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. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. Ray Rhodes coached in various NFL capacities for nearly 40 years, including a five-year run as head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and later with the Green Bay Packers. Smith was hired in Chicago after the Bears were 7-9 the year before, with Smith going 5-11 in his first season. All three have had very successful careers while . Mike Tomlin has been one of the best black head coaches in the modern NFL. 12. 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. Is it because the NFL is an organization akin to slavery, like blacklisted free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick said after he was effectively excommunicated from the league following his silent kneeling protest to demonstrate against the police brutality of Black people? The NFL wants more, or so . Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. Morris was 17-31 in three seasons and wound up being replaced by Greg Schiano, then Lovie Smith, and then Dirk Koetter none of them fared much better. Caldwell was only in Detroit for four seasons, but the Lions made two postseason appearances under him. Jim Caldwell has been head coach for two different NFL franchises: the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017. Jackson only got one season to prove his worth with the Raiders after finishing 8-8 in a season in which the team started 7-4. In his three seasons in Indianapolis, Caldwell was 28-24 and replaced by Chuck Pagano. It seems like football fans in the media have the same conversation every year, where are all the black head coaches? The other part of it is I think from my view, there are more women in front offices now as well, and although a very small minority, more women in the coaching. After serving as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. 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. He was replaced by Mangini who went 10-22 in two seasons. Tyler Dragon, sports reporter at USA Today says things played out differently than expected. 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. His career record is 92-90. Del Alexander. Dungy was hired in Indianapolis after they went 6-10 before he arrived. We might have you on the show. But as we see now, just like anything, people that have children and even to yourself, when someone says you have to do something, you're obviously automatically going to have a bias towards it. Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. It attempted to address the historically low number of minorities in head coaching positions. Wilkes was not retained and Smith was fired. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. He lost his single game with Buffalo and finished 33-31 with Los Angeles. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. 20 years ago, the NFL adopted a policy known as the Rooney Rule. Doug Whaley says this could too. Dirk Koetter replaced Smith and wasnt much better, as Tampa Bay didnt get good again until Bruce Arians showed up in 2019. He led the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the NFL, at playing as the underdog which means he is still a big game coach that can match skills and wit with the best of them. Shell did his second and final stint as the head coach for the Raiders, as he only lasted one year after posting a 2-14 record. Shell was the first Black head coach in the modern era of the NFL. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. Specifically, Flores claims hes had multiple incidents of racial discrimination that involved several teams, as well as coaches and executives around the league. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. 12. 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. That's Doug Whaley. That makes grand total of three in a 32-team league where 60% of players are Black. 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. What do you think of the show? "What do you do". Culley lasted just one season with the Texans, completing the 2021 campaign with a 4-13 overall record. The league has even gone to such drastic measures as partnering with rap legend JAY Z in the name of entertainment and social justice as a way to help accomplish its evasive mission. Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. In the text message, Belichick confirmed Daboll had already secured the job, but Flores had not yet interviewed for the position. Hopefully, DeMecos hiring is the catalyst for more Black coaches in the NFL. He was fired in September 2022. He compiled a 34-32 record in four seasons and was replaced by Brandon Stanley. 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. Green was 16-32 during his tenure and was replaced by Ken Whisenhunt. One person called this positional segregation. Relationships play a big part too. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. newsone.com. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, During his pro football career the two-time All-America played and sometimes coached for four different NFL teams, the Pros/Indians (1920-21/1925-26), the Milwaukee Badgers (1922), the Hammond Pros (1923, 1925), and the Providence Steam Roller (1925)., It also added: In 1928, Pollard organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African American professional team based in the Windy City.. There were five black NFL head coaches at the end of the 2022 season. 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. 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. Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator, Tennessee Titans. Having them sit in non-interview settings with the decision makers, presidents, and owners, everything I've talked about. Smith coached the Bears for nearly a decade (2004-2012) before a brief stint with the Buccaneers (2014-2015). 20 Black NFL Coaches 20. Bowles has coached the Dolphins (2011) and Jets (2015-2018), and he is the current coach of the Buccaneers. I'm James Brown, and as always, be well. Of course, that type of logic is counterproductive and completely beside the point, what with the new 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. Smith wasnt able to capture the magic he had in Chicago with Tampa Bay. Is it right, wrong or indifferent? During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 89-87-0 across eleven seasons including going 3-3-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. He has a 90-90-1 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season. Bowles went 10-6 in his first season and was 24-40 in his four years on the sidelines for the Jets. He ended those two stints with an overall record of11-44-1. He ended his career with a 113-94 overall record. Is it because the NFL is an organization akin to slavery, like blacklisted free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick said after he was effectively excommunicated from the league following his silent kneeling protest to demonstrate against the police brutality of Black people? from Todd Haley that season when he was let go after a 5-8 start. Mike Tomlin, Brian Flores and David Culley are the three NFL coaches. 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. Either way, Flores. A lot of it is right place at the right time, a lot of it's knowing the right people, a lot of it is just hard work and accomplishments. He led the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. 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.". Tomlin has been the coach of the Steelers since 2007, making him the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL behind only Bill Belichick. Revisiting Dolphins scandal, Pollard became the first Black coach in NFL history when he was named co-coach of the Akron Pros in 1921. The team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri and were renamed the Chiefs in 1963. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. He is a former NFL player whose professional career spanned from 1986 to 1993. Whaley is part of a group that launched One Global Culture Events, which helped minority candidates in pro sports connect with upper management. 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. Whaley says women and minorities struggle to break through In this insular world. The Jets hired Edwards after they were 9-7 the year prior. 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. 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. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. The year before, Norv Turner was 4-12, and the year after Shell left, Lane Kiffin was 4-12 in his first season. Just 24 of them have been Black. What's in it for interims? According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, During his pro football career the two-time All-America played and sometimes coached for four different NFL teams, the Pros/Indians (1920-21/1925-26), the Milwaukee Badgers (1922), the Hammond Pros (1923, 1925), and the Providence Steam Roller (1925)., It also added: In 1928, Pollard organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African American professional team based in the Windy City.. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. 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. If you look at solutions instead of just focused on the problem, that's where I think we all should be focusing our energy. He lasted three years in Indianapolis (2009-2011) before getting another opportunity in Detroit (2014-2017). Our recent USA Today sports analysis found that in the last 20 years, about four white coaches were hired for every coach of color. Also, what's your assistant coach set up? Cliff Anderson (American football) Darren Arbet. Do you remember what your initial thoughts were when you heard that this kind of thing was being implemented? Thank you for subscribing! He is currently the linebackers coach for the Steelers. 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. Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. 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. He led Indianapolis to the franchise's second Super Bowl title in 2006. 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. 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. Ray Rhodes coached in various NFL capacities for nearly 40 years, including a five-year run as head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and later with the Green Bay Packers. 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. Brandt is a sports agent turned NFL executive who spent about 10 years with the Green Bay Packers. He returned to coaching when he took the head job at Arizona State in 2017. 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. Personality's always going to play a big role. He compiled a 56-52 overall. What's your systems? The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. Who are the NFL's Black head coaches? He coached the Los Angeles Chargers. And Terry Robiskie served as an interim head coach in Washington as the interim position would be the highest level he ever reached in his career. When I look at the NFL landscape from top to bottom, they are really behind when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. 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. But, if history is any indication and it is thats far from a guarantee. Lovie Smith was a head coach with the Chicago Bears for eleven seasons from 2004 to 2012 before he was hired as thehead coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014to2015. So what's happening here? Carolina's Steve Wilks latest Black coach thrust into challengingrole, A family affair: Nepotism and its networks fill many NFL coaching positions, NFL's path to top jobs still narrow, lengthy for coaches ofcolor, Often interviewed, never hired: How hot-shot NFL head coaching candidates go cold, As NFL coaching carousel starts to spin, advocates unsure how Black candidates will fare, What we learned: Four key findings from USA TODAY's analysis of NFL coaches, PODCAST: Exploring USA TODAY Sports NFL coaches project and previewing Week 4. I'll give you a quote from Bill Nunn, Hall of Fame scout from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the head personnel man for the 1974 draft that drafted four Hall of Famers is the gold standard of anybody in the personnel business. Here's what our USA TODAY Sports investigation found. Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? 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. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. Green served as the head coach of the Vikings for 10 seasons (1992-2001), earning a playoff berth eight times. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. 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. I said, "What do you do before you go to the bathroom?" The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. 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. He had a long career in the NFL working his way up through the Pittsburgh Steelers organization and eventually becoming the only black general manager in the 60-year history of the Buffalo Bills. Can this person lead 20 coaches, 60, 70 players depending on practice squad, can they lead? Interestingly enough, Caldwell was mentioned in Brian Flores lawsuit as an example of a Black NFL head coach who was fired in spite of the success he enjoyed. 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. Edwards spent eight seasons as a head coach in the NFL, running the Jets (2001-2005) and Chiefs (2006-2008). The Lions also had two playoff berths in four seasons, as compared to one playoff appearance in the previous 14 seasons. The new wave of head-coaching hires in the NFL has seen a trend toward younger, offensive-minded leading men getting the top jobs. 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. 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. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. That makes grand total of three in a 32-team league where 60% of players are Black. He served in the same double capacity with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. The following year the team was 11-5 and Smith won Coach of the Year. The thinking basically went there are lots of black men who played running back, so when they transition to coaching, that's the position they know, it's the easiest way to get into the business. Were they invited to lead your team? Lewis was hired by the Bengals after a 2-14 campaign. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Jim Caldwell has been head coach for two different NFL franchises: the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017. 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. 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. He is currently Michigan State's head coach. 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. To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, Todd Bowles, Lovie Smith, and interim head coach Steve Wilkes. 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. That's USA Today's sports reporter Tyler Dragon, he's been writing about the NFL for close to a decade. He was fired 8 games into his third season and finished with a 3-36-1 record. Coaching rumors are heating up with three openings created on Monday morning. 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.