NFL expands Rooney Rule - | 16:27:08
posted by: Marta Lawrence

The NFL made official this week its decision to expand the Rooney Rule to include front-office workers.

"The discussion at the league meeting identified the strong reasons for taking this step, which in large part simply confirms a recommended practice that clubs have voluntarily embraced," Goodell said in a written statement released by the NFL. "The recommendation also recognizes that this process has worked well in the context of head coaches, and that clubs have deservedly received considerable positive recognition for their efforts in this respect."

While the Rooney Rule has worked to help diversify the NFL coaching ranks, NCAA President Myles Brand and Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Charlotte Westerhaus maintain a similar rule for college athletics won't work.

"The 'Rooney Rule' is an interviewing rule," writes Westerhaus in a recent blog post. "More candidates than ever before were interviewed last fall without an interview mandate similar to the 'Rooney Rule' and without the possibility of sanctions for noncompliance. What was the end result? Only four African Americans were hired as head football coaches of color in Division I FBS. This simply is not good enough.

"The NCAA is not opposed to equal opportunity within the interview process. But what is needed now is an end to side-stepping the crux of the hiring dilemma. Interviewing is not hiring. What is needed is more hires of head football coaches of color, not mandated interviews and the continued perpetuation of false hope."

What's the solution to the minority hiring dilemma?

Comments

I agree we need more head football coaches of color. A majority of the players are of color, so why not have more role models of color on the sideline thinking and making decisions. It is also difficult to break into high school and college coaching ranks for people of color. There needs to be mentoring programs for upcoming coaches of color to get advice, tips on landing that dream job, and how to network with other coaches to get their names out there.

posted by: Tina Harris | 06/23/09

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