The NFL is requiring all 32 of its teams to hire a “female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority” as an offensive assistant coach for the 2022 season, the league announced on Tuesday.
Teams will then be paid up to $200,000 in 2022 and $205,000 in 2023 from a league fund for the hires, NPR shares, and the coaches—who will get a one-year contract—must have at least three years of collegiate or professional experience.
The league also announced that women will be included in Rooney Rule requirements—which were implemented in 2003 and make it so at least two “external minorities” are interviewed for a head-coaching gig, and one is interviewed for a coordinator job. Women were only previously required to satisfy the rule for club president and senior executive positions.
“It’s a recognition that at the moment, when you look at stepping stones for a head coach, they are the coordinator positions,” said Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, who is the chairman of the NFL Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. “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].”
The league shared that “this resolution will assist greatly in continuing to source and identify diverse candidates earlier in their career, providing pipeline depth and furthering developing the diverse offensive pipeline.”
With head coaches as of late having “predominantly offensive backgrounds,” the league hopes the latest rile updates will spark some change.
“While we have made important progress, we have more work ahead of us to ensure we are approaching [diversity, equity, and inclusion] holistically — including the need to evaluate and adjust policies, incentives, and additional requirements to ensure effectiveness and result in better outcomes for women and people of color,” the league’s statement added.
The announcement comes as former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores pursues his lawsuit against the league over what he claims are racist hiring practices.
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