The NFL’s diversity problem isn’t just a headline-it’s a persistent, systemic issue that the league still hasn’t figured out how to fix. Despite updates to the Rooney Rule and well-intentioned programs aimed at fostering inclusion, this year’s coaching cycle delivered a sobering reality check: zero Black head coaches were hired. And that’s after a 2021 expansion of the Rooney Rule requiring teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for top jobs.
The result? A league that’s roughly 70% Black has just three African American head coaches: Todd Bowles in Tampa Bay, Aaron Glenn with the Jets, and DeMeco Ryans in Houston.
Add in Robert Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, and Dave Canales, who is Mexican American, and you’re still looking at just five head coaches of color across 32 teams. That’s not progress-it’s a step backward.
It’s especially jarring when you consider that just two years ago, the NFL hit a high-water mark with nine head coaches of color. That 2024 hiring cycle brought in four minority head coaches-Canales, Raheem Morris, Jerod Mayo, and Antonio Pierce.
Today, only Canales remains in the role. The numbers don’t lie, and they’re not trending in the right direction.
Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the issue during his annual Super Bowl week press conference, acknowledging that the league is reevaluating its approach to hiring and development. “We are reviewing everything that we do,” Goodell said. “Every aspect of our policies in our program to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow rather than yesterday.”
But the reality is, no amount of policy tweaking will matter if team owners aren’t willing to expand their perspectives. The hiring process is still largely driven by relationships, comfort levels, and familiarity-factors that often work against candidates who don’t look like the majority of decision-makers.
Just look at the case of Brian Flores. He’s one of the most respected defensive minds in the game.
Under his leadership, the Vikings finished third in total defense and seventh in points allowed this past season. Yet, for the second straight year, Flores was passed over for a head coaching job.
He interviewed with both the Ravens and Steelers, but didn’t land a gig.
Of course, there’s more to the story. Flores is still pursuing a class-action lawsuit against the NFL and several teams, alleging discriminatory hiring practices and sham interviews conducted simply to satisfy the Rooney Rule.
That lawsuit is undoubtedly a factor in his current coaching limbo. But it also underscores the very issue the league claims it wants to fix-qualified minority candidates being overlooked, even when their resumes speak volumes.
Over the last two years, 17 head coaching jobs have opened up. Only one-Aaron Glenn’s-went to a Black coach.
That’s not a pipeline problem. That’s a hiring problem.
And it’s not just on the sidelines. The front office isn’t faring much better.
The 2025 season kicked off with five Black general managers: Andrew Berry (Browns), Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Vikings), Terry Fontenot (Falcons), Brad Holmes (Lions), and Ryan Poles (Bears). Since then, Adofo-Mensah and Fontenot have both been let go, leaving just three Black GMs in the league.
The offensive coordinator ranks? Even more stark.
Eric Bieniemy and Mike McDaniel are the only coordinators of color in the NFL. That’s a stunningly low number, especially when you consider that offensive coordinators are often the fastest track to head coaching jobs.
Bieniemy’s case is particularly frustrating. He helped guide the Chiefs to two Super Bowl titles and was on the sideline as Patrick Mahomes collected two MVP awards.
Yet despite his résumé, he’s never been hired as a head coach. Critics often point to Andy Reid’s role as the primary play-caller, but that didn’t stop Doug Pederson or Matt Nagy-both of whom held the same position before landing head coaching jobs.
Nathaniel Hackett got his shot without being the main play-caller. Bieniemy?
Still waiting.
It’s hard not to draw the conclusion that race plays a role in who gets the benefit of the doubt-and who doesn’t.
The broader landscape isn’t helping either. In the political sphere, the current administration has taken a hard stance against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
Several executive orders have been issued to dismantle DEI initiatives across various industries. The ripple effect has reached the NFL, where the league’s accelerator program-a key tool for connecting minority candidates with decision-makers-has been paused.
Goodell insisted that the pause didn’t impact this year’s hiring cycle, but acknowledged the importance of continuing that work. “We want to continue and figure out how we could use [the accelerator] to make sure that people understand the level of talent that is out there,” he said.
The commissioner’s words are measured and diplomatic, but the results speak louder. The NFL can hold as many press conferences as it wants.
It can revise the Rooney Rule, launch new programs, and promote awareness. But until team owners start making different decisions-until they’re willing to go outside their comfort zones-the league will keep circling the same issue.
Right now, the number of Black head coaches in the NFL is exactly the same as it was in 2003-the year before the Rooney Rule was introduced. That’s not just disappointing. It’s damning.
Representation matters. Not just for the players on the field, but for the coaches, the coordinators, the executives-everyone who helps shape the game.
The NFL says it wants to lead on this issue. But leadership isn’t about words.
It’s about action.
And unless that action starts with the people who actually make the hires, we’ll be having this same conversation again next year.