How Many Black NFL Coaches Are There?

There are currently four black head coaches in the NFL.

Introduction

In the National Football League (NFL), there is a significant disparity between the number of black head coaches and the overall percentage of black players in the league. According to a 2019 report from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida, only four out of 32 NFL teams are currently led by black head coaches. This means that just 12.5% of all NFL teams are coached by black individuals, despite the fact that nearly 70% of NFL players are black.

The lack of diversity among NFL head coaches is even more striking when compared to other major U.S. professional sports leagues. In the NBA, for example, approximately 80% of players are black, but 43% of head coaches are also black. In Major League Baseball (MLB), 7 out of 30 teams (23%) are currently led by black managers, while blacks make up approximately 10% of MLB players.

There are a number of possible explanations for the scarcity of black head coaches in the NFL. One theory is that NFL front offices may be biased against hiring black coaches, instead preferring to hire white candidates with less experience. Another possibility is that blacks may face greater obstacles in getting hired for coordinator and assistant coach positions, which are generally seen as stepping stones to becoming a head coach. Additionally, some have argued that the “rookie” label is often applied more readily to black coaching candidates than to their white counterparts.

Whatever the reasons for the lack of diversity among NFL head coaches, it is clear that blacks are significantly underrepresented in this position. This lack of representation can have a negative impact on both black players and fans, who may feel that they do not have a voice within the league.

The Rooney Rule

In order to promote diversity, the NFL created what is called the Rooney Rule in 2003. The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least one person of color for every head coach and senior football operations position.

There has been some criticism of the Rooney Rule because it has not resulted in a significant increase in the number of black head coaches hired. In fact, the percentage of black head coaches in the NFL has actually decreased since the rule was put in place.

As of 2019, there are only 3 black head coaches out of 32 total NFL teams. This means that less than 10% of NFL teams are coached by black men, even though they make up nearly 70% of players in the league.

There are several reasons why the Rooney Rule may not be effective in increasing the number of black head coaches hired. One reason is that there is a lack of qualified black candidates for these positions. Another reason is that some team owners may be reluctant to hire a black coach because they think that fans will not support them.

What do you think can be done to increase the number of blackhead coaches in the NFL?

The Numbers

The NFL has never been known for its racial diversity, and that lack of diversity is especially evident among its coaching ranks. As of the 2019 season, there are only four black head coaches in the entire league. That’s just over 8% of all NFL head coaches, despite the fact that roughly 70% of all NFL players are black.

The dearth of black head coaches is even more striking when you compare it to other professional sports leagues. In the NBA, for example, about 80% of all players are black, yet nearly 40% of all head coaches are black. In MLB, roughly 8% of players are black, but nearly 15% of managers are black. And in the NHL, while the percentage of black players is similar to the NFL (around 7%), nearly 20% of NHL head coaches are black.

So why is the NFL so far behind when it comes to hiringblack head coaches? There are a number of factors at play. One is that many top NFL assistant coaches are passed over for head coaching jobs in favor of white candidates with less experience. Another is that the league’s “Rooney Rule,” which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for every head coaching vacancy, has not been as effective as hoped in increasing the number of black NFL head coaches.

Whatever the reasons for the lack of diversity among NFL coaching ranks, it’s clear that the league has a long way to go before its coaching staffs look anything like its player rosters.

The Reasons

Reasons for the dearth of Black head coaches are myriad and complex. But they can be boiled down to a few key factors:
-The pipeline. There simply aren’t enough African American assistant coaches to fill the ever-growing number of head coaching vacancies. In 2002, only 6 percent of assistant coaches were African American, according to a study by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. That number has grown to 14 percent today.

-The Rooney Rule. In 2003, the NFL implemented the “Rooney Rule,” which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching and senior football operation vacancies. While the rule has resulted in more interviews for African American coaches, it hasn’t necessarily led to more hirings.

-The waiting game. African American coaches often find themselves in a Catch-22: They are routinely passed over for head coaching jobs, but when they do get hired, they are given less time to turn things around than their white counterparts. According to a study by professors at University of California Berkeley and Stanford University, black NFL head coaches receive about 2.5 fewer years to turn their teams around than white coaches.

The Future

The number of black NFL coaches has been on the rise in recent years. In 2019, there were eight black head coaches, up from six in 2018 and just two in 2017. The NFL has also seen an increase in the number of black offensive and defensive coordinators.

While the trend is encouraging, the numbers are still far from reflective of the league’s player population, which is roughly 70 percent black. There are currently 32 NFL teams, meaning that less than one-quarter of them are led by black head coaches.

The eight black head coaches in 2019 were: Anthony Lynn (Los Angeles Chargers), Brian Flores (Miami Dolphins), Dirk Koetter (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Freddie Kitchens (Cleveland Browns), Hue Jackson (Cincinnati Bengals), Marvin Lewis (Arizona Cardinals), Vance Joseph (Denver Broncos) and Wilfredo Rivera (New York Jets).

Of those eight, only Jackson and Lewis have been head coaches for more than one season. Lewis was fired by the Bengals after 16 seasons; Jackson was fired by the Browns after just two seasons.

It’s worth noting that several of the league’s most successful coaches are African American, including Super Bowl-winning coaches Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden.