MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. Robiskie was an interim head coach twice in his career, taking over for the Commanders in 2000 and Browns in 2004. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. The Houston Texans announced this week that the organization hired Ryans on a six-year deal, making them the first NFL team to hire three consecutive Black coaches. It was a positive thing. A complete timeline of Black coaches, past and present, largely declined to hire those candidates, What happened to Brian Flores? As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy. That brings the total head-coaching jobs available to six, as the Las Vegas Raiders (Jon Gruden), Jacksonville Jaguars (Urban Meyer) and Denver Broncos (Vic Fangio) had fired their HCs prior to Black Monday. He lost his single game with Buffalo and finished 33-31 with Los Angeles. 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. He stuck around for 15 more and was 131-129-3, but never won a playoff game in seven trips. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. He led the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. After serving as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. Singletary went 5-4 as the interim coach to finish out the season. It seems like an impossible task to succeed when the most important position on your roster is in such flux. Crennel showed up in Cleveland after a season in which Butch Davis and Robiskie led the Browns to a 4-12 campaign. Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? Eric Studesville was the head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. Whaley says women and minorities struggle to break through In this insular world. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. | Source: Wesley Hitt / Getty. He only coached eight total games, getting all three of his wins with Buffalo. Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, beginning with the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 season and four other seasons leading the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018. Edwards spent eight seasons as a head coach in the NFL, running the Jets (2001-2005) and Chiefs (2006-2008). For so many reasons, DeMeco is everything we are looking for in a leader and coach for our organization, said Texans owner Cal McNair in a statement. You're going to be like, "All right, let me just check that box and go through this process, but I'm still going to do what I want to.". 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. 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. Frederick Pollard Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard Fritz Pollard was the first African-American football player to play at Brown University. Below is a look at every Black coach thats been hired since then and a snapshot of their story. The new wave of head-coaching hires in the NFL has seen a trend toward younger, offensive-minded leading men getting the top jobs. 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,, Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History, 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. 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. Only one of five NFL head coaches hired this offseason was Black. He can move to number one with success during the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. After serving as the defensive coordinator for the Ravens from 1996-2001, Lewis accepted a new position within the division, coaching the Bengals from 2003-2018. That's what we'll be discussing today. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. 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. Nancy Armour USA TODAY 0:00 1:51 The. Lynn was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers the following season and served in that capacity for four years through the 2020 season. The league in general is tough, but it is a lot tougher for people of color and minorities, and women. Racist Ex-University Of Kentucky 'Karen' Sophia Rosing Is Charged For Assaulting Black Student, Mississippi Cops Beat, Waterboarded Handcuffed Black Men, Shot 1 For Dating White Women': Lawyers. In the suit, Flores cites text messages from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who said he believed he was contacting Brian Daboll, another coach interviewing for the New York Giants head coaching position. Gerald Alexander. First, look at the overall preview of our 20 black NFL coaches below. I can go down and down the line, there's no majority black owner in the NFL. Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. The NFL has a serious diversity problem. 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. So all minorities, look for a mentor, but pay it forward by being a mentor. Wilkes was not retained and Smith was fired. I always used to ask questions like this, what do you do when you get up in the morning? Flores was fired on Monday despite leading the Dolphins to seven straight wins in the second half. The franchise was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL . 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. 12. The Houston Texans broughtCulley in to clean up the mess that Bill OBrien left after he underachieved with J.J. Watt, Deshaun Watson, and DeAndre Hopkins on top of trading Hopkins and getting into it with Watt. Women being interested in this area of business or law, from my viewpoint, has really grown. 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. He led Indianapolis to the franchise's second Super Bowl title in 2006. Who are the youngest coaches in the league, and which ones are getting long in the tooth? Tyler Dragon, sports reporter for USA Today, says the league already has similar programs in place. The Lions also had two playoff berths in four seasons, as compared to one playoff appearance in the previous 14 seasons. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. He is currently the Bills' defensive coordinator. 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. 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. The following year the team was 11-5 and Smith won Coach of the Year. Tomlin was 10-6 in his first season and is still in Pittsburgh. But, if history is any indication and it is thats far from a guarantee. He has captured two AFC championships and one Super Bowl title. The Rooney Rule is 20 years old this year. 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. I'm James Brown, and as always, be well. 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. Just 24 of them have been Black. Other active head coaches to have won a Super Bowl are Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, Mike McCarthy, Sean Payton, Doug Pederson, Andy Reid, and Sean McVay. And what goes into hiring a head coach? Owners and front office people who are in charge of hiring, they found loopholes in the rule. The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. It is what it is and that's the system, but that doesn't mean that it should keep perpetuating that system. Crennel was 6-10 in his first season and lasted four years in Cleveland with a 24-20 record. 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. Mike Tomlin has been one of the best black head coaches in the modern NFL. 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. 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. The Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin and the Tampa Buccaneers' Todd Bowles are the only current Black NFL head coaches. He has a 3-3 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season. 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. They have who they want to be their coordinators, to be their assistant coaches, in some cases, to be their quality control coaches, to be their equipment managers, to be their strength conditioning staff. Emmitt Thomas Source:Getty Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. Smith was replaced by Marc Trestman who only lasted two seasons and had a losing record. Lynn was the interim head coach of the Bills for one game in 2016 before becoming the head coach of the Chargers from 2017-2020. Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, Todd Bowles, Lovie Smith, and interim head coach Steve Wilkes. I think that might be part of the answer to why it exists, but I certainly don't think it's the entire answer. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. 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. Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, beginning with the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 season and four other seasons leading the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018. He was replaced by Eric Mangini who was 23-26 in three seasons with only one playoff appearance. To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. The following is a list of the top National Football League (NFL) head coaches in wins. 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. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Caldwell was brought in after the Jim Schwartz (gym shorts) era ended with 4-12 and 7-9 seasons. Hubbard Alexander. Coaching rumors are heating up with three openings created on Monday morning. That's USA Today's sports reporter Tyler Dragon, he's been writing about the NFL for close to a decade. 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. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. If you like this show, write a review on Apple Podcast or wherever you're listening, and do me a favor, share it with a friend. If you have to do something, then you're going to be fully invested in it as something that you chose to do. He went 36-30 during his tenure and has been replaced by a litany of coaches that havent been able to get the Lions to sniff the playoffs since he was fired. Singletary took over midseason for the 49ers after Mike Nolan was fired after starting the season 2-5. 1. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. We did a lot of reporting on this in the fall, and you had some people who basically suspected that a lot of it stems from playing positions. Lynn was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers the following season and served in that capacity for four years through the 2020 season. 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 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, 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. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. All Rights Reserved. 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. For some reason, fans of all genders and races were stunned that Flores was unemployed as if Ross doesnt have a long history of being a contradictory figure. 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. Raheem Morris was an NFL head coach with two separate teams from 2009 to 2020, including leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, with the first three seasons of that tenure including double-duty as the teams defensive coordinator. He ended his career with a 113-94 overall record. 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. Andrew Brandt agrees that the league has a long way to go and suggested similar programs to the one Whaley describes, but warned that the issue is complex and without easy answers. The Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) have had 13 head coaches in their franchise history. After announcing his retirement from coaching after the 2021 season, Payton has returned to the NFL and will be the Broncos' 19th head coach in franchise history. 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. Todd Haley took over for Edwards and was 19-26 during his run. Frazier finished the year 3-3, and got the interim tag taken off him. All three have had very successful careers while . 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. And to Alexis Gustin and Shannon Ray Green for their production assistance. He is currently the linebackers coach for the Steelers. 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. 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 . Tyler Dragon, sports reporter at USA Today says things played out differently than expected. 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. As a player, Ryans was a two-time Pro Bowler and is still the Texans all-time tackles leader. 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. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. 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. The Lions also had two playoff berths in four seasons, as compared to one playoff appearance in the previous 14 seasons. (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. 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. In 2000, there were three Black coaches in the league. Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. In his three full seasons with the Vikings he compiled an 18-20 record and was eventually replaced by Mike Zimmer who was fired on Monday. 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. 12. All Rights Reserved. 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. And then I say, "Okay, well I'm not going to tell you how to spend your money, but I'm going to tell you before you spend your money, you have to go through this process." That is something that never seems to get noticed when we talk about the Rooney Rule. There were five black NFL head coaches at the end of the 2022 season. It attempted to address the historically low number of minorities in head coaching positions. Like our content? Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. He served in the same double capacity with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. One person called this positional segregation. 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. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. Top Row: Lovie Smith, Marvin Lewis, Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin, Jim Caldwell Botttom Row: Anthony Lynn, Romeo Crennel, Herm Edwards, Leslie Frazier, Brian Flores. Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. Smith wasnt able to capture the magic he had in Chicago with Tampa Bay. 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. 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. 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. 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. And while that happens, the lack of Black coaches will be the most discussed talking point. Our recent USA Today sports analysis found that in the last 20 years, about four white coaches were hired for every coach of color. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. In nine seasons in Chicago, Smith was 84-66 and made three postseason appearances including losing Super Bowl XLI to the Colts in the only matchup thats ever featured two Black coaches. Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, Todd Bowles, Lovie Smith, and interim head coach Steve Wilkes. 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. After all, he'd led a Colts team in constant need of consistent . 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 league is being sued by Brian Flores, former Miami Dolphins head coach. Flores was replacing Adam Gase who was 23-25 in three seasons, as he went 24-25 in three seasons. 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. Leadership is defined in a lot of different ways. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. 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. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. 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.