Here's what our USA TODAY Sports investigation found. There were five black NFL head coaches at the end of the 2022 season. That's what we'll be discussing today. He signed on to be the head coach of the Texans in February 2022. Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Which again, through experience, I've learned those are the key indicators for success. 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. The following is a list of the top National Football League (NFL) head coaches in wins. When I started teaching seven, eight years ago, I'd have a class of 50 students, it'd be 47 guys and three girls. Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? Owners and front office people who are in charge of hiring, they found loopholes in the rule. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy. 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. Former head coach: Nathaniel Hackett. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. Maybe they're not doing it as well as others, but I think sometimes they get faulted unfairly for things. Frazier finished the year 3-3, and got the interim tag taken off him. During his three seasons as head coach, Rhule had five different starters Teddy Bridgewater, PJ Walker, Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and Baker Mayfield. I'll break it down to even more simpler terms. There are just SIX head coaches of color out of 32 in a league with a 70% non-white player base. Wilkes was not retained. When Stephen Ross Miami Dolphins fired Brian Flores on Monday, it sent shockwaves around the NFL. Eventually he became head coach of the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs in the 2000s. He has an overall record of 62-50 in seven seasons. He is currently the linebackers coach for the Steelers. But as we see now, just like anything, people that have children and even to yourself, when someone says you have to do something, you're obviously automatically going to have a bias towards it. Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, Todd Bowles, Lovie Smith, and interim head coach Steve Wilkes. The NFL wants more, or so . Marvin Lewis, who coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, is among the current and former NFL coaches who have denounced the league for racial injustices and told NBC Sports that Black coaches have been getting sham interviews like those alleged by Brian Flores for years. Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. 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). 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. Fritz Pollard. 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. But, if history is any indication and it is thats far from a guarantee. 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. 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. He was fired in September 2022. Dungy was hired in Indianapolis after they went 6-10 before he arrived. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/W1bXqGIfl0 Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, Todd Bowles, Lovie Smith, and interim head coach Steve Wilkes. Gerald Alexander. Mostly, Pollard would see the work and sacrifice he and other Black coaches have made wasn't. During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website. Don Shula holds the current records for regular season wins at 328 and combined regular and postseason wins at 347. Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing while he was head coach in order to increase the teams odds in the NFL Draft. NFL owners don't want Black and brown men as their head coaches This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. He was replaced by Adam Gase, a guy that went 9-23 in two seasons. This revelation meant Flores upcoming interview with the Giants was a sham because they had already hired their next head coach, who is not Black. Let's take a look back at the Black coaches who have been able to rise up the ranks, starting with the trailblazer who broke the NFL's color barrier more than 100 years ago. 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. Smith was replaced by Marc Trestman who only lasted two seasons and had a losing record. 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. Notably, Jackson responded to Flores lawsuit by claiming he was subjected to similar treatment described in the complaint. Where are all the Black NFL coaches? - Usatoday.com Wilks didnt do a good job in his first season with the Cardinals, but well never know if it was a fluke or the norm, as it was also his only season in Arizona. Shell was the first Black head coach in the modern era of the NFL. Reich's firing after Week 9 was a bit of a surprise. I think leadership's basic premise is can you get people to do things that they necessarily don't want to do just because of you? Hopefully, DeMecos hiring is the catalyst for more Black coaches in the NFL. He led the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. Smith was hired in Chicago after the Bears were 7-9 the year before, with Smith going 5-11 in his first season. He was replaced by Mangini who went 10-22 in two seasons. 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. Singletary took over midseason for the 49ers after Mike Nolan was fired after starting the season 2-5. Tomlin has been the coach of the Steelers since 2007, making him the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL behind only Bill Belichick. 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. The next year he was fired after starting the season 5-10. Brian Flores, who used to be the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. I'm James Brown. All Rights Reserved. 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. The Rooney Rule is 20 years old this year. He had an aggregate record of 36-28, a winning percentage of .563 the best winning percentage of any Lions Head Coach since the 1950s, Flores lawsuit said in part. Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. 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. Our recent USA Today sports analysis found that in the last 20 years, about four white coaches were hired for every coach of color. Fewell was the interim head coach for the Bills in 2009 and Panthers in 2019. He coached the Raiders from 1989-1994, then returned to the team for one season in 2006. 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. Is it because the NFL is an organization akin to slavery, like blacklisted free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick said after he was effectively excommunicated from the league following his silent kneeling protest to demonstrate against the police brutality of Black people? Lynn was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers the following season and served in that capacity for four years through the 2020 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin and the Tampa Buccaneers' Todd Bowles are the only current Black NFL head coaches. Emmitt Thomas. 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. Smith coached the Bears for nearly a decade (2004-2012) before a brief stint with the Buccaneers (2014-2015). He was never coached by a man of color at any point in his career, and he said on the teams that he was a part of the coaching staff, there was always one coach of color, and it was almost always the running back's coach. OBrien was let go after starting the 2020 season 0-4, as the Texans finished 4-12 under interim coach Romeo Crennel. 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. These days, he runs a sports law program at Villanova University and hosts the Business of Sports podcast. The dearth of African American offensive NFL head coaches is both systemic and deep-rooted, owing in parts to networking practices, the embers of retrograde stereotypes and the lasting effects of . Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? Tucker was the interim head coach of the Jaguars for the last five games of the 2011 season. One Black coach, 33 years after Art Shell broke the modern era head coaching color barrier with the Raiders. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. The first thing you say is kudos to Mr. Rooney, obviously the driving force behind it, and I worked for him so I'm biased, but also the league for identifying a problem and trying to come up with a solution. Tony Alford. Record: 40-33-1, 1-2 in the playoffs. 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. He can move to number one with success during the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. 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. 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. But then when you look down at specific positions, running back's coaches is a great example that ended up being kind of the crux of the story. Eric Studesville was the head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. And while that happens, the lack of Black coaches will be the most discussed talking point. List of Houston Texans head coaches - Wikipedia Your email will be shared with praisephilly.com and subject to its. 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. He served in the same double capacity with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Joseph, who is the current defensive coordinator of the Cardinals, coached the Broncos for two seasons (2017-2018). What do you think of the show? 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. Tyler Dragon, sports reporter for USA Today, says the league already has similar programs in place. Just 25 of them have been Black. Ron Aiken. 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. Here's Every Black Head Coach In NFL History What's in it for interims? NFL Head Coaches by Age - profootballnetwork.com He has a 3-3 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season. Top Row: Lovie Smith, Marvin Lewis, Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin, Jim Caldwell Botttom Row: Anthony Lynn, Romeo Crennel, Herm Edwards, Leslie Frazier, Brian Flores. The most influential Black coaches, admin in college football - Sports In his three seasons in Indianapolis, Caldwell was 28-24 and replaced by Chuck Pagano. And since America loves to ignore blatant racism unless they can watch it on video or it can be quantified into numbers, Deadspin took a look at the plight of Black coaches in the NFL over the last 20-plus years. After all, they may be musing, isnt the NFL disproportionately made up of Black players? Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. Singletary went 5-4 as the interim coach to finish out the season. Is it right, wrong or indifferent? He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. One Black head coach in a league dominated by Black players. He's accusing teams including the New York Giants and Denver Broncos of conducting sham interviews with him last year. There's also disparities in the type of coaching roles black coaches are hired for. He was named the Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1995. He is currently Michigan State's head coach. Jacksons second stint as an NFL head coach was atrocious as he was 1-31 in his first two seasons in Cleveland. 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. 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. 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. NFL head coaches 2023: Latest news, rumors, interviews on hirings, firings List of National Football League head coach wins leaders 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,, 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 league and the teams deny his claims, but Dragon isn't convinced. And to Alexis Gustin and Shannon Ray Green for their production assistance. 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.. | Source: Wesley Hitt / Getty. Caldwell took over for Dungy with ease as he posted a 14-2 record in his first season as the Colts made it all the way to Super Bowl XLIV where they were upset by Drew Brees and the Saints. This in a league where seven out of ten players are minorities, and most of them black. 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. The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. Thank you for subscribing! Jackson took over for Tom Cable, who went 8-8 in his final season with the team. 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. 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. Cliff Anderson (American football) Darren Arbet. How many black head coaches are there in the NFL? - Sportskeeda There have been six head coaches of the Houston Texans, a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas, United States.The Texans play in the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL).. Shane Steichen, Offensive Coordinator, Eagles. 1. Here's Every Black Head Coach In NFL History - NewsOne How would you use that player? 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. 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. The league in general is tough, but it is a lot tougher for people of color and minorities, and women. Edwards was hired in Kansas City after the team went 10-6 in Dick Vermeils last season. If they truly want to change the system or if not, then we realize that they're just given it lip service. Crennel showed up in Cleveland after a season in which Butch Davis and Robiskie led the Browns to a 4-12 campaign. The fact is that Flores claims are hardly unique and help bolster critics suspicions that the NFL is intentionally trying to keep its head coaching ranks as white as possible despite the leagues so-called Rooney Rule, a policy that requires teams to interview at least one diverse candidate when looking to hire new coaches. He had a long career in the NFL working his way up through the Pittsburgh Steelers organization and eventually becoming the only black general manager in the 60-year history of the Buffalo Bills. 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. The NFL has a serious diversity problem. He is a former NFL player whose professional career spanned from 1986 to 1993. There are just 32 NFL head coaching jobs, six or seven become vacant every year. In 1921, Coach Pollard became the first African-American head coach in the NFL, coaching the Akron Pros. 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. All three have had very successful careers while . Only one of five NFL head coaches hired this offseason was Black. 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. 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. 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. 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. In that time, they hired two head coaches. He ended his career with a 113-94 overall record. Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. What's the setup of their operation? The NFL has just three black head coaches. Some call it a 'denial of The reduction of Black NFL head coaches persist Lynn was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers the following season and served in that capacity for four years through the 2020 season. Smith wasnt able to capture the magic he had in Chicago with Tampa Bay. 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. 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, 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. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. He ended those two stints with an overall record of11-44-1. 14 NFL assistant coaches who should be head coaches in the near future Former NFL star DeMeco Ryans is the next Black man to ascend to the position of head coach in the NFL. Del Alexander. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 37-42-1 across five seasons including going 1-2-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. I think a lot of it is the underpinning of a lot of the reporting that we've done, which is just unconscious bias. That makes grand total of three in a 32-team league where 60% of players are Black. Anthony Lynn, who is black, went from running backs coach directly to head coach. He compiled a 34-32 record in four seasons and was replaced by Brandon Stanley. from Todd Haley that season when he was let go after a 5-8 start. So what's happening here? Column: And then there was one: Black coaches in the NFL That's Doug Whaley. He went 2-6 in eight games. Coaching rumors are heating up with three openings created on Monday morning. 12. 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. 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. Hopefully, DeMecos hiring is the catalyst for more Black coaches in the NFL. The NFL's 32 teams began the season in full on Sunday with only three Black head coaches and two Black general managers in a league where the players are roughly 70% Black. 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. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. In the text message, Belichick confirmed Daboll had already secured the job, but Flores had not yet interviewed for the position. Last year, Ryan served as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers who had one of the best defenses in the league. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. If you look at solutions instead of just focused on the problem, that's where I think we all should be focusing our energy. In 2002, the Texans entered the NFL as an expansion team, with Dom Capers (2002-05) as the team's first head coach. "What do you do". Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Revisiting Dolphins scandal, Pollard became the first Black coach in NFL history when he was named co-coach of the Akron Pros in 1921. He led Indianapolis to the franchise's second Super Bowl title in 2006. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. It is what it is and that's the system, but that doesn't mean that it should keep perpetuating that system. Top 10 Black Coaches in NFL History - Fanrankings.com Morris, who is the current defensive coordinator of the Rams, served as the head coach of the Buccaneers (2009-2011) and Falcons (2020). List of Current NFL Head Coaches (Updated 2023) - Pro Football Network He had an aggregate record of 36-28, a winning percentage of .563 the best winning percentage of any Lions Head Coach since the 1950s, Flores lawsuit said in part. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) Smith has been part of the Titans' staff since 2011 first as a quality control coach, then helping with tight ends, then coaching tight ends, and eventually replacing current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur as the team's offensive coordinator in 2019. Do you remember what your initial thoughts were when you heard that this kind of thing was being implemented? I'm James Brown, and as always, be well. Most NFL players are Black. So why aren't there more Black head coaches?