NFL owners today rejected a controversial expansion of the Rooney Rule that would have rewarded teams with better draft picks for hiring minority head coaches or top football execs. However, the league did make other changes to rules designed to encourage diversity in hiring in both the football and business sides of clubs. Under one change, teams will no longer be allowed to block their assistant coaches from interviewing for coordinator jobs with other teams. “The mobility resolution today was significant -- Historic,” said NFL Exec VP/Football Operations Troy Vincent. “Because it has been a fight for decades. That’s the foundation -- frankly, we would call that the linchpin of these inequalities.” It also applies to personnel officials applying for assistant GM jobs. The draft picks scheme, in which teams would see their third-round draft slot boosted by six spots for hiring a minority coach or 10 spots for a minority GM, was tabled without an official vote.
Other changes to the Rooney Rule that will go into effect without a vote: The rule will now apply to the business side for the first time. Clubs must now interview at least one minority or woman for club president and senior execs in communications, finance, HR, legal, football ops, sales, marketing, sponsorship, IT and security positions. NFL Chief People Officer Dasha Smith said, “We really just have a philosophy that diversity and inclusion should be part of a culture at all levels, for all positions, and certainly to have a whole team, if you will -- that would be on the field and off the field -- you need to make sure you have diverse voices and diversity of thought.”
The league HQ will also adhere to these requirements. Clubs must interview two external minority candidates for head coach vacancies, up from one. Also, for the first time, teams must interview one external minority candidate for any offensive, defensive or special teams coordinator position. Also, all teams will offer full-time coaching fellowships geared toward minorities and woman that will last one or two years, and must submit an organization-wide diversity and inclusion plan to the league.
