The NFL's 2026 head coaching carousel has officially come to a stop, with all 10 vacancies now filled - tying the league record for most openings in a single hiring cycle. Sunday’s hire of Mike LaFleur by the Arizona Cardinals and reports that Klint Kubiak is finalizing a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders wrapped up what’s been one of the busiest and most scrutinized offseasons in recent memory.
But while the coaching shuffle has brought fresh faces and familiar names into new roles, it also reignited a conversation that’s been simmering for years - the lack of diversity in the league’s top coaching ranks.
Of the 10 head coaches hired during this cycle, only one is a minority: Robert Saleh, who takes over the Tennessee Titans after his run with the New York Jets. Saleh, the son of Lebanese immigrants, becomes the latest entry in a coaching landscape that remains overwhelmingly white at the highest level.
Let’s put that into perspective: There are now just three Black head coaches in the NFL - Todd Bowles (Buccaneers), DeMeco Ryans (Texans), and Aaron Glenn (Jets). That’s only one more than there were back in 2002, the year before the NFL introduced the Rooney Rule.
The rule, which mandates that teams interview at least two external minority or female candidates for head coaching jobs, was meant to open doors. But 24 years later, the league is still grappling with how to turn those interviews into opportunities.
It wasn’t long ago - 2017, to be exact - that the NFL entered a season with seven Black head coaches and eight minority head coaches overall. The league has seen that number rise and fall over the years, but the regression in recent seasons is hard to ignore.
This year’s coordinator hires reflect a similar trend. Two Black coaches have landed offensive coordinator roles: Eric Bieniemy, who returned to his old role with the Chiefs, and Mike McDaniel, who identifies as biracial and is now the offensive coordinator for the Chargers after being let go as Dolphins head coach. On the defensive side, four Black coaches have stepped into coordinator roles: Christian Parker (Cowboys), Dennard Wilson (Giants), Patrick Graham (Steelers), and Daronte Jones (Commanders).
It’s worth noting that the 2024 hiring cycle had given fans a reason to believe progress was being made. That year, the Patriots brought in Jerod Mayo, the Raiders promoted Antonio Pierce, and the Falcons hired Raheem Morris. Add in Dave Canales - of Mexican descent - taking the Panthers job, and the league hit a high-water mark with nine head coaches of color.
But fast forward to today, and only Canales remains in a head coaching role. Mayo and Pierce were both let go after the 2024 season.
Morris was dismissed in January, though he quickly landed on his feet as the new defensive coordinator for the 49ers. Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin - the longest-tenured Black head coach in NFL history - stepped down after the Steelers’ season, further shrinking the league’s diversity at the top.
As the dust settles on this latest round of hires, here’s a look at the 10 head coaching changes made during the 2026 cycle:
- Arizona Cardinals: Mike LaFleur
- Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski
- Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter
- Buffalo Bills: Joe Brady
- Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken
- Las Vegas Raiders: Klint Kubiak (expected)
- Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley
- New York Giants: John Harbaugh
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy
- Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh
The names are in, the contracts are signed (or close to it), and the coaching staffs are beginning to take shape. But the league’s ongoing challenge remains clear: turning a stated commitment to diversity into real, sustained representation. Because for all the talk about pipelines and progress, the numbers still tell a different story.