Studesville was the interim head coach of the Broncos in 2010, going 1-3 to finish out the season. Romeo Crennel was a head coach for four seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008 and later for one season with the Houston Texans, according to the Pro Football History website. (At the time, it was called the American Professional Football Association.). All three have had very successful careers while . Wilks is the current interim head coach of the Panthers, but he got his first shot at the top job with the Cardinals, going 3-13 in 2018. The following year the team was 11-5 and Smith won Coach of the Year. Morris, who is the current defensive coordinator of the Rams, served as the head coach of the Buccaneers (2009-2011) and Falcons (2020). 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. 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. A more diverse pipeline could help down the road. You can just interview a black or minority head coach and know that you're not really going to hire them, you're just making sure you cross all your Ts and dot your Is before you make that hire of the white coach you want. Top 5 Black Coaches In NFL History - The Shadow League The first thing you say is kudos to Mr. Rooney, obviously the driving force behind it, and I worked for him so I'm biased, but also the league for identifying a problem and trying to come up with a solution. Crennel took the reins over in K.C. The Chargers hired Lynn after Mike McCoy went 4-12 and 5-11 in his last two seasons. Of the five head . Relationships play a big part too. 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. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Lynn was the interim head coach of the Bills for one game in 2016 before becoming the head coach of the Chargers from 2017-2020. Our recent USA Today sports analysis found that in the last 20 years, about four white coaches were hired for every coach of color. He can move to number one with success during the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. Just 24 of them have been Black. Eventually he became head coach of the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs in the 2000s. 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. I'm James Brown. Former head coach: Nathaniel Hackett. If they truly want to change the system or if not, then we realize that they're just given it lip service. Only one of five NFL head coaches hired this offseason was 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. 12. The franchise was founded in 1960 by Lamar Hunt and were known as the Dallas Texans when the team was located in Dallas, Texas. The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. Notably, Jackson responded to Flores lawsuit by claiming he was subjected to similar treatment described in the complaint. 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. Now-former Head Coach Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins talks with an official during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on January 2, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. We might have you on the show. He lost his single game with Buffalo and finished 33-31 with Los Angeles. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. He was replaced by Zac Taylor who is currently 16-32 in three seasons. It's Sunday, February 5th, 2023. But, if history is any indication and it is thats far from a guarantee. Joseph, who is the current defensive coordinator of the Cardinals, coached the Broncos for two seasons (2017-2018). After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. It's true in business, it's true in life, and diversity only comes with some steps to increase representation and NFL is doing that. Tucker was the interim head coach of the Jaguars for the last five games of the 2011 season. 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. His saying was, "It's great to have a mentor, but it's even better to be a mentor." Just 24 of them have been Black. He also wants to get a sense of their mentality. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. Rhodes, a five-time Super Bowl champion as an assistant with the 49ers, had a 37-42-1 record as the head coach of the Eagles and Packers (1995-1999). 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 brings the total head-coaching jobs available to six, as the Las Vegas Raiders (Jon Gruden), Jacksonville Jaguars (Urban Meyer) and Denver Broncos (Vic Fangio) had fired their HCs prior to Black Monday. The following is a list of the top National Football League (NFL) head coaches in wins. He served in the same double capacity with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. He retired after the 2008 season and was replaced by Jim Caldwell who was the teams coach-in-waiting, in a rare occurrence of a team having back-to-back Black coaches. Lewis was 8-8 his first season. It seems like an impossible task to succeed when the most important position on your roster is in such flux. He was replaced by Eric Mangini who was 23-26 in three seasons with only one playoff appearance. 20 Black NFL Coaches [2023 Update] - Players Bio After all, they may be musing, isnt the NFL disproportionately made up of Black players? 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. Jackson took over for Tom Cable, who went 8-8 in his final season with the team. After taking over for Bruce Arians who went 8-8 in his final season, Wilks was 3-13 and was replaced by Kliff Kingsbury. As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy. He is embroiled in a lawsuit that he filed against multiple teams, including Miami, and the NFL for discriminatory hiring practices. Robiskie was an interim head coach twice in his career, taking over for the Commanders in 2000 and Browns in 2004. Culley lasted just one season with the Texans, completing the 2021 campaign with a 4-13 overall record. It is what it is and that's the system, but that doesn't mean that it should keep perpetuating that system. And to Alexis Gustin and Shannon Ray Green for their production assistance. Tomlin was 10-6 in his first season and is still in Pittsburgh. 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. The NFL's 32 teams began the season in full on Sunday with only three Black head coaches and two Black general managers in a league where the players are roughly 70% Black. The NFL wants more, or so . The Jets hired Edwards after they were 9-7 the year prior. During his three seasons as head coach, Rhule had five different starters Teddy Bridgewater, PJ Walker, Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and Baker Mayfield. All Rights Reserved. In the meantime, keep reading to get familiar with the dozens of Black people who have worked as NFL head coaches in the leagues more than 100-year history. He lasted three years in Indianapolis (2009-2011) before getting another opportunity in Detroit (2014-2017). Tony Dungy led the Bucs to a Wild-Card Game. In the text message, Belichick confirmed Daboll had already secured the job, but Flores had not yet interviewed for the position. Anthony Lynn, who is black, went from running backs coach directly to head coach. What do you think of the show? He went 2-3 in those games. NFL Combine 2023: Jacksonville Jaguars HC Doug Pederson and Trent 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 served in the same double capacity with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. Like our content? The Rooney Rule was enacted in 2003 as part of the NFL's plan to "develop a deep, sustainable talent pool at all levels of the organization" and "increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager and executive positions.". The next year he was fired after starting the season 5-10. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. 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. He left the league with a 54-74 overall record. Shane Steichen, Offensive Coordinator, Eagles. Below is a look at every Black coach thats been hired since then and a snapshot of their story. He went 2-6 in eight games. 20 Black NFL Coaches 20. Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering. 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. 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. Lynn was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers the following season and served in that capacity for four years through the 2020 season. What's the setup of their operation? 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. One Black coach, 33 years after Art Shell broke the modern era head coaching color barrier with the Raiders. 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. List of Houston Texans head coaches - Wikipedia What I was looking for is the kind of person that I don't know, does 50 pushups right out of bed, that makes a to-do list right out of bed, that has a routine. Dennis Green took the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. Flores still has upcoming interviews for head coaching positions with at least two other teams, so, considering the public relations fiasco that his lawsuit is, chances are that pressure will result in him being hired. 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. Green was 16-32 during his tenure and was replaced by Ken Whisenhunt. He is the current running backs coach for the Dolphins. Email me at jabrown@usatoday.com, or leave me a message at (585) 484-0339. After a long career as an assistant with the Patriots, Flores got a chance to run his own team when the Dolphins came calling in 2019. 4. There were five black NFL head coaches at the end of the 2022 season. 20 years ago, the NFL adopted a policy known as the Rooney Rule. Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. When he took over in Houston at age 73, he became the oldest head coach in NFL history. He's accusing teams including the New York Giants and Denver Broncos of conducting sham interviews with him last year. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Check out the FULL list below! Mike Tomlin has been one of the best black head coaches in the modern NFL. 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.. Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. He is currently the linebackers coach for the Steelers. Joseph showed up in Denver after Gary Kubiak stepped down two years after the Broncos won a Super Bowl. To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! So what's happening here? Most NFL players are Black. So why aren't there more Black head coaches? He had an aggregate record of 36-28, a winning percentage of .563 the best winning percentage of any Lions Head Coach since the 1950s, Flores lawsuit said in part. Column: And then there was one: Black coaches in the NFL Nancy Armour USA TODAY 0:00 1:51 The. He compiled a 56-52 overall record, reaching the AFC Championship game in 1990. What's your familiarity, and what's your schemes? He had an aggregate record of 36-28, a winning percentage of .563 the best winning percentage of any Lions Head Coach since the 1950s, Flores lawsuit said in part. True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. 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. That's what we'll be discussing today. 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. He was named the Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1995. I'm James Brown, and as always, be well. He went 11-21 in 32 games. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, beginning with the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 season and four other seasons leading the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018. Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. If you have to do something, then you're going to be fully invested in it as something that you chose to do. 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. He had an aggregate record of 36-28, a winning percentage of .563 the best winning percentage of any Lions Head Coach since the 1950s, Flores lawsuit said in part. The dearth of African American offensive NFL head coaches is both systemic and deep-rooted, owing in parts to networking practices, the embers of retrograde stereotypes and the lasting effects of . 12. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. The most influential Black coaches, admin in college football - Sports Here's Every Black Head Coach In NFL History 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. He coached the Los Angeles Chargers. The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. Art Shell became head coach of the then-Los Angeles Raiders in 1988, a job he held until 1994, after the franchise moved to Oakland, according to the Raiders website. 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.". 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. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. Jackson, who is the current coach of Grambling State, was the head coach of the Raiders (2011) and Browns (2016-2018). The new wave of head-coaching hires in the NFL has seen a trend toward younger, offensive-minded leading men getting the top jobs.