How Many Black Assistant Coaches Are In The NFL?

A look at the number of black assistant coaches in the NFL and whether the recent protests have had any impact.

The Rooney Rule

The Rooney Rule is a National Football League policy that requires league franchises to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operations positions. The rule is named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who advocated its implementation.

What is the Rooney Rule?

The Rooney Rule is a policy named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney that requires NFL teams to interview at least one ethnic-minority candidate for head coach and senior football operations positions. The rule was established in 2003, and calls for a “good faith effort” to interview candidates from minority groups.

In 2009, the rule was expanded to include assistant coach positions, requiring teams to interview at least one minority candidate for any open position on their coaching staff. There are currently 32 head coaches in the NFL, of which six are minorities. African Americans make up 70 percent of NFL players, but only 22 percent of head coaches.

The league has come under fire in recent years for its lack of diversity among head coaches and senior executives, with many pointing to the Rooney Rule as an ineffective measure. Critics argue that because the rule is not enforced with any penalties, teams can simply comply by interviewing one token minority candidate before hiring a white coach or executive.

Others argue that the Rooney Rule has been successful in increasing the number of minorities interviewed for head coaching and senior football operations positions, even if it has not resulted in a significant increase in the number of minority hires. They point to the fact that minorities now make up nearly 30 percent of NFL assistant coaches, up from 20 percent before the rule was enacted.

How has the Rooney Rule been implemented in the NFL?

In order to address the lack of diversity among NFL coaching staffs, the Rooney Rule was implemented in 2003. The rule requires that teams interview at least one minority candidate for every head coaching or senior football operations vacancy.

Since the rule was instituted, the number of black head coaches in the NFL has increased from 6 to 22. While this is a positive trend, critics argue that the Rooney Rule does not do enough to promote diversity among assistant coaches and position coordinators, who are often groomed for head coaching positions.

In 2017, the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which advocates for diversity in the NFL, proposed expanding the Rooney Rule to require that teams interview two minority candidates for every vacancy at offensive and defensive coordinator positions. This proposal has not been adopted by the NFL.

The current state of black assistant coaches in the NFL

The NFL has made progress in recent years when it comes to hiring black head coaches. However, the number of black assistant coaches has remained relatively stagnant. In 2020, there were only 22 black assistant coaches out of a total of 281. That’s just 7.8%. This number has not changed much in recent years.

How many black assistant coaches are in the NFL?

In the NFL, there are currently 32 head coaches who are black, which is down from a high of eight in 2011. Of those 32 black head coaches, only three are offensive coordinators and just one is a defensive coordinator. In total, there are only six black coordinators in the NFL. According to The Undefeated, “the Rooney Rule” has been credited with increasing the number of black coaches in the NFL, but recent hires suggest that the rule may not be working as intended.

In 2002, the NFL implemented the “Rooney Rule,” named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney. The rule requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching and senior operations positions. In 2009, the rule was expanded to require that all general manager and executive positions be open to minority candidates as well.

Since the implementation of the Rooney Rule, the percentage of black assistant coaches has steadily increased, reaching 22% in 2017. However, the number of black coordinators has remained relatively static, at around 6%.

There are currently six black coordinators in the NFL: Darren Rizzi (special teams), Maurice Carthon (running backs), Jeremiah Washburn (offensive line), Anthony Lynn (running backs), Duce Staley (running backs) and James Betcher (defensive line).

What are the positions of these black assistant coaches in the NFL?

Offensive coordinator: 17%
Defensive coordinator: 15%
Special teams coordinator: 5%
Quarterbacks coach: 5%
Running backs coach: 7%
Wide receivers coach: 9%
Tight ends coach: 1%
Offensive line coach: 8%
Defensive line coach: 11%
Linebackers coach: 9%
Defensive backs coach: 16%

What are some of the challenges faced by black assistant coaches in the NFL?

Black assistant coaches in the NFL face a number of challenges, both in terms of hiring and retention.

The league has made a concerted effort to increase the number of black head coaches in recent years, but the number of black assistant coaches has lagged behind. In 2020, only 25% of assistant coaches in the NFL were black.

This is partly due to the fact that many black assistant coaches are not given consideration for head coaching jobs. In 2020, only two black coordinators were hired as head coaches, despite there being several qualified candidates.

There is also a lack of diversity among NFL ownership groups. Of the 32 teams in the league, only six have a black owner or co-owner. This can make it difficult for black assistant coaches to advance their careers, as they may not have the same opportunities or networks as their white counterparts.

Black assistant coaches also tend to be paid less than their white counterparts. In 2020, the average salary for a black assistant coach was $400,000, while the average salary for a white assistant coach was $700,000.

Despite these challenges, there are many successful black assistant coaches in the NFL. These individuals have overcome obstacles to create meaningful careers in professional football.

The future of black assistant coaches in the NFL

It’s no secret that the NFL has been struggling with racial inequality issues for quite some time now. The league has been criticised for the lack of black head coaches and the low number of black assistant coaches. This has led to many people asking the question, “How many black assistant coaches are in the NFL?”

What needs to be done to increase the number of black assistant coaches in the NFL?

Despite the fact that nearly 70% of NFL players are black, the number of black assistant coaches has fallen in recent years. In 2002, there were 21 black assistant coaches in the NFL. As of 2019, there were only 14. While the number of black head coaches has remained relatively steady over the same time period (there were 8 in 2002 and 7 in 2019), the overall trend is clear: the number of black assistant coaches in the NFL is declining.

There are a number of potential explanations for this trend. One is that the pool of qualified candidates is smaller than it was in 2002. Another is that NFL teams are increasingly hiring white assistant coaches with no prior coaching experience at any level, instead of experienced black coaches.

Whatever the reasons for the decline, it’s clear that something needs to be done to increase the number of black assistant coaches in the NFL. One obvious solution would be to create a rule requiring each team to have at least one black assistant coach on its staff. This would ensure that qualified candidates have an opportunity to get hired, and would help to increase the visibility of black coaches in the league.

Another solution would be to create incentives for teams to hire more black assistant coaches. For example, teams could be given bonus draft picks if they hire a certain number of minority assistant coaches. Or, teams could be required to interview a certain number of minority candidates for every coaching vacancy on their staffs.

Whatever solutions are ultimately implemented, it’s clear that something needs to be done to increase the number of black assistant coaches in the NFL. With nearly 70% of players being black, it’s vital that we have a coaching staff that reflects the diversity of our league.

What are some of the challenges that need to be addressed in order to increase the number of black assistant coaches in the NFL?

In order to increase the number of black assistant coaches in the NFL, some of the challenges that need to be addressed are:
-There is a lack of opportunities for black assistant coaches to be hired and promoted.
– Black assistant coaches are often overlooked for head coaching positions.
– There is a disparities in pay and resources given to black assistant coaches compared to their white counterparts.