The Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) have had 13 head coaches in their franchise history. There are just SIX head coaches of color out of 32 in a league with a 70% non-white player base. Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. Culley lasted just one season with the Texans, completing the 2021 campaign with a 4-13 overall record. Frazier was thrown into the fire in Minnesota in 2010 when the Vikings let go of Brad Childress after he started the season 3-7. The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. 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. Smith was hired in Chicago after the Bears were 7-9 the year before, with Smith going 5-11 in his first season. Singletary coached the 49ers from 2008-2010, totaling 18 wins and 22 losses in three seasons. Sports news website the Ringer reported that Flores was not fired because of his coaching but rather because of his troubled relationship with team owner Stephen Ross, a supporter of former President Donald Trump who has refuted claims of racial discrimination. 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. Only one of five NFL head coaches hired this offseason was Black. 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. While the policy has been able to open more doors for Black coaches during the interview process, front offices have largely declined to hire those candidates. I'll give you a quote from Bill Nunn, Hall of Fame scout from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the head personnel man for the 1974 draft that drafted four Hall of Famers is the gold standard of anybody in the personnel business. 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. If you look at solutions instead of just focused on the problem, that's where I think we all should be focusing our energy. Other active head coaches to have won a Super Bowl are Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, Mike McCarthy, Sean Payton, Doug Pederson, Andy Reid, and Sean McVay. What's the setup of their operation? When Stephen Ross Miami Dolphins fired Brian Flores on Monday, it sent shockwaves around the NFL. In the text message, Belichick confirmed Daboll had already secured the job, but Flores had not yet interviewed for the position. They have who they want to be their coordinators, to be their assistant coaches, in some cases, to be their quality control coaches, to be their equipment managers, to be their strength conditioning staff. 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. When he took over in Houston at age 73, he became the oldest head coach in NFL history. He was replaced by Vic Fangio who was fired on Sunday. He is the current running backs coach for the Dolphins. 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.. It was when the GM above me and I was the assistant GM, he decided to retire, that decision maker was there in meetings with me, was there socially, professionally, and he understood that I could do the job. He went 21-38 across those four seasons. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. Tomlin has been the coach of the Steelers since 2007, making him the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL behind only Bill Belichick. Now-former Head Coach Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins talks with an official during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on January 2, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. Crennel took the reins over in K.C. There is an old boys network and there's a network where you're going to really protect and promote your own. Of the five head . He had a 131-122-3 record in 16 seasons and reached the playoffs seven times. Joseph showed up in Denver after Gary Kubiak stepped down two years after the Broncos won a Super Bowl. He coached the Los Angeles Chargers. The league in general is tough, but it is a lot tougher for people of color and minorities, and women. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. I think that might be part of the answer to why it exists, but I certainly don't think it's the entire answer. 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. The Lions also had two playoff berths in four seasons, as compared to one playoff appearance in the previous 14 seasons. 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. (At the time, it was called the American Professional Football Association.). Bowles went 10-6 in his first season and was 24-40 in his four years on the sidelines for the Jets. What do you think of the show? To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. 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. During his three seasons as head coach, Rhule had five different starters Teddy Bridgewater, PJ Walker, Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and Baker Mayfield. Not only minorities, but people that are the decision makers. In the text message, Belichick confirmed Daboll had already secured the job, but Flores had not yet interviewed for the position. Doug Whaley says this could too. The Rooney Rule is 20 years old this year. MORE: What happened to Brian Flores? Download Our New Praise 107.9 Radio Mobile App For Your Smartphone! He retired after the 2008 season and was replaced by Jim Caldwell who was the teams coach-in-waiting, in a rare occurrence of a team having back-to-back Black coaches. Green served as the head coach of the Vikings for 10 seasons (1992-2001), earning a playoff berth eight times. Emmitt Thomas. 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. Smith coached the Bears for nearly a decade (2004-2012) before a brief stint with the Buccaneers (2014-2015). The first version of the policy required every team with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one minority during their process. Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, Todd Bowles, Lovie Smith, and interim head coach Steve Wilkes. The Lions also had two playoff berths in four seasons, as compared to one playoff appearance in the previous 14 seasons. Edwards was hired in Kansas City after the team went 10-6 in Dick Vermeils last season. 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. Jacksons second stint as an NFL head coach was atrocious as he was 1-31 in his first two seasons in Cleveland. 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. Coaching rumors are heating up with three openings created on Monday morning. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. Well . The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. Don Shula holds the current records for regular season wins at 328 and combined regular and postseason wins at 347. Source . Rhodes, a five-time Super Bowl champion as an assistant with the 49ers, had a 37-42-1 record as the head coach of the Eagles and Packers (1995-1999). One Black coach, 33 years after Art Shell broke the modern era head coaching color barrier with the Raiders. 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. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. That makes grand total of three in a 32-team league where 60% of players are Black. He lasted three years in Indianapolis (2009-2011) before getting another opportunity in Detroit (2014-2017). These days, he runs a sports law program at Villanova University and hosts the Business of Sports podcast. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. Bowles was hired after Rex Ryans roller coaster ride with the Jets ended with a 4-12 finish in 2014. 93% of running back's coaches in the NFL at the start of the season were coaches of color compared to something like 18% or something of quarterback's coaches. 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. 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. 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. 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. Sports news website the Ringer reported that Flores was not fired because of his coaching but rather because of his troubled relationship with team owner Stephen Ross, a supporter of former President Donald Trump who has refuted claims of racial discrimination. Because I've learned that the best indicators of future success are self-motivation and self-discipline. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. Of course, that type of logic is counterproductive and completely beside the point, what with the new 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. 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. 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. It's true in business, it's true in life, and diversity only comes with some steps to increase representation and NFL is doing that. We see coaches, as I mentioned, like Ron Rivera, Mike McDaniel, Robert Saleh, not exclusively African American. To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. In 2002, the Texans entered the NFL as an expansion team, with Dom Capers (2002-05) as the team's first head coach. Shane Steichen (left) and Jonathan Gannon will be among the top candidates in the next hiring cycle. 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. Exactly. Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. 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. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. The NFL has historically had a problem with hiring black head coaches and all minority coaches for that matter, whether that be head coach, assistant coach, coordinators, and you can even go in the front office, GM, assistant GM, president player personnel. 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. There were three Black head coaches in the NFL when the Rooney Rule took effect, and the league hasn't made a ton of progress toward its goals in the years since. Frazier finished the year 3-3, and got the interim tag taken off him. He also wants to get a sense of their mentality. What's in it for interims? Wilks is the current interim head coach of the Panthers, but he got his first shot at the top job with the Cardinals, going 3-13 in 2018. Joseph only lasted two seasons and finished with an 11-21 record. Singletary took over midseason for the 49ers after Mike Nolan was fired after starting the season 2-5. He also coached the Cardinals for three seasons (2004-2006). Tenure: Four-plus seasons (71 games). The year before, Norv Turner was 4-12, and the year after Shell left, Lane Kiffin was 4-12 in his first season. Check out the FULL list below! Of course, that type of logic is counterproductive and completely beside the point, what with the new 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. Either way, Flores. Over the next few days and weeks, multiple teams will be conducting interviews to fill their head coaching vacancies. Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator, Tennessee Titans. Now-former Head Coach Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins talks with an official during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on January 2, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Houston Texans, replaced Smith with another black coach, DeMeco Ryans. 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. Flores still has upcoming interviews for head coaching positions with at least two other teams, so, considering the public relations fiasco that his lawsuit is, chances are that pressure will result in him being hired. Former head coach: Nathaniel Hackett. It featured powerful, experienced and successful Black coaches such as Eric Bieniemy (Chiefs OC), Todd Bowles, Byron Leftwich, James Franklin (Penn State HC), Leslie Frazier (Assistant HC/Defensive Coordinator, Bills), Vance Joseph (Defensive Coordinator, Cardinals), Jerod Mayo (Inside Linebackers, Patriots), Raheem Morris (Defensive Coordinator, He was then hired full-time and was 8-8 in his lone full season. 4. I can go down and down the line, there's no majority black owner in the NFL. Mike Tomlin, Brian Flores and David Culley are the three NFL coaches. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/W1bXqGIfl0 Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. The league is being sued by Brian Flores, former Miami Dolphins head coach. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. Frazier was the Vikings' coach from 2010-2013, leading Minnesota to its biggest single-season turnaround in franchise history (3-13 in 2011 to 10-6 in 2012). Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah - General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings. Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. He ended his career with a 113-94 overall record. It's Sunday, February 5th, 2023. Mike Tomlin, who, as of the time of this list being published, was the lone Black head coach in the NFL, has led the Pittsburgh Steelers for 15 seasons since 2007.