The “Rooney Rule”
Has it been effective in doing what is was intended to do?
Unscripted
By Keith Edmonds
Ink Spot Contributing Writer
Named for Dan Rooney, (the late Pittsburgh Steelers owner who was chairman of the league’s Workplace Diversity Committee) this rule is the result of recommendations made by the Workplace Diversity Committee. Since its inception in 2003 the rule is one part of the NFL’s effort to develop a deep, sustainable talent pool at all levels of the organization. The policy promotes diverse leadership among NFL clubs to ensure that promising candidates have the opportunity to prove they have the necessary skills and qualifications to excel as head coaches or general managers. This rule has been looked at, scrutinized, and discussed at great length by many of us that enjoy sports and look for equity and balance in it.
In today’s UNSCRIPTED I’ll take a look at why once again this rule is being questioned and how Miami Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores has shed a huge spotlight on his recent firing and how the “Rooney Rule” affects the hiring of blacks and minorities looking for recently vacated coaching positions have been overlooked in a sport that is 70% black but has very little (if any) people of color in front office or head coaching positions.
The National Football League has long been dominated on the field of play by blacks and people of color for too many years to mention in this piece. As we look at the exploits of players such as Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Aaron Donald (Rams), Jonathan Taylor (Colts) and Lamar Jackson (Ravens) we see how their talents ON the field pale in comparison to the lack of people of color OFF the field, in terms of head coaches or front office people being in position of leadership. To address this issue The Rooney Rule was developed as a way to get more minorities interviewing for head coaching jobs. It’s now also being used to get minorities interviews for general manager and other front office/executive jobs, but as we look around the league, the question that immediately should be asked is, WHERE ARE WE? Most recently, head coach Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins was recently fired despite having a winning record! And to make matters worse 9 Head Coaches have been fired, resigned, or left their teams after their season and ZERO positions have been filled by Black assistant coaches or coordinators who have paid their dues and deserve the opportunity to not only interview (under the Rooney Rule criteria) but lead those teams into a position of prominence in the future!
Brian Flores is a coach who not only deserved to remain in his position with the Dolphins, but also should be applauded for keeping his integrity after being asked to do some things that would have compromised his beliefs and values as a coach as witnessed by the following: Flores stated that 2019 Dolphins owner Steven Ross offered him $100,000 for each loss that he incurred if he tanked (lost intentionally) every game to give the team a chance at a higher draft pick (a claim that Ross vehemently denies). Consequently, Flores was fired, and he has decided to sue the NFL for not following the “best practices” mandate that the Rooney Rule was intended to do to require that minorities be given an OPPORTUNITY to interview. I, for one support him and believe that there are quality Black men that should be not only given the opportunity to interview for coaching and executive positions, but BE HIRED to fill those positions. When will we ever learn from the mistakes that have been made in the past that now is the time to correct a “correctable error?” Flores’ lawsuit says that although 70% of NFL players are Black, only one head coach among the 32 NFL teams is Black that being Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin. Folks what’s wrong with this picture?
The suit further claims only 15 Black people have been selected as head coaches among 129 vacancies (12%) since the Rooney Rule was created in 2003! What! Do you smell something fishy? Flores has gotten support from fellow coaches, former (and current) players as well as sports figures from around the world!
After reading all of the information that has been shared in the media something that really came as initially shocking but tempered by my latter thoughts of (I’m not surprised) was when Flores received a text message from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick saying: “Brian it looks like you’ve launched with the NY Giants!” Only to read Flores’s response of “I haven’t even interviewed for the position yet, do you know something that I don’t know?” Belichick knowing that he was texting the wrong Brian (meaning to text Buffalo Bills coordinator Brian Daboll) said that he messed up and immediately apologized! How did HE know the position had already been filled?
We could go round’ and round’ on this alone, but it’s OBVIOUS that the Rooney Rule is only a token attempt by the NFL to release themselves of legitimately screening, interviewing, and ultimately hiring a quality Black coach. But are we REALLY surprised in this day and age? To me it’s just the societal theme of today, the old “same circus, different clowns” approach to people of color being in leadership positions.