Caldwell was only in Detroit for four seasons, but the Lions made two postseason appearances under him. The following year the team was 11-5 and Smith won Coach of the Year. For some reason, fans of all genders and races were stunned that Flores was unemployed as if Ross doesnt have a long history of being a contradictory figure. Hubbard Alexander. Tomlin showed up in Pittsburgh after Bill Cowher was 8-8 in his final season and one year removed from winning a Super Bowl. To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. Andrew Brandt would know. The NFL wants more, or so . Specifically, Flores claims hes had multiple incidents of racial discrimination that involved several teams, as well as coaches and executives around the league. He was 41-44 in his tenure and took the Jets to the postseason in three of his five seasons. He is the current running backs coach for the Dolphins. Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. The NFL currently has three head coaches that are of African American origin. No matter what you make, if I came in here and told you how to spend your money, what would you say? After all, they may be musing, isnt the NFL disproportionately made up of Black players? Dirk Koetter replaced Smith and wasnt much better, as Tampa Bay didnt get good again until Bruce Arians showed up in 2019. He's accusing teams including the New York Giants and Denver Broncos of conducting sham interviews with him last year. Crennel took the reins over in K.C. Edwards was hired in Kansas City after the team went 10-6 in Dick Vermeils last season. That's Doug Whaley. Mostly, Pollard would see the work and sacrifice he and other Black coaches have made wasn't. Flores was replacing Adam Gase who was 23-25 in three seasons, as he went 24-25 in three seasons. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History The Lions also had two playoff berths in four seasons, as compared to one playoff appearance in the previous 14 seasons. Fewell was the interim head coach for the Bills in 2009 and Panthers in 2019. Shell did his second and final stint as the head coach for the Raiders, as he only lasted one year after posting a 2-14 record. A more diverse pipeline could help down the road. The fact is that Flores claims are hardly unique and help bolster critics suspicions that the NFL is intentionally trying to keep its head coaching ranks as white as possible despite the leagues so-called Rooney Rule, a policy that requires teams to interview at least one diverse candidate when looking to hire new coaches. For perspectives sake, the NFL entered Black History Month 2022 with just one single Black head coach despite its vow a decade earlier to increase diversity among its head and assistant coaches. We see coaches, as I mentioned, like Ron Rivera, Mike McDaniel, Robert Saleh, not exclusively African American. Carolina's Steve Wilks latest Black coach thrust into challengingrole, A family affair: Nepotism and its networks fill many NFL coaching positions, NFL's path to top jobs still narrow, lengthy for coaches ofcolor, Often interviewed, never hired: How hot-shot NFL head coaching candidates go cold, As NFL coaching carousel starts to spin, advocates unsure how Black candidates will fare, What we learned: Four key findings from USA TODAY's analysis of NFL coaches, PODCAST: Exploring USA TODAY Sports NFL coaches project and previewing Week 4. Yeah, I think the obvious point is that people tend to hire people like themselves, and that's not just true in the NFL, that's not just true in sports. Eric Studesville was the head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. Interestingly enough, Caldwell was mentioned in Brian Flores lawsuit as an example of a Black NFL head coach who was fired in spite of the success he enjoyed. Frederick Pollard Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard Fritz Pollard was the first African-American football player to play at Brown University. filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process, the NFL is an organization akin to slavery,, Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History, According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, according to the Pro Football History website, according to the pro football hall of fame website, according to the Pro Football Reference website, coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, named interim head coach of theAtlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons, NFL head coach with two separate teams from 2009 to 2020, a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job, head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season, Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons, Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing, Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams, reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job, Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Racist Ex-University Of Kentucky 'Karen' Sophia Rosing Is Charged For Assaulting Black Student, Mississippi Cops Beat, Waterboarded Handcuffed Black Men, Shot 1 For Dating White Women': Lawyers. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. He is a former NFL player whose professional career spanned from 1986 to 1993. When Stephen Ross Miami Dolphins fired Brian Flores on Monday, it sent shockwaves around the NFL. Anytime you have to implement a rule to interview a black head coaching candidate or a minority head coaching candidate, that's admitting there's a problem. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/W1bXqGIfl0 Jackson, who is the current coach of Grambling State, was the head coach of the Raiders (2011) and Browns (2016-2018). Jackson took over for Tom Cable, who went 8-8 in his final season with the team. He only coached eight total games, getting all three of his wins with Buffalo. Caldwell took over for Dungy with ease as he posted a 14-2 record in his first season as the Colts made it all the way to Super Bowl XLIV where they were upset by Drew Brees and the Saints. Of course, that type of logic is counterproductive and completely beside the point, what with the racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a former Black head coach and alleging that the NFLs ownership is colluding to keep teams head coaches as white as possible. Emmitt Thomas Source:Getty Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. Owners and front office people who are in charge of hiring, they found loopholes in the rule. Brian Flores, who used to be the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process. Romeo Crennel was a head coach for four seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008 and later for one season with the Houston Texans, according to the Pro Football History website. He was fired in September 2022. Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of theAtlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. The league and the teams deny his claims, but Dragon isn't convinced. He has never had a losing season in his career, going 156-89-2 through Week 6 of the 2022 season. James Franklin (Penn State coach) So far, the best bet to be the first Black coach to win an FBS national championship remains Franklin, whose Nittany Lions will likely enter the season as a . As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy. Over a nearly 20-year career as a coach in the NFL, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013. The NFL's 32 teams began the season in full on Sunday with only three Black head coaches and two Black general managers in a league where the players are roughly 70% Black. Tony Dungy led the Bucs to a Wild-Card Game. It attempted to address the historically low number of minorities in head coaching positions. Only one of five NFL head coaches hired this offseason was Black. A lot of it is right place at the right time, a lot of it's knowing the right people, a lot of it is just hard work and accomplishments. He led the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. Emmitt Thomas Source:Getty Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator, Tennessee Titans. Singletary coached the 49ers from 2008-2010, totaling 18 wins and 22 losses in three seasons. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. He is currently the Bills' defensive coordinator. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. Tucker was the interim head coach of the Jaguars for the last five games of the 2011 season. Vance Joseph, who was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and is reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired. First, look at the overall preview of our 20 black NFL coaches below. I can go down and down the line, there's no majority black owner in the NFL. Lovie Smith was a head coach with the Chicago Bears for eleven seasons from 2004 to 2012 before he was hired as thehead coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014to2015. "Brush my teeth?" Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. The league has even gone to such drastic measures as partnering with rap legend JAY Z in the name of entertainment and social justice as a way to help accomplish its evasive mission. Cliff Anderson (American football) Darren Arbet. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 37-42-1 across five seasons including going 1-2-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. Studesville was the interim head coach of the Broncos in 2010, going 1-3 to finish out the season. His teams won division titles four times and advanced to NFC Championship Games after the 1998 and 2000 seasons, the team wrote on its website. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. We did a lot of reporting on this in the fall, and you had some people who basically suspected that a lot of it stems from playing positions. Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? It's Sunday, February 5th, 2023. Our recent USA Today sports analysis found that in the last 20 years, about four white coaches were hired for every coach of color. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. Over a nearly 20-year career as a coach in the NFL, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013. Caldwell was brought in after the Jim Schwartz (gym shorts) era ended with 4-12 and 7-9 seasons. Jackson was replaced by Dennis Allen, a coach that went 8-28 in 2.5 seasons. Someone that has familiarity with your roster, a lot of our interview time was spent, what do you think of this player? Tyler Dragon, sports reporter at USA Today says things played out differently than expected. If you like this show, write a review on Apple Podcast or wherever you're listening, and do me a favor, share it with a friend. In all, Dungy has a head coaching record of 148-79-0 and won the regular season games he coached at a rate of nearly 70%, according to the pro football hall of fame website. Eventually he became head coach of the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs in the 2000s. He was named the Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1995. That's what we'll be discussing today. That brings the total head-coaching jobs available to six, as the Las Vegas Raiders (Jon Gruden), Jacksonville Jaguars (Urban Meyer) and Denver Broncos (Vic Fangio) had fired their HCs prior to Black Monday. It was a positive thing. You're going to be like, "All right, let me just check that box and go through this process, but I'm still going to do what I want to.". He had an aggregate record of 36-28, a winning percentage of .563 the best winning percentage of any Lions Head Coach since the 1950s, Flores lawsuit said in part. He has a 3-3 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season. He signed on to be the head coach of the Texans in February 2022. Notably, Jackson responded to Flores lawsuit by claiming he was subjected to similar treatment described in the complaint. Ray Rhodes coached in various NFL capacities for nearly 40 years, including a five-year run as head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and later with the Green Bay Packers. He says that change is even happening in his sports business classes. Art Shell became head coach of the then-Los Angeles Raiders in 1988, a job he held until 1994, after the franchise moved to Oakland, according to the Raiders website. When I started teaching seven, eight years ago, I'd have a class of 50 students, it'd be 47 guys and three girls. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. Andrew Brandt agrees that the league has a long way to go and suggested similar programs to the one Whaley describes, but warned that the issue is complex and without easy answers. Your email will be shared with newsone.com and subject to its. Hopefully, DeMecos hiring is the catalyst for more Black coaches in the NFL. He signed a 10-year, $95 million deal with the Spartans in November 2021. Jim Caldwell has been head coach for two different NFL franchises: the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017. He was replaced by Jim Harbaugh. He is currently the linebackers coach for the Steelers. During his three seasons as head coach, Rhule had five different starters Teddy Bridgewater, PJ Walker, Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and Baker Mayfield. Lovie Smith was a head coach with the Chicago Bears for eleven seasons from 2004 to 2012 before he was hired as thehead coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014to2015. With all the controversy surrounding the NFL and its alleged efforts at diversifying head coaching around the professional football league, its worth putting things in their proper perspective for folks who may be shrugging and wondering what the big deal is. Source . He went 21-38 across those four seasons. In the suit, Flores cites text messages from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who said he believed he was contacting Brian Daboll, another coach interviewing for the New York Giants head coaching position. And while that happens, the lack of Black coaches will be the most discussed talking point. MORE: What happened to Brian Flores? Of the five head . After a long career as an assistant with the Patriots, Flores got a chance to run his own team when the Dolphins came calling in 2019. What's the setup of their operation? Exactly. The first version of the policy required every team with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one minority during their process. Reich's firing after Week 9 was a bit of a surprise. In seven seasons with the Colts, Dungy was 92-33 as he made the playoffs every season and won Super Bowl XLI. The first thing you say is kudos to Mr. Rooney, obviously the driving force behind it, and I worked for him so I'm biased, but also the league for identifying a problem and trying to come up with a solution. Thomas was named the interim head coach of the Falcons in 2007 and went 1-2 after Bobby Petrino's sudden resignation. Which again, through experience, I've learned those are the key indicators for success. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. He compiled a 56-52 overall record, reaching the AFC Championship game in 1990. Can this person lead 20 coaches, 60, 70 players depending on practice squad, can they lead? He went 11-21 in 32 games. Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, beginning with the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 season and four other seasons leading the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018. 4. In the text message, Belichick confirmed Daboll had already secured the job, but Flores had not yet interviewed for the position. On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast:5 Things Sunday Host James Brown explores the NFL's Rooney rule which requires teams to interview minority coaches and staff when positions like head coach, general manager, and coordinator positions open. He has a 90-90-1 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season. Ron Aiken. The Lions also had two playoff berths in four seasons, as compared to one playoff appearance in the previous 14 seasons. Lewis was 8-8 his first season. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. He went 36-30 during his tenure and has been replaced by a litany of coaches that havent been able to get the Lions to sniff the playoffs since he was fired. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, During his pro football career the two-time All-America played and sometimes coached for four different NFL teams, the Pros/Indians (1920-21/1925-26), the Milwaukee Badgers (1922), the Hammond Pros (1923, 1925), and the Providence Steam Roller (1925)., It also added: In 1928, Pollard organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African American professional team based in the Windy City.. After announcing his retirement from coaching after the 2021 season, Payton has returned to the NFL and will be the Broncos' 19th head coach in franchise history. Sandra Douglass Morgan - President of the Las Vegas Raiders. He was replaced by Zac Taylor who is currently 16-32 in three seasons. (At the time, it was called the American Professional Football Association.). That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Like our content? Download Our New Praise 107.9 Radio Mobile App For Your Smartphone! Also, what's your assistant coach set up? Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. from Todd Haley that season when he was let go after a 5-8 start. Schad interviewed Herm Edwards, he played in the NFL in the seventies and eighties. Former NFL star DeMeco Ryans is the next Black man to ascend to the position of head coach in the NFL. Bowles has coached the Dolphins (2011) and Jets (2015-2018), and he is the current coach of the Buccaneers. The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. It is what it is and that's the system, but that doesn't mean that it should keep perpetuating that system. With all the controversy surrounding the NFL and its alleged efforts at diversifying head coaching around the professional football league, its worth putting things in their proper perspective for folks who may be shrugging and wondering what the big deal is. Caldwell had an incredible debut season as a head coach, going 14-2 with the Colts on the way to an appearance in Super Bowl XLIV. He had a long career in the NFL working his way up through the Pittsburgh Steelers organization and eventually becoming the only black general manager in the 60-year history of the Buffalo Bills. Crennel was 6-10 in his first season and lasted four years in Cleveland with a 24-20 record. Is it right, wrong or indifferent? When I look at the NFL landscape from top to bottom, they are really behind when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. 12. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. Wilkes was not retained. Just 25 of them have been Black. Green was 16-32 during his tenure and was replaced by Ken Whisenhunt. The Rooney Rule was enacted in 2003 as part of the NFL's plan to "develop a deep, sustainable talent pool at all levels of the organization" and "increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager and executive positions.". During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 89-87-0 across eleven seasons including going 3-3-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. Former NFL executives Andrew Brandt and Doug Whaley, and USA TODAY sports reporters Tom Schad and Tyler Dragon give their insights on the process of hiring coaches and executives in today's NFL. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History Lewis was hired by the Bengals after a 2-14 campaign. In all, Dungy has a head coaching record of 148-79-0 and won the regular season games he coached at a rate of nearly 70%, according to the pro football hall of fame website. Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. He stuck around for 15 more and was 131-129-3, but never won a playoff game in seven trips. He left the league with a 54-74 overall record. That's something Doug Whaley, the former NFL GM we met earlier, learned in his career. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. He is the current running backs coach for the 49ers. Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. In the suit, Flores cites text messages from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who said he believed he was contacting Brian Daboll, another coach interviewing for the New York Giants head coaching position. In his three seasons in Indianapolis, Caldwell was 28-24 and replaced by Chuck Pagano. In 2002, the Texans entered the NFL as an expansion team, with Dom Capers (2002-05) as the team's first head coach. I think there's some basic qualities you look for. Leadership is defined in a lot of different ways. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) Smith has been part of the Titans' staff since 2011 first as a quality control coach, then helping with tight ends, then coaching tight ends, and eventually replacing current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur as the team's offensive coordinator in 2019. If they truly want to change the system or if not, then we realize that they're just given it lip service. He went 2-3 in those games. In nine seasons in Chicago, Smith was 84-66 and made three postseason appearances including losing Super Bowl XLI to the Colts in the only matchup thats ever featured two Black coaches. Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Emmanuel Sanders. He also wants to get a sense of their mentality. Either way, Flores. This revelation meant Flores upcoming interview with the Giants was a sham because they had already hired their next head coach, who is not Black. He is currently Michigan State's head coach. Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah - General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings. The NFL has a serious diversity problem. The rule was named after Dan Rooney, then owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. Edwards was with the Chiefs for three seasons and compiled a 15-34 record that included a postseason loss to the Colts in his debut year. He has captured two AFC championships and one Super Bowl title. The thinking basically went there are lots of black men who played running back, so when they transition to coaching, that's the position they know, it's the easiest way to get into the business. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. After all, he'd led a Colts team in constant need of consistent . There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Tony Alford. 'Dilbert' Comic Creator Calls Black People A 'Hate Group,' Urges Segregation So Whites Can 'Escape', Bernie Mac Show Star Camille Winbush Is Not Ashamed Of Joining OnlyFans, Kyle Rittenhouse Faces 2nd Civil Lawsuit, Continues To Beg For Money From His Supporters, Ben Stein's 'Aunt Jemima' Rant Is A Master Class On White Privilege, Why Did tWitch Kill Himself? Vance Joseph, who was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and is reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired. Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing while he was head coach in order to increase the teams odds in the NFL Draft. His teams won division titles four times and advanced to NFC Championship Games after the 1998 and 2000 seasons, the team wrote on its website. Tony Dungy has been coaching in the NFL for more than 40 years, including when he landed his first head coaching gig in 1996 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which he led for 13 seasons. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. Herman Herm Edwards, largely seen as a mentor to many current and former NFL players, coached the New York Jets from 2001-2005 and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2008, according to the Pro Football Reference website. Revisiting Dolphins scandal, Pollard became the first Black coach in NFL history when he was named co-coach of the Akron Pros in 1921. Green was picked up in Arizona after Dave McGinnis had three consecutive losing seasons in the desert. The Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) have had 13 head coaches in their franchise history. The league in general is very tough because it's not like a lot of other industries where there's a criteria of how you get promoted. For perspectives sake, the NFL entered Black History Month 2023 with just one single Black head coach despite its vow a decade earlier to increase diversity among its head and assistant coaches. As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy. He led the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website. Every week we take a concept or idea and go deep, and this week we talk about football, football coaches that is. Dennis Green took the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images. Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. 12. He was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2009. Who are the NFL's Black head coaches? He led Indianapolis to the franchise's second Super Bowl title in 2006. Todd Haley took over for Edwards and was 19-26 during his run. A complete timeline of Black coaches, past and present, largely declined to hire those candidates, What happened to Brian Flores? Romeo Crennel was a head coach for four seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008 and later for one season with the Houston Texans, according to the Pro Football History website. We might have you on the show. If you have to do something, then you're going to be fully invested in it as something that you chose to do.