The National Football League is set to introduce two resolutions for team owners to vote on that would incentivize the hiring of more minorities as head coaches and general managers.
A mere three of the past 20 head coaching vacancies in the NFL have been filled by a person of color, which commissioner Roger Goodell is seeking to change.
“Clearly we are not where we want to be on this level,” he said. “It's clear we need to change. We have already begun discussing those changes, what stages we can take next to determine better outcomes.”
The resolutions will be presented during the virtual owner's meeting this Tuesday. Among the incentives? An improved draft position.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a source detailed the proposed changes:
-If a team hires a minority head coach, that team, in the draft preceding the coach's second season, would move up six spots from where it is slotted to pick in the third round. A team would jump 10 spots under the same scenario for hiring a person of color as its primary football executive, a position more commonly known as general manager.
-If a team were to fill both positions with diverse candidates in the same year, that club could jump 16 spots — six for the coach, 10 for the GM — and potentially move from the top of the third round to the middle of the second round. Another incentive: a team's fourth-round pick would climb five spots in the draft preceding the coach's or GM's third year if he is still with the team. That is considered significant because Steve Wilks and Vance Joseph, two of the four African-American head coaches hired since 2017, were fired after one and two seasons, respectively.
Additionally, an enhancement of the Rooney Rule, originally adopted in 2003, that would see the number of minority candidates interviewed to be doubled is being considered.
What do you think of these proposals from the NFL?
– – Quotes via Jim Trotter of NFL.com Link – –
