The NFL has announced every team will be required to hire a minority offensive assistant coach for the upcoming season.
ESPN reported the coach could be “a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority,” citing a policy adopted by NFL owners. The coach will be paid from a league-wide fund.
The outlet explained the coach “must work closely with the head coach and the offensive staff, with the goal of increasing minority participation in the pool of offensive coaches that eventually produces the most sought-after candidates for head-coaching positions.”
Pittsburgh Steelers owner and chairman of the NFL Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, Art Rooney II, told ESPN it is a “recognition that at the moment, when you look at stepping stones for a head coach, they are the coordinator positions.”
He added, “We clearly have a trend where coaches are coming from the offensive side of the ball in recent years, and we clearly do not have as many minorities in the offensive coordinator [job].”
All NFL teams will hire a minority offensive assistant coach for the 2022 season, part of a series of policy enhancements announced to address the league's ongoing diversity efforts.
— ESPN (@espn) March 29, 2022
The coach can be "a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority." https://t.co/BfwPearVu0
According to NFL chief administrative officer Dasha Smith, some teams have already filled the position of coach and other coaches in assistant roles, as ESPN reported.
“The truth of the matter is that as of today, at least, there aren’t many women in the pool in terms of head coach,” Rooney said. “We hope that is going to change over the years, but for that reason we didn’t see it as inhibiting the number of interviews for racial minorities at this point in time. Obviously, we can address that as time goes on, but for now we didn’t see that as an issue.”
Rooney explained the league is “looking at probably the early stages of women entering the coaching ranks, so we may be a little ways away before that becomes a problem.”
The outlet noted minority coaches represent 39% of the league total.