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NFL To Propose Higher Draft Picks For Teams Who Hire Black Coaches


The NFL is looking to get more diversity amongst league executives.

Diversity has been a huge topic of conversation in the NFL as many believe there simply aren’t enough black head coaches and general managers. The league already has the Rooney Rule in place which makes it so that teams must interview at least one minority when looking for new personnel. Well, the Rooney Rule hasn’t done enough and now, the league is looking for a fix.

In a new report, it was revealed that the NFL’s diversity committee has drafted a proposal that would see teams get rewards in the draft if they hired minorities. This proposal will be presented to owners on Tuesday and will need 24 votes to get passed.

NFL To Propose Higher Draft Picks For Teams Who Hire Black Coaches

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Per ESPN:

“Under the proposal, aimed at fixing diversity problems leaguewide, a team could improve its third-round draft selection by up to 16 picks — going up 10 spots for hiring a minority candidate as general manager or an equivalent-level position and six spots for hiring a minority head coach.”

This plan also states that if you keep a minority general manager or head coach for three years, you will be able to improve your standing in the fourth round.

The proposal is already drawing some criticism as many believe that minorities should be hired because they are right for the job, not because they will get you better picks in the draft. Clearly, this is a very sensitive topic and there will be quite a bit of debate over the next couple of days.

[Via]

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Stephen A. Smith Rips NFL Teams For Lack Of Black Head Coaches

Smith brought the "Rooney Rule" into question.

Stephen A. Smith has been very vocal about the things he dislikes in the world of sports. Today on First Take, Smith voiced his displeasure with what's been going on in terms of the NFL head coaching searches. So far, every team in need of a new coach has hired a white person and it doesn't seem as though they've interviewed any African-American suitors. Of course, this goes against the "Rooney Rule" which demands teams interview a diverse range of candidates in order to be fair. 

Smith argued that the "Rooney Rule" doesn't work and that teams don't really care about it. The Giants hiring of relatively unknown New England Patriots special teams coach Joe Judge, seems to have been the catalyst for this rant. In many ways, Smith brings up a great point as there are very few African-American head coaches. 

For now, the Cleveland Browns are the only team who hasn't hired a new head coach. They are the team that could break the mold although many of the names brought up in relation to the Browns are white. While many fans might not care about such matters, it's important to note that diversity should be important to the league as it ultimately allows for a wide variety of qualified individuals to get opportunities. 

As it stands, the "Rooney Rule" has proved to be ineffective in this offseason. It will be interesting to see if the league makes any amendments to the rule after these latest hires.