The year before, Norv Turner was 4-12, and the year after Shell left, Lane Kiffin was 4-12 in his first season. In 2017, we had a record eight minority head coaches entering the season: Chargers Anthony Lynn, Denver's Vance Joseph, Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis, Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, Detroit's Jim. Tony Dungy has been coaching in the NFL for more than 40 years, including when he landed his first head coaching gig in 1996 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which he led for 13 seasons. His saying was, "It's great to have a mentor, but it's even better to be a mentor." Also, what's your assistant coach set up? He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. He led Indianapolis to the franchise's second Super Bowl title in 2006. 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. Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? During his three seasons as head coach, Rhule had five different starters Teddy Bridgewater, PJ Walker, Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and Baker Mayfield. 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. He was named the Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1995. 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. 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. In his three seasons in Indianapolis, Caldwell was 28-24 and replaced by Chuck Pagano. To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, Todd Bowles, Lovie Smith, and interim head coach Steve Wilkes. There were five black NFL head coaches at the end of the 2022 season. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. Source . Of the five head . Suicide Note Revealed After Shocking Death, Indicted! If they truly want to change the system or if not, then we realize that they're just given it lip service. The Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) have had 13 head coaches in their franchise history. Hubbard Alexander. I'm James Brown. So you can look at different ways to judge minorities. He compiled a record of 21-32. NFC Head Coaches Arizona Cardinals | Jonathan Gannon* Atlanta Falcons | Arthur Smith Carolina Panthers | Frank Reich* Chicago Bears | Matt Eberflus Dallas Cowboys | Mike McCarthy Detroit Lions | Dan Campbell Green Bay Packers | Matt LaFleur Los Angeles Rams | Sean McVay Minnesota Vikings | Kevin O'Connell New Orleans Saints | Dennis Allen Because I've learned that the best indicators of future success are self-motivation and self-discipline. Eric Studesville was the head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. Edwards spent eight seasons as a head coach in the NFL, running the Jets (2001-2005) and Chiefs (2006-2008). 'Dilbert' Comic Creator Calls Black People A 'Hate Group,' Urges Segregation So Whites Can 'Escape', Bernie Mac Show Star Camille Winbush Is Not Ashamed Of Joining OnlyFans, Kyle Rittenhouse Faces 2nd Civil Lawsuit, Continues To Beg For Money From His Supporters, Ben Stein's 'Aunt Jemima' Rant Is A Master Class On White Privilege, Why Did tWitch Kill Himself? Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? Crennel finished out the season with the interim tag and went 2-1. Mike Tomlin has been one of the best black head coaches in the modern NFL. It seems like football fans in the media have the same conversation every year, where are all the black head coaches? Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. newsone.com. He was replaced by Zac Taylor who is currently 16-32 in three seasons. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. Over a nearly 20-year career as a coach in the NFL, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Herman Herm Edwards, largely seen as a mentor to many current and former NFL players, coached the New York Jets from 2001-2005 and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2008, according to the Pro Football Reference website. Vance Joseph, who was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and is reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired. That's USA Today's Tom Schad, he's part of the NFL Coach's Project, USA Today's ongoing series analyzing the demographics of football coaches. Lynn took the Chargers back to the playoffs in 2018 where they lost to the Patriots in the second round. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. Nancy Armour USA TODAY 0:00 1:51 The. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. In the meantime, keep reading to get familiar with the dozens of Black people who have worked as NFL head coaches in the leagues more than 100-year history. But, if history is any indication and it is thats far from a guarantee. Over a nearly 20-year career as a coach in the NFL, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013. When I look at the NFL landscape from top to bottom, they are really behind when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Do you remember what your initial thoughts were when you heard that this kind of thing was being implemented? In all, Dungy has a head coaching record of 148-79-0 and won the regular season games he coached at a rate of nearly 70%, according to the pro football hall of fame website. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. Either way, Flores. Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of theAtlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. Cliff Anderson (American football) Darren Arbet. Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. After announcing his retirement from coaching after the 2021 season, Payton has returned to the NFL and will be the Broncos' 19th head coach in franchise history. 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. We see coaches, as I mentioned, like Ron Rivera, Mike McDaniel, Robert Saleh, not exclusively African American. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. 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 Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. Dungy enjoyed a Hall of Fame career from 1996-2008, racking up 139 wins and 69 losses across 13 seasons with the Buccaneers and Colts. Flores was replacing Adam Gase who was 23-25 in three seasons, as he went 24-25 in three seasons. There is an old boys network and there's a network where you're going to really protect and promote your own. 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. Its reminiscent of the end of the 2018 season when five black head coaches were fired and were replaced with five white coaches, leaving Tomlin and Anthony Lynn as the only Black faces, at the time. But the league still has plenty of veteran greybeards that have seen success at the very highest level. He has a proven track record for developing high-quality players and constantly innovated his defensive scheme over the last six seasons in San Francisco.. After serving as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. After inheriting a 4-12 team led by Greg Schiano, Smith only lasted two seasons after going 8-24. Todd Haley took over for Edwards and was 19-26 during his run. The next year he was fired after starting the season 5-10. Women being interested in this area of business or law, from my viewpoint, has really grown. Thomas was named the interim head coach of the Falcons in 2007 and went 1-2 after Bobby Petrino's sudden resignation. Morris was 17-31 in three seasons and wound up being replaced by Greg Schiano, then Lovie Smith, and then Dirk Koetter none of them fared much better. Jacksons second stint as an NFL head coach was atrocious as he was 1-31 in his first two seasons in Cleveland. For perspectives sake, the NFL entered Black History Month 2022 with just one single Black head coach despite its vow a decade earlier to increase diversity among its head and assistant coaches. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. 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.. was originally published on Edwards was hired in Kansas City after the team went 10-6 in Dick Vermeils last season. Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. Only one of five NFL head coaches hired this offseason was Black. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. 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. He has an overall record of 62-50 in seven seasons. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. The Rooney Rule was enacted in 2003 as part of the NFL's plan to "develop a deep, sustainable talent pool at all levels of the organization" and "increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager and executive positions.". The league in general is very tough because it's not like a lot of other industries where there's a criteria of how you get promoted. 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. I can go down and down the line, there's no majority black owner in the NFL. 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. Tomlin was 10-6 in his first season and is still in Pittsburgh. Exactly. Art Shell became head coach of the then-Los Angeles Raiders in 1988, a job he held until 1994, after the franchise moved to Oakland, according to the Raiders website. The team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri and were renamed the Chiefs in 1963. Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. He led the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. He has never had a losing season in his career, going 156-89-2 through Week 6 of the 2022 season. 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. Top Row: Lovie Smith, Marvin Lewis, Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin, Jim Caldwell Botttom Row: Anthony Lynn, Romeo Crennel, Herm Edwards, Leslie Frazier, Brian Flores. Jackson, who is the current coach of Grambling State, was the head coach of the Raiders (2011) and Browns (2016-2018). Not only minorities, but people that are the decision makers. He only coached eight total games, getting all three of his wins with Buffalo. 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. In the meantime, keep reading to get familiar with the dozens of Black people who have worked as NFL head coaches in the leagues more than 100-year history. He ended those two stints with an overall record of11-44-1. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. 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. was originally published on Brian Flores, who used to be head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process. The league in general is tough, but it is a lot tougher for people of color and minorities, and women. Flores finished 24-25 in three seasons with the Dolphins (2019-2021) and remains connected to the franchise. 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. Vance Joseph, who was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and is reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired. Of course, that type of logic is counterproductive and completely beside the point, what with the 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. Here's what our USA TODAY Sports investigation found. Shell was the first Black head coach in the modern era of the NFL. Tony Dungy has been coaching in the NFL for more than 40 years, including when he landed his first head coaching gig in 1996 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which he led for 13 seasons. Hopefully, DeMecos hiring is the catalyst for more Black coaches in the NFL. Like our content? Crennel was the head coach of the Browns (2005-2008), Chiefs (2011-2012) and Texans (2020), going 32-63 with those three teams. The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. There's also disparities in the type of coaching roles black coaches are hired for. He went 11-21 in 32 games. 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. Notably, Jackson responded to Flores lawsuit by claiming he was subjected to similar treatment described in the complaint. One Black coach, 33 years after Art Shell broke the modern era head coaching color barrier with the Raiders. As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy.