Tag: Ray Horton

Titans respond to Ray Horton’s accusation about 2016 HC interview

The Titans’ statement is at odds with a past quote from former head coach, Mike Mularkey.

On Thursday, former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton joined the Brian Flores class-action lawsuit against multiple teams that alleges racial discrimination in their hiring practices.

Horton accused the Titans of conducting a “completely sham interview” with him for their head coach vacancy in 2016 “only to comply with the Rooney Rule and to demonstrate an appearance of equal opportunity and a false willingness to consider a minority candidate for the position.”

The Titans have since issued a statement in response to the accusation:

“Our 2016 head coach search was a thoughtful and competitive process fully in keeping with NFL guidelines and our own organizational values. We conducted detailed, in-person interviews with four talented individuals, two of whom were diverse candidates. No decision was made, and no decision was communicated, prior to the completion of all interviews. While we are proud of Our Commitment to Diversity, we are dedicated to continued growth as an organization to foster diversity and inclusion in our workplace and community.”

The Titans’ claim that they did not make a decision prior to the conclusion of their interview process is directly at odds with a past quote from the man they ultimately hired for the job in 2016, Mike Mularkey.

In 2020, Mularkey stated on the Steelers Realm podcast that he was notified he would be the head coach before the Titans “went through the Rooney rule,” a quote that was cited in the lawsuit.

“Told me I was going to be the head coach in 2016, before they went through the Rooney rule. And so I sat there knowing I was the head coach in 2016, as they went through this fake hiring process knowing, knowing a lot of the coaches that they were interviewing, knowing how much they prepared to go through those interviews, knowing that everything they could do and they had no chance to get that job.”

Along with Horton, former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks also joined the lawsuit.

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Ray Horton joins Brian Flores lawsuit, accuses Titans of sham interview in 2016

Former Titans DC Ray Horton is accusing the team of holding a “completely sham interview” with him for their head coaching vacancy in 2016.

Former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton has joined the Brian Flores class-action lawsuit accusing multiple NFL teams of racial discrimination in their hiring practices. Horton is accusing the Titans of holding a “sham interview” with him in 2016.

Horton, who was interviewed for the Titans’ head-coaching vacancy that year, accuses the franchise of holding a “completely sham interview” that was done “only to comply with the Rooney Rule and to demonstrate an appearance of equal opportunity and a false willingness to consider a minority candidate for the position.”

In the amendment to the Flores lawsuit, Horton points to a quote from the man Tennessee ended up hiring, Mike Mularkey, as evidence to back his claims.

Here’s the quote from Mularkey that was cited, which came during an interview on the Steelers Realm podcast.

“Told me I was going to be the head coach in 2016, before they went through the Rooney rule. And so I sat there knowing I was the head coach in 2016, as they went through this fake hiring process knowing, knowing a lot of the coaches that they were interviewing, knowing how much they prepared to go through those interviews, knowing that everything they could do and they had no chance to get that job.”

Horton has released a statement on his joining the lawsuit:

“I am proud to stand with Coach Flores and Coach Wilks in combatting the systemic discrimination which has plagued the NFL for far too long. When I learned from Coach Mularkey’s statements that my head coach interview with the Titans was a sham, I was devastated and humiliated. By joining this case, I am hoping to turn that experience into a positive and make lasting change and create true equal opportunity in the future.”

Also joining Horton and Flores in the lawsuit is former Arizona Cardinals head coach, Steve Wilks. The Titans have yet to respond to the accusation from Horton.

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Panthers’ Steve Wilks joins Brian Flores in lawsuit against NFL

Panthers defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Steve Wilks and Ray Horton have joined Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.

As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carolina Panthers defensive game passing coordinator and secondary coach Steve Wilks has joined Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.

In the amended complaints, Wilks alleges he was unfairly and discriminatorily fired by the Arizona Cardinals following the 2018 campaign. Arizona hired Wilks as head coach that year, only to dismiss him that very same season in what the 52-year-old described as a no-win situation.

“Mr. Wilks was replaced by a white coach, Kliff Kingsbury, who had no prior NFL coaching experience and was coming off of multiple losing seasons as a Head Coach at Texas Tech,” per the complaint. “Mr. Kingsbury, armed with quarterback Kyler Murray, has been given a much longer leash than Mr. Wilks and, to his credit, has succeeded. That said, Mr. Wilks, given the same opportunity afforded to Mr. Kingsbury, surely would have succeeded as well.”

On Feb. 1, Flores filed a class action lawsuit claiming he and multiple Black coaches have been denied numerous opportunities due to the league’s racist hiring practices. Ray Horton, who had began as a coach back in 1994, is also included alongside Wilks in the new complaints.

Wilks said the following in a statement released on Thursday:

“When Coach Flores filed this action, I knew I owed it to myself, and to all Black NFL coaches and aspiring coaches, to stand with him. This lawsuit has shed further important light on a problem that we all know exists, but that too few are willing to confront. Black coaches and candidates should have exactly the same ability to become employed, and remain employed, as white coaches and candidates. That is not currently the case, and I look forward to working with Coach Flores and Coach Horton to ensure that the aspiration of racial equality in the NFL becomes a reality.”

The Charlotte, N.C. native, who spent six previous seasons with the Panthers, was hired back by the organization on Feb. 9.

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Two more coaches join Brian Flores’ class action lawsuit

One former head coach and one former defensive coordinator are joining Brian Flores.

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Brian Flores’ class action lawsuit is once again in the news, as two new coaches have joined the lawsuit as plaintiffs, according to Pro Football Talk.

Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks and former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton are both claiming racial discrimination in their own situations.

Wilks, who was fired by the Cardinals after one season, alleges that he was hired as a “bridge coach” and wasn’t given a real chance to succeed in this opportunity. He juxtaposed this situation with his general manager, Steve Keim, who was given an extension despite being convicted of a DUI.

“When Coach Flores filed this action, I knew I owed it to myself, and to all Black NFL coaches and aspiring coaches, to stand with him,” Wilks said in a statement. “This lawsuit has shed further important light on a problem that we all know exists, but that too few are willing to confront. Black coaches and candidates should have exactly the same ability to become employed, and remain employed, as white coaches and candidates. That is not currently the case, and I look forward to working with Coach Flores and Coach Horton to ensure that the aspiration of racial equality in the NFL becomes a reality.”

Horton, who had been the Titans defensive coordinator before interviewing for the head coach position in 2016, alleges that his interview was a sham only to satisfy the Rooney Rule. He also alleges that Mike Mularkey, who was given the job in 2016, knew that he was getting the position before all of the interviews had concluded.

“I am proud to stand with Coach Flores and Coach Wilks in combatting the systemic discrimination which has plagued the NFL for far too long,” Horton said in a statement. “When I learned from Coach Mularkey’s statements that my head coach interview with the Titans was a sham, I was devastated and humiliated. Bu joining this case, I am hoping to turn that experience into a positive and make lasting change and create true equal opportunity in the future.”

While all three coaches have been able to find positions in the league since these cited incidents occurred, it could be argued that none of the coaches were given the opportunity they should have been granted. Flores is a defensive assistant and linebackers coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilks is the defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach of the Carolina Panthers and Horton hasn’t coached since 2019.

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Former Redskins DB coach compares Quinton Dunbar to Richard Sherman

Horton told every Seahawks fan exactly what they want to hear, comparing their newest CB Quinton Dunbar to Seattle legend Richard Sherman.

The Washington Redskins have seen a lot of change take place over the last several months. Much of their old coaching staff is gone, save a couple of people, and several of their former players are either on to new teams or left looking for work.

One of the most notable departures for the Redskins came this past month when cornerback Quinton Dunbar was traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a fifth-round pick. Dunbar was coming off of his best season in the NFL, but he was unable to reach a contract extension with Washington, leading to his demand for a trade.

Now, with Dunbar on the other side of the country, another former Redskin is speaking about him — 2019 defensive backs coach Roy Horton, who coached Dunbar to his career year. When asked for a comparison of Dunbar, Horton had an answer that is liable to get fans of the Seahawks out of their seats.

“To me, it would be Richard Sherman,” Horton said, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “Because of the style of play, the hands, the anticipation, the (being a) former wide receiver, the competitiveness. Really, that’s what you are getting is a young Richard Sherman. And this kid is hungry. He wants to be good.”

Like Sherman, Dunbar was a wide receiver in college, and he transitioned to the CB position once he hit the NFL after going undrafted. Both players were ranked near the top of cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus in 2019, and both have highly intelligent football minds to go along with a little bit of fire.

“You are getting that type of player,” Horton said. “They are going to love this kid.”

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