Rice grew up a Browns fan, and had met with Dorsey before Browns-Raiders in SeptemberGETTY IMAGES
Browns GM John Dorsey said that the team has "not discussed" interviewing former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for its coaching vacancy "despite an ESPN report that they're interested," according to a front-page piece by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. Dorsey said, "I have the utmost respect and admiration for all she's accomplished and was honored to meet her for the first time earlier this season. ... We are still in the process of composing the list of candidates and Secretary Rice has not been discussed." Cabot notes Rice "met Dorsey before the Browns game in Oakland" in September, and was "spotted before the game talking" with Browns Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 11/19). Rice, a noted Browns fan, posted on her Facebook page, "I do hope that the NFL will start to bring women into the coaching profession as position coaches and eventually coordinators and head coaches. One doesn't have to play the game to understand it and motivate players. But experience counts -- and it is time to develop a pool of experienced women coaches" (FACEBOOK.com, 11/18).
BREAKING NEW GROUND: ESPN.com's Adam Schefter in the initial report noted Rice would have "become the first woman to interview for an NFL head-coaching job." A source said that a potential interview "hardly means the Browns will hire Rice, but they are interested in talking to her about the job and seeing what she could bring to the position and the organization." Schefter reported the interview process "could even lead to Rice becoming more involved in the organization in an official capacity or as a consultant" (ESPN.com, 11/18). Schefter later said the Browns are more interested in talking to Rice to "get feedback on organizational structure, activities and different perspectives" instead of for the coaching job. ESPN's Mike Golic said, "If they just said they wanted to talk to Condoleezza Rice about the organization, I don't think anybody would have batted an eye. ... I would've thought that's a great person to talk to" ("Golic & Wingo, ESPN Radio, 11/19). NBCSPORTS.com's Peter King writes the idea of Rice "being anything other than a consultant-type interview is asinine." King: "Let's let a cadre of women who love football make their way in it" (NBCSPORTS.com, 11/19).
MULTIPLE OTHER OPTIONS: The PLAIN DEALER's Cabot notes Dorsey will "likely interview a woman for the head coaching vacancy, but perhaps not Rice." There are currently multiple "female assistants in the NFL," including the Raiders' Kelsey Martinez and 49ers' Katie Sowers (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 11/19). USA TODAY's Chris Korman wrote it is "admirable" that Dorsey is "openly saying he'd hire a woman as head coach, but naming this name cheapens the idea." This would be a "gimmick hire." Korman: "A better thing to do would be finding the women who have already dedicated themselves to football and opening pathways for them" (USATODAY.com, 11/18). THE ATHLETIC's Lindsay Jones wrote if the NFL is "going to finally be serious about diversifying its coaching ranks, floating famous names with little or no football experience like Rice is not the way to do it." Rice being linked to the job is "troubling," and it "ignores the actual work others in the NFL and college football are doing to prepare female candidates for football coaching and front-office jobs" (THEATHLETIC.com, 11/18).
OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE: YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel noted the NFL in general would "benefit from expanding the candidates pool for jobs within their organizations by looking to women that other teams are ignoring." The "entire idea" of Rice becoming a head coach "was folly." However, it "shined a spotlight on what the NFL should consider an opportunity, not a problem" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/18). USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell wrote there is "no question Rice would bring much to the table for the Browns -- and certainly on a larger scale for the NFL -- in an executive capacity." She is "much better suited to replace" NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell than she is to replace former Browns head coach Hue Jackson (USATODAY.com, 11/18). Jimmy Haslam is "opening the organization to the waft of different ideas," and interviewing Rice "would be evidence that Haslam and therefore Dorsey are willing to cast a wide search for those ideas" (NBCSPORTSBAYAREA.com, 11/18).
