How Many Black Coaches Have There Been In The NFL?

The NFL has a long and complicated history when it comes to the hiring of black coaches. Here’s a look at how many have been hired over the years.

The history of black coaches in the NFL

There have been a total of 11 black head coaches in the NFL since the league began in 1920. This number is quite low when compared to the overall number of head coaches in the NFL, which is currently at 128. The first black head coach in the NFL was Fritz Pollard, who coached the Akron Pros in 1921. He is also credited with being the first African American to play in the NFL.

The first black coach in the NFL

The first black coach in the NFL was Fritz Pollard, who was hired by the Akron Pros in 1921. Pollard also played for the team, making him the first black man to play and coach in the league. He led the Pros to a league championship in his first season. In all, Pollard coached for six seasons with three different teams. He is also credited with helping to develop several players who went on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including Jim Thorpe, Dutch Clark and Duke Slater.

The number of black coaches in the NFL

Since the start of the NFL in 1920, there have been a total of 171 head coaches. Of these, only 13 have been black – 7.6%. In the 95 years since the league began, African Americans make up less than 10% of all NFL head coaches.

While the league has made strides in recent years to increase racial diversity among players – 58% of NFL players are now black – the same cannot be said for coaches. In 2019, of the 32 NFL teams, only four head coaches are black.

This lack of diversity is even more evident when looking at assistant coaches. In 2019, only 22% of all assistant coaches in the NFL were black.

The NFL has come under fire in recent years for its treatment of black players and its lack of diversity among coaching staffs. In 2016, then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. He was joined by other players, both black and white.

The protests drew criticism from then-President Donald Trump, who called for players who kneeled to be fired. In response, some NFL owners banned kneeling during the anthem while others supported the players’ right to protest.

In 2020, amid nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, some NFL players called on the league to do more to support Black Lives Matter and other social justice causes. San Francisco 49ers player Richard Sherman urged the league to “condemn racism and systematic oppression” and Washington Redskins player Dwayne Haskins Jr. called on team owners to invest more money in communities of color.

The current state of black coaches in the NFL

There has only been a handful of black coaches in the NFL. In the history of the NFL, there have been 11 black head coaches. This number is very low considering that 70% of NFL players are black. The low number of black coaches could be due to the lack of opportunity.

The number of black coaches in the NFL

In the National Football League (NFL), the Rooney Rule is a rule that requires each team to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. It is named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who proposed its implementation in 2002.

Since the 2019 NFL season, there have been only four black head coaches: Anthony Lynn of the Los Angeles Chargers, Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins, Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. All four are former assistant coaches. There has never been a black majority head coach in the NFL.

The low number of black head coaches has been a source of controversy and criticism, with some arguing that the Rooney Rule is not working as intended because it has not resulted in a significant increase in black head coaches.

The number of black head coaches in the NFL

In 2020, there are only four black head coaches in the NFL: Anthony Lynn of the Los Angeles Chargers, Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins, Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Ron Rivera of the Washington Redskins. This represents a significant decrease from just a few years ago, when there were eight black head coaches in the league.

Black head coaches have been disproportionately fired in recent years. In 2019, three of the four black head coaches who were fired (Bruce Arians, Steve Wilks, and Vance Joseph) were replaced by white coaches. And this pattern has continued into 2020: after Bruce Arians retired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they replaced him with former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who is white.

This trend is concerning to many people because it suggests that the NFL may be backsliding on its commitment to diversity. While the league has made some progress in recent years in hiring more black assistant coaches and front office personnel, the number of black head coaches remains alarmingly low.

The future of black coaches in the NFL

It is widely known that the National Football League (NFL) has a diversity problem. The league is made up of 70% black players, yet only 2 of the 32 head coaches are black. In the past 10 years, there have only been 7 black head coaches hired, despite there being many qualified candidates. This begs the question, what is the future of black coaches in the NFL?

The number of black coaches in the NFL

As of 2019, there are only four black head coaches in the NFL: Anthony Lynn of the Los Angeles Chargers, Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins, Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers, and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is down from a high of eight in 2011. In comparison, NFL teams are majority-owned by white men (32 out of 32), and 70% of NFL players are black.

The dearth of black head coaches is often attributed to the “Rooney Rule,” named after former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney. The rule requires that NFL teams interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching and senior operations positions. Nevertheless, many argue that the Rooney Rule has not been effective in increasing the number of black coaches in the NFL, as demonstrated by the declining numbers in recent years.

There are several theories as to why the number of black coaches in the NFL has been on the decline. One theory is that because there are fewer black players in leadership positions within NFL front offices, there is a smaller pool of qualified candidates to interview for head coaching jobs. Another theory is that white ownership groups may be more likely to hire a white coach that they feel they can relate to and who they believe will better connect with their predominantly white fan base.

Whatever the reasons may be, it is clear that the number of black coaches in the NFL is on the decline, and this trend does not appear to be reversing anytime soon.

The number of black head coaches in the NFL

The dearth of black head coaches in the NFL has been an ongoing issue since the league began. In the early years, there were few black coaches at any level of football. The first black head coach in the NFL was Fritz Pollard, who coached the Akron Pros in 1921. Pollard was also the league’s first black player.

In 1970, there were no black head coaches in the NFL. This began to change in 1971 when Art Shell was hired by the Oakland Raiders. He was followed by Dick Williams with the San Diego Chargers in 1974 and Tom Flores with the Raiders in 1979.

The number of black head coaches increased steadily during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2001, there were five black head coaches: Ray Rhodes (Philadelphia Eagles), Herm Edwards (New York Jets), Tony Dungy (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Marvin Lewis (Washington Redskins) and Herman Edwards (Kansas City Chiefs).

However, this number dipped to three in 2002 with Dungy’s dismissal from the Buccaneers and Lewis’ firing by the Redskins. In 2003, Dungy became head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, making him the only black head coach that year. Lewis was hired as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003.

Since then, there have been a few black head coaches hired and fired but none have been able to maintain a long-term tenure with their team. In 2013, there are currently four black Head Coaches: Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers), Leslie Frazier (Minnesota Vikings), Jim Caldwell (Baltimore Ravens) and Lovie Smith (Chicago Bears). can be a world of difference between roasts.

Black coaches have found it difficult to find sustained success as Head Coaches in the NFL. There are a variety of reasons for this: lack of experience, lack of support from ownership, racial discrimination, etc. Whatever the reasons may be, it is clear thatblack coaches continue to face an uphill battle when it comes to finding and keeping a Head Coaching job in the NFL.