The Rooney Rule has been the centerpiece of the NFL’s initiative to expand opportunities for minority coaches and front office executives for more than two decades. Now, it is under attack.
Florida attorney general James Uthmeier called on the NFL to suspend the Rooney Rule in a social media post and a letter sent to commissioner Roger Goodell this week. Uthmeier characterized the policy as “blatant race and sex discrimination” and threatened legal action if the league does not comply by May 1.
The NFL acknowledged receipt of the letter and responded with a statement from executive vice president Jeff Miller (via ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler): “We believe our policies are consistent with the law and reflect our commitment to fairness, opportunity, and building the strongest possible teams.”
The Rooney Rule, named for late Steelers owner and then-chair of the league’s Workplace Diversity Committee, was instituted in 2002. Tony Dungy and Dennis Green, two of the league’s three minority coaches, had just been fired – Dungy after a winning season and Green after his first losing season in a decade. The original rule required teams to interview one ethnic-minority candidate for head coaching vacancies. It has since expanded in a number of ways to cover other positions and include women in the definition of minority candidate.
Teams are now required to in-person interviews with two minority candidates for head coaching, general manager, and primary football executive positions. Two candidates are also required for coordinator jobs, though they may be conducted virtually. One minority candidate must be interviewed for quarterback coach openings, as the position has become a popular pipeline for future head coaches.
The league also introduced a system to reward teams who developed minority talent. If a minority coach or executive leaves for head coaching or general manager jobs with another team, the original club will third-round compensatory picks in future drafts.
The results are undeniable. Seven teams hired a total of seven minority coaches from the start of the NFL’s modern era in 1970 to the institution of the rule in 2002. The Colts hired Dungy as their head coach that offseason and the Bengals hired Marvin Lewis the year after. Green returned to a top job with the Cardinals in 2004, and by 2005, there were six minority head coaches in the league. Previously, there were never more than three at a time; since then, there have not been fewer than four.
The NFL has clearly accomplished their goal of expanding coaching and front office opportunities for minorities, but the Rooney Rule is still not perfect. Brian Flores’ lawsuit brought the issue of sham interviews – conducted only to fulfill league requirements as opposed to legitimate consideration to be hired – into the spotlight, and the 2026 hiring cycle represented significant regression for minority candidates. Despite 10 openings, tied for the most in league history, Robert Saleh was the only minority to get a head coaching job.
Now, the rule is in danger, at least in Florida. The NFL is reviewing Uthmeier’s letter, which was also sent to the league’s three teams within his jurisdiction: the Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Jaguars. But other states could follow suit, especially those with leadership from the Republican Party, which has been leading nationwide efforts to end diversity-based hiring policies.
Art Rooney – who succeeded his father in Pittsburgh and as the chair of the the NFL’s renamed DEI Committee – said (via Kahler) that the league has “an obligation to make sure that our policies comply with the laws.”
“That’s just the environment we’re existing in today,” he added.
Let’s be honest here…what really has the Rooney rule done to advance diverse hirings because there were 10 head coaching jobs available this off season and how many hired minority head coaches 🤔 they simply brought in candidates to check off a “box” …rule isn’t working …..
It is working. Teams are complying and interviewing minority candidates BY FORCE. It doesn’t force any team to hire a minority coach. I also notice that the article didn’t include Hispanic/Latino head coaches/coaches or Asian coaches in the list of minorities.
The legality of forcing people to interview certain people based solely on their ethnic backgrounds should be challenged, because it is discrimination.
Nice that the attorney general of Florida doesn’t have anything better to do.
Fighting racism is a good fight, no matter where you find it.
Cute try lol.
“ The original rule required teams to interview one ethnic-minority candidate for head coaching vacancies. It has since expanded in a number of ways to cover other positions and include women in the definition of minority candidate.
Teams are now required to in-person interviews with two minority candidates for head coaching, general manager, and primary football executive positions.”
So you’re saying deciding someone is qualified for a position based on skin color, race, ethnicity isn’t racist?
“Sir you are African America so you are hired” seems a little racist to me compared to “sir your extensive experience and recommendations amongst your peers was the deciding factor as to why we hired you”
And why hasn’t the rule helped Hispanic Americans Asian Americans and other non black minorities since its inception?
Canales is the only Hispanic head coach currently
No Asian head coaches
3 black head coaches
If we go back to the rules inception in 2002 how many black vs. non black non white hires as HC have we had?
There have been zero Asian head coaches in the NFL since 2002
There have been two Hispanic (Latino) full-time head coaches in the NFL since 2002
Ron Rivera
Dave Canales
Quick AI search says somewhere between 20-26 black full time head coaches since the Roony Rule inception. I wonder if it’s counting only coaches who completed full seasons and leaving out some who were fired mid season at some point.
Either way numbers speak for themselves
No one is forcing anyone to hire anyone.
Which is why Hispanics and Asians are aren’t well represented here you’re right. It’s not doing much to advance minorities in the NFL up the coaching ranks and management ranks
What a bizarre canard you’ve chosen. The number one pool from which coaches emerge is from former college and pro players. There are far fewer Asian and Hispanic players than there are Black players.
“ The number one pool from which coaches emerge is from former college and pro players.”
So you’re saying that’s fine?
Cause I’d argue a guy who’s good at Madden wins tournaments could potentially be a good coach in an offensive defensive position and work his way up the ranks
So you’re defending supporting a system that inherently disqualifies Hispanics and Asians cause they didn’t “play”
Seems like that should be the purpose of the Rooney Rule rather than focusing on whether or not someone is a minority…….opening up broader avenues for people to enter coaching rankings
Of all the obviously stupid comments you’ve made in this thread, this one is the most obviously stupid.
It’s stupid to suggest broadening candidates for coaching positions?
Seems like a more useful endeavor than telling teams considering someone for a position cause of their skin color. Defending that position is a low IQ move
Getting qualified candidates interviews is different than suggesting Madden players be brought into the coaching ranks.
Are you saying madden players don’t understand for instance
Defensive alignment
Gap schemes
Techniques
Zone vs man
3-4 vs 4-3 vs sub packages
Cause I’d argue they definitely know them better than you do sitting on the couch on sundays
I said get them in the coaching ranks such as a defensive assistant like a lower ranking position to begin with
I didn’t say make them defensive coordinator or assign them a skill position group to start
Understanding those things on a Madden level has nothing to do with ability to teach, install, or coach those things to a room of players.
“ ability to teach, install, or coach those things to a room of players.”
Which is why I said give them an entry level position working with said coaches and they can work their way up the coaching ranks once they learn those skills
You’re creating your own anti Rooney Rule and you don’t even know it lmao
Just replace Madden with the word minority and you’re actually arguing against the Rooney Rule
“ ability to teach, install, or coach those things to a room of players.”
Weird I don’t remember you saying those should also be qualifications for the Romney Rule that states someone just has to be a minority. But suddenly they’re important and necessary when it comes to Madden players
Good grief.
Mind explaining why “ ability to teach, install, or coach those things to a room of players” should be used to prohibit Madden players from entering coaching ranks but not against minorities being interviewed for positions to meet the Rooney Rule requirement? Whys that or something similar not part of the Rooney Rule?
Because I’m talking about actual coaches who’ve done those things in coaching roles. Enough already.
Obviously no one is saying “Sir, you’re African-American so you’re hired”. It just doesn’t happen. There were just ten head coach openings, nine were filled with white dudes.
This stuff simply is made up bullsh*t nonsense for white people who are failures in life and are too gutless to recognize their own shortcomings.
“ Obviously no one is saying “Sir, you’re African-American so you’re hired”
Read the rule lmao
The original rule required teams to interview one ethnic-minority candidate for head coaching vacancies.
Teams are now required to in-person interviews with two minority candidates for head coaching, general manager, and primary football executive positions
The only qualifying word in the original and updated rule is minority nothing else like
Experience
Recommendations
Reputation
Results
If you adjusted the rule to say
Minorities with at least
X amount of years coaching at some level
Y recommendations from fellow coaches or management
Z players input being coached under said individual
W players that have progressed under their coaching and guidance
Then you’d had a case to say it’s not just being a minority that’s the deciding the factor
The rule literally says the only qualifier you need is be a minority. That’s it
White coaches regularly get coordinator and head coach jobs over Black coaches with far more qualifications.
K. Asians and Hispanics are still under represented and you’re defending supporting systems in place that keep it that way
You keep grasping at this very strange choice of straw.
The rule was designed to help minorities
Are Asians and Hispanics suddenly not minorities in your world cause it doesn’t fit your preconceived notions?
If you add stipulations then the owners would be bound to apply those to white candidates as well.
No more Sean McVay’s getting head coaching jobs at 32.
Is it a sham in its current form? I’d say no, because it gets candidates who otherwise would be ignored to get in front of the right people with the only guarantee is that they get a chance to sit in front of the right people they still have to impress those people.
This will fail in court because they aren’t forcing the hiring of minority candidates.
And before someone goes, “what about Whitey?! It’s so unfair!!!” White is the default setting in our nation.
Sure all candidates should be bound by the same rules I can agree to that
0 Asian head coaches
2 Hispanic head coaches
26 black head coaches
Idk if it’s getting the right people in front of NFL teams when the rules purpose is help minorities but it doesn’t help all minorities apparently
The owners wouldn’t.
NFL isn’t the only place you find who you know matters more than what you know
The rule is a sham and always has been and always will be. All it does it get minority applicants sham interviews. Nobody is going to tell billionaires who to hire and then when they pull the complete nonsense they did with the Bears this year it just validates my point. I have no idea why the Florida AG is involved but it would seem he has more important thing to do like keeping the Big Orange Blowhole in check and ruining Disney.
There shouldn’t be a rule at all. It is discriminatory and racist. I thought you all were for fighting racism?
Ed “The Mentally Retarded One” is more like it
It is literally a rule trying to encourage teams to hire based on race. DEI = Didn’t Earn It. The intention is fine but in practice it does not work. Merit should be the only consideration, not which box they check off.
The real world has never worked this way.
Racism in Florida goes all the way to the top. Explains why Republicans love the state, keep it safe for persecuted white Christians
I remember when calling someone racist was actually a big deal and meant something. You actually had to have a reason. Now its just the word of the time and gets thrown around anytime someone disagrees with someone.
“ The Rooney Rule, named for late Steelers owner and then-chair of the league’s Workplace Diversity Committee, was instituted in 2002. Tony Dungy and Dennis Green, two of the league’s three minority coaches, had just been fired – Dungy after a winning season and Green after his first losing season in a decade.”
I don’t see “Super Bowl champion” Tony Dungy (though he won one in 2007 with the Colts) and I don’t see “Super Bowl champion” Dennis Green in that description.
Chargers fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season , had 3 consecutive winning seasons, and 2 playoff births in the last 3 years
Andy Reid spent 14 seasons in Philly, 10 years after Rooney Rule went into effect.
10 winning seasons
9 playoff births
Made at least 1 Super Bowl never won it
I dislike racism and hate racists.
But the Rooney Rule has always garbage and is, itself, racist…and the newest version is insane. It literally says that it takes a third round pick to make a black coach equal in value to a white coach.
There’s no great solution.
Require a certain number of interviews of any candidates and make the lists of candidates interviewed public. Let sunlight and the market work.
Ultimately, the teams who hire mediocre white guys suffer for it…AKA The Adam Gase Rule.
Getting old makes you overly cynical but I find it interesting that a white Florida politician waited until an election year to protest discrimination against blacks and other minorities 🙂