{"id":725933,"date":"2026-02-03T09:39:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T09:39:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/725933\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T09:39:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T09:39:24","slug":"roger-goodell-backs-rooney-rule-after-latest-hiring-cycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/725933\/","title":{"rendered":"Roger Goodell Backs Rooney Rule After Latest Hiring Cycle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steelers News<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"SteelersPittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, left, talks with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the NFL football Super Bowl XLV game between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The NFL\u2019s latest head coach hiring cycle has come and gone with 10 openings being filled around the league. However, zero Black head coaches were hired, despite nearly one third of the league looking for their next leaders.<\/p>\n

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell<\/a> is still backing the need for diversity, and thus, the Rooney Rule, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to continue to make progress and I believe that. I believe diversity is good for us,\u201d Goodell said<\/a> during his annual state of the NFL news conference on Monday. \u201cI think we have become a more diverse league across every platform, including coaching. But we still have more work to do. There\u2019s got to be more steps. So we\u2019re re-evaluating everything we\u2019re doing, including our accelerator program, including every aspect of our policies and programs to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow rather than yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to be looking at that, and saying, \u2018OK, Why did we have the results this year? What is it that we can be doing in training or education?\u2019 And that goes for not just the candidates, but also the clubs, and how we can try to continue to increase the opportunities and the outcomes, ultimately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roger Goodell says he is not giving up on diversity and the Rooney Rule, despite zero Black coaches being hired out of 10 job openings this cycle.<\/p>\n

“Diversity is good for us. \u2026 We’re reevaluated everything we’re doing. \u2026 Why didn’t we have the results this year? What is it\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) February 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Rooney Rule was established in 2003, when there were just two Black head coaches. It requires teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coach and general manager vacancies, as well as one for various coordinator positions. The rule was named after former Steelers owner Dan Rooney<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, heading the 2026 season, there will be just three Black head coaches, despite roughly 70 percent of NFL players being Black<\/a>. <\/p>\n

There were also five Black head coaches heading into the 2025 season \u2014 Steelers\u2019 Mike Tomlin and Atlanta Falcons\u2019 Raheem Morris are no longer with their respective teams.<\/p>\n

\"Steelers\"Pittsburgh Steelers\u2019 chairman Dan Rooney speaks on stage flanked by his son the team president Art Rooney II, right, and players tight end Heath Miller, left, and wide receiver Antonio Brown during an NFL fan rally event in Regent Street, London, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013. The Minnesota Vikings are to play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Wembley stadium in London on Sunday, Sept. 29 in a regular season NFL game. (AP Photo\/Matt Dunham)
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned In This Article: Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> Roger Goodell<\/a> Steelers<\/a> <\/p>\n

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