we will all see it in the same way: there are not enough black coaches.”
For Sunday’s Super Bowl among the Kansas City and Philadelphia Eagles chiefs, both regular field marshal are black. None of the coaches is.
The security of the Carolina Panthers, Nick Scott, sees a parallel how long it took in clubs to rule out prejudices about black quarters.
“They were labeled as ‘not as brain.’ That was the narrative. [for coaches]”Scott said.” I would hate that it becomes some affirmative action, where people are pushed to a job, whether qualified or not. So it’s a complicated balance, right? … but I think there are many types that are qualified. “
At a time when President Donald Trump has moved to end the programs for diversity, equity and inclusion of federal diversity and several prominent companies have reduced Dei’s initiatives, the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, said the Monday that the League will continue its diversity efforts.
Several players who interviewed the AP noticed the gap between the proportion of black athletes in the NFL, 53.5% in 2023, according to the Institute of Diversity and Ethics in sports, and that of black coaches, 22% to start this season. That could fall to 19% next season (6 of 32), depending on the selection of the New Orleans Saints for the last opening.
“That discrepancy cannot be overlooked,” McLaurin said. “Obviously, you want the best candidate for work, whether someone who is black, white, Asian or whoever. However, when you have a great representation of African -American players who are in your league, you would like to see that represented in coaching too “
Leaving the provisional hiring aside, McLaurin commanders are one of the 11 clubs that have never used a full -time chief coach who is black, joins the tickets, jeans, giants, jaguars, panthers, carneros, Cuervos, Santos, Marinas and Titans. That is approximately one third of the NFL.
“Are you saying that most southern teams never? The defensive wing of the Saints, Cameron Jordan, said.” There are obvious franchises that will not hire a black coach. “
More than 25 seasons from 2000 to 2024, an AP show shows, 31 of 173 new NFL coaches (18%) are black. In that same period, eight of the 19 chief coaches (42%) fired after their first full season are black.
“It would be blind not to be discouraged,” said the special team player of the Cowboys, CJ Goodwin. “Black coaches can do it, they can do the job … you don’t want to have the glass ceiling.”
The defensive wing of the Raiders of Los Vegas, Malcolm Koonce, spoke for 58% of the players surveyed who answered “no” to that question (6% were not sure how they felt) when answering: “It is, how, how Growing your eyebrows when you really listen to listening number, but it’s not discouraging. “
The 2024 season began with seven black chief coaches: Holdofers Mike McDaniel de los Dolphins, Todd Bowles de los Buccaneers, Demeco Ryans of the Texans and Mike Tomlin of the Steelers and the newly arrived Antonio Pierce de los Raiders (interim coach in 2023) , Jerod Mayo May) of the Patriots and Raheem Morris of the Halcons.
Pierce and May were fired in January. One of the six hiring this low season is Black, Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets.
“It’s still like, ‘Oh, Wow, it’s a black coach!’ “In a predominantly black league, I definitely think there should be more.”
Brandon Brown, the director of Tides, said it makes sense that the players would feel like that.
“We always need to continue ascending progress. Every time you see progress down, it’s a bit discouraging,” Brown said. “When talking to the people of the NFL, there is no lack of trying to be diverse in their hiring. What eventually seems is one thing.”
In the NBA, where approximately 70% of the players are black, 11 of 30 teams (37%) have a black coach. In Major League Baseball, three of the 30 teams have a black manager. In the NHL of 30 teams, there has been a black coach, Dirk Graham, who was fired by the Chicago Blackhawks during his only season in 1998-99.
Almost 40% of the NFL players who participated in the AP survey would like to be a chief coach in the league; It is more likely that others try to be an assistant or work at the university, high school or youth football.
More than 90% were encouraged by the number of black chief trainers who obtained new full -time positions the low season. Those three hiring tied more since 2000.
“Obviously, you want the best candidate for work, whether someone who is black, white, Asian or whoever. However, when you have a great representation of African -American players who are in your league, you would like to see that represented in coaching too ”
Open receiver from commanders Terry McLaurin
The NFL Rooney rule was created in 2003, called by the owner of the Steelers, Dan Rooney, who died in 2017, to increase diversity among the coaches, and, later, executives of the main office, when making him Clubs interview minority candidates.
“Rooney’s rule is a great rule,” said McLaurin, “but … for what I have heard, some teams use it to mark a box, which is unfortunate, instead of using the rule of the way in which It was intended. “
That is one of the elements in the demand of 2022 presented by the former chief coach of the Dolphins and current defensive coordinator of the Vikings, Brian Flores, who accused the NFL and three racist hiring practices teams.
“I knew what Mr. Rooney was trying to achieve with that,” said Steelers defensive Tackle Cam Heyward. “And so see people work around them and say: ‘Well, this guy was already getting the job; we are just [talking to a Black candidate] To appease the many, ‘I don’t think it’s correct. “
The recent searches of the Patriots and Jaguars, for example, raised their eyebrows with interviews received by some as simply destined to meet Rooney’s requirements.
“We follow up with the candidates,” said Goodell. “We talk about the sincerity and thoroughness of an interview to ensure that we are doing it properly.”
As for the underlying causes, some, such as the safety of the Ravens, Kyle Hamilton, pointed out networks and nepotism.
“For blacks in this league, it is a uphill battle … there have been a lot of white chief coaches in the course of the NFL history. Those coaches have children who train,” said Hamilton. “Look at the great ‘Shanahan Tree’. There is no lack of respect for them, but they have a step forward in the business.
“It’s not about what you know; it’s who you know … Black people have been behind.”
Others found connections with larger problems.
“It’s just American society,” said Goodwin. “That is more a social question than a question about the NFL.”
