When the NFL instituted the Rooney Rule in 2003, it was so to insure that minority candidates were given a fair chance to land jobs as head coaches, general managers and in other positions of authority.
The rule has had some success but has recently hit a snag as four of the five head coaches hired this offseason were not minority candidates. The NFL player population is comprised approximately 70% minorities and the coaching ranks are far from a reflection of that number.
New York Giants CEO John Mara believes he may have a solution. Per Pro Football Talk and Football Morning in America:
Mara recently suggested an expansion of the Rooney Rule to include not only head coaching jobs but also certain important assistant assignments that become the pathway to running a team.
“We’re obviously using the Rooney Rule for the head coaching candidates, but I think we may have to use the rule for the feeder positions, especially on the offensive side of the ball because that’s where so many of the head coaches come from,” Mara told Peter King for his latest Football Morning in America column. “We talked in December on the Workplace Diversity Committee about feeding the pipeline further. I can tell you: This is a real concern of the Commissioner and the league.”
Mara is putting his money where his mouth is. The Giants have added five coaches to Joe Judge’s staff this week and four them — special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, Tyke Tolbert (wide receivers), Patrick Graham (defensive coordinator) and defensive line coach Freddie Roach — are all minorities. Graham was actually named the team’s assistant head coach.
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