list of black nfl head coaches
I can go down and down the line, there's no majority black owner in the NFL. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. Cliff Anderson (American football) Darren Arbet. 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. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 37-42-1 across five seasons including going 1-2-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. For perspectives sake, the NFL entered Black History Month 2022 with just one single Black head coach despite its vow a decade earlier to increase diversity among its head and assistant coaches. True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. The Houston Texans, replaced Smith with another black coach, DeMeco Ryans. Edwards spent eight seasons as a head coach in the NFL, running the Jets (2001-2005) and Chiefs (2006-2008). Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. In the text message, Belichick confirmed Daboll had already secured the job, but Flores had not yet interviewed for the position. He compiled a 56-52 overall record, reaching the AFC Championship game in 1990. He lost his single game with Buffalo and finished 33-31 with Los Angeles. 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. Ron Aiken. He is the current running backs coach for the 49ers. Where are all the Black NFL coaches? - Usatoday.com 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. Despite the fact that coaches are beginning to opt out of the combine, both Pederson and Baalke will meet with the media to discuss strategy and other subjects on Tuesday, February 28 at 12:30 a.m . Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. Crennel finished out the season with the interim tag and went 2-1. He compiled a 56-52 overall. Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. John Allen (American football) Lamar Allen. In 1921, Coach Pollard became the first African-American head coach in the NFL, coaching the Akron Pros. He went 11-21 in 32 games. Schad interviewed Herm Edwards, he played in the NFL in the seventies and eighties. Of the five head . MORE: What happened to Brian Flores? A complete timeline of Black coaches, past and present, largely declined to hire those candidates, What happened to Brian Flores? It featured powerful, experienced and successful Black coaches such as Eric Bieniemy (Chiefs OC), Todd Bowles, Byron Leftwich, James Franklin (Penn State HC), Leslie Frazier (Assistant HC/Defensive Coordinator, Bills), Vance Joseph (Defensive Coordinator, Cardinals), Jerod Mayo (Inside Linebackers, Patriots), Raheem Morris (Defensive Coordinator, If you have to do something, then you're going to be fully invested in it as something that you chose to do. As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy. Personality's always going to play a big role. He was never coached by a man of color at any point in his career, and he said on the teams that he was a part of the coaching staff, there was always one coach of color, and it was almost always the running back's coach. He is a former NFL player whose professional career spanned from 1986 to 1993. 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. Hopefully, DeMecos hiring is the catalyst for more Black coaches in the NFL. 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. But, if history is any indication and it is thats far from a guarantee. 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. And to Alexis Gustin and Shannon Ray Green for their production assistance. Flores was fired on Monday despite leading the Dolphins to seven straight wins in the second half. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. Green was 16-32 during his tenure and was replaced by Ken Whisenhunt. Leadership is defined in a lot of different ways. The new wave of head-coaching hires in the NFL has seen a trend toward younger, offensive-minded leading men getting the top jobs. Overall of the on field coaches in the NFL, it's something like 43% are coaches of color. Singletary went 5-4 as the interim coach to finish out the season. 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. 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 was 41-44 in his tenure and took the Jets to the postseason in three of his five seasons. We might have you on the show. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. Crennel took the reins over in K.C. I think that we're starting to see that response from a lot of ownerships and a lot of hiring practices. There were five black NFL head coaches at the end of the 2022 season. Wilkes was not retained and Smith was fired. Image: Getty Images When Stephen. Flores finished 24-25 in three seasons with the Dolphins (2019-2021) and remains connected to the franchise. Who are the NFL's 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. 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 . Either way, Flores. Tucker was the interim head coach of the Jaguars for the last five games of the 2011 season. As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy. It attempted to address the historically low number of minorities in head coaching positions. One Black head coach in a league dominated by Black players. In 2017, we had a record eight minority head coaches entering the season: Chargers Anthony Lynn, Denver's Vance Joseph, Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis, Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, Detroit's Jim. It's Sunday, February 5th, 2023. Flores was replacing Adam Gase who was 23-25 in three seasons, as he went 24-25 in three seasons. Relationships play a big part too. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 37-42-1 across five seasons including going 1-2-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. Here's a look at every Black head coach in the NFL since 2000 - Deadspin 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. If they truly want to change the system or if not, then we realize that they're just given it lip service. Vance Joseph, who was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and is reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired. Herman Herm Edwards, largely seen as a mentor to many current and former NFL players, coached the New York Jets from 2001-2005 and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2008, according to the Pro Football Reference website. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. He has a proven track record for developing high-quality players and constantly innovated his defensive scheme over the last six seasons in San Francisco.. He was replaced by Zac Taylor who is currently 16-32 in three seasons. The Jets hired Edwards after they were 9-7 the year prior. He went 21-38 across those four seasons. Download Our New Praise 107.9 Radio Mobile App For Your Smartphone! In all, Dungy has a head coaching record of 148-79-0 and won the regular season games he coached at a rate of nearly 70%, according to the pro football hall of fame website. (At the time, it was called the American Professional Football Association.). But as we see now, just like anything, people that have children and even to yourself, when someone says you have to do something, you're obviously automatically going to have a bias towards it. 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. Is it because the NFL is an organization akin to slavery, like blacklisted free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick said after he was effectively excommunicated from the league following his silent kneeling protest to demonstrate against the police brutality of Black people? During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website. List of National Football League head coach wins leaders Top 5 Black Coaches In NFL History - The Shadow League 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. 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. Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images. Tomlin is one of the best coaches in the NFL, at playing as the underdog which means he is still a big game coach that can match skills and wit with the best of them. 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. Someone that has familiarity with your roster, a lot of our interview time was spent, what do you think of this player? He was named the Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1995. He looked at me crazy and he said, "Well, go to the bathroom." Singletary coached the 49ers from 2008-2010, totaling 18 wins and 22 losses in three seasons. 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. filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process, the NFL is an organization akin to slavery,, Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History, According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, according to the Pro Football History website, according to the pro football hall of fame website, according to the Pro Football Reference website, coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, named interim head coach of theAtlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons, NFL head coach with two separate teams from 2009 to 2020, a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job, head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season, Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons, Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing, Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams, reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job, Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Women being interested in this area of business or law, from my viewpoint, has really grown. I think a lot of it is the underpinning of a lot of the reporting that we've done, which is just unconscious bias. Can this person lead 20 coaches, 60, 70 players depending on practice squad, can they lead? Dungy enjoyed a Hall of Fame career from 1996-2008, racking up 139 wins and 69 losses across 13 seasons with the Buccaneers and Colts. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. How many black head coaches are currently in the NFL? - Sportskeeda The Rooney Rule is 20 years old this year. 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. newsone.com. Is it because the NFL is an organization akin to slavery, like blacklisted free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick said after he was effectively excommunicated from the league following his silent kneeling protest to demonstrate against the police brutality of Black people? Marvin Lewis, who coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, is among the current and former NFL coaches who have denounced the league for racial injustices and told NBC Sports that Black coaches have been getting sham interviews like those alleged by Brian Flores for years. Check out the FULL list below! And since America loves to ignore blatant racism unless they can watch it on video or it can be quantified into numbers, Deadspin took a look at the plight of Black coaches in the NFL over the last 20-plus years. Which again, through experience, I've learned those are the key indicators for success. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. He coached the Raiders from 1989-1994, then returned to the team for one season in 2006. Revisiting Dolphins scandal. List of Kansas City Chiefs head coaches - Wikipedia That's USA Today's sports reporter Tyler Dragon, he's been writing about the NFL for close to a decade. The Houston Texans announced this week that the organization hired Ryans on a six-year deal, making them the first NFL team to hire three consecutive Black coaches. Anytime you have to implement a rule to interview a black head coaching candidate or a minority head coaching candidate, that's admitting there's a problem. Hopefully, DeMecos hiring is the catalyst for more Black coaches in the NFL. He coached the Los Angeles Chargers. Emmitt Thomas. I'm James Brown. Del Alexander. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. 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. Former NFL star DeMeco Ryans is the next Black man to ascend to the position of head coach in the NFL. What's your familiarity, and what's your schemes? Whaley says women and minorities struggle to break through In this insular world. Shane Steichen (left) and Jonathan Gannon will be among the top candidates in the next hiring cycle. In that time, they hired two head coaches. The Vikings went 15-1 that season and racked up 556 points, which set an NFL record at the time.. The year before, Norv Turner was 4-12, and the year after Shell left, Lane Kiffin was 4-12 in his first season. One person called this positional segregation. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. Jim Caldwell has been head coach for two different NFL franchises: the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017. 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. Of the five head . 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. Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator, Tennessee Titans. Dennis Green took the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. Morris, who is the current defensive coordinator of the Rams, served as the head coach of the Buccaneers (2009-2011) and Falcons (2020). Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News. 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. The league and the teams deny his claims, but Dragon isn't convinced. Vance Joseph, who was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and is reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired. 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. Jackson took over for Tom Cable, who went 8-8 in his final season with the team. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. In nine seasons in Chicago, Smith was 84-66 and made three postseason appearances including losing Super Bowl XLI to the Colts in the only matchup thats ever featured two Black coaches. Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah - General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings. After all, they may be musing, isnt the NFL disproportionately made up of Black players? That is something that never seems to get noticed when we talk about the Rooney Rule. 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. Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams over the course of five seasons. Eventually he became head coach of the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs in the 2000s. The most influential Black coaches, admin in college football - Sports Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. He had a 131-122-3 record in 16 seasons and reached the playoffs seven times. Coaches[edit] Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2022 NFL season. He has a 3-3 overall record through Week 6 of the 2022 season. Brian Flores, who used to be head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process. Frazier was the Vikings' coach from 2010-2013, leading Minnesota to its biggest single-season turnaround in franchise history (3-13 in 2011 to 10-6 in 2012). Suicide Note Revealed After Shocking Death, Indicted! He coached the Raiders from 1989-1994, then returned to the team for one season in 2006. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website. Either way, Flores. Edwards was hired in Kansas City after the team went 10-6 in Dick Vermeils last season. He was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2009. Well . After serving as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. Lynn was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers the following season and served in that capacity for four years through the 2020 season. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. 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. Edwards was 10-6 in his first season and took the team to the second round of the playoffs. That's why I didn't have to do the interview. He compiled a record of 21-32. Shane Steichen, Offensive Coordinator, Eagles. Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. I'll give you a quote from Bill Nunn, Hall of Fame scout from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the head personnel man for the 1974 draft that drafted four Hall of Famers is the gold standard of anybody in the personnel business. Todd Bowles Starting our list on number 20 is the NFL franchise head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Todd Bowles. The reduction of Black NFL head coaches persist He went 2-3 in those games. He has never had a losing season in his career, going 156-89-2 through Week 6 of the 2022 season. Specifically, Flores claims hes had multiple incidents of racial discrimination that involved several teams, as well as coaches and executives around the league. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. From all of us at USA Today, thanks for listening. Category : African-American coaches of American football Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. I think there's some basic qualities you look for. 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). I always used to ask questions like this, what do you do when you get up in the morning? Jacksons second stint as an NFL head coach was atrocious as he was 1-31 in his first two seasons in Cleveland. 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. In 2002, the Texans entered the NFL as an expansion team, with Dom Capers (2002-05) as the team's first head coach. 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. Let's take a look back at the Black coaches who have been able to rise up the ranks, starting with the trailblazer who broke the NFL's color barrier more than 100 years ago. One Black coach, 33 years after Art Shell broke the modern era head coaching color barrier with the Raiders. He was replaced by Adam Gase, a guy that went 9-23 in two seasons. He is the current running backs coach for the Dolphins. 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. I had access to the decision maker and the decision maker saw how I worked, how I thought, how I interacted with people, and how I led. 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. The NFL wants more, or so . 2. NFL Combine 2023: Jacksonville Jaguars HC Doug Pederson and Trent He signed a 10-year, $95 million deal with the Spartans in November 2021. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. I think leadership's basic premise is can you get people to do things that they necessarily don't want to do just because of you? To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. 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. When he took over in Houston at age 73, he became the oldest head coach in NFL history. After all, they may be musing, isnt the NFL disproportionately made up of Black players? 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. He can move to number one with success during the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. Mike Tomlin has been one of the best black head coaches in the modern NFL. Over the next few days and weeks, multiple teams will be conducting interviews to fill their head coaching vacancies. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. Smith coached the Bears for nearly a decade (2004-2012) before a brief stint with the Buccaneers (2014-2015). "What do you do". His teams won division titles four times and advanced to NFC Championship Games after the 1998 and 2000 seasons, the team wrote on its website. Vance Joseph, who was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and is reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired. That's what we'll be discussing today. NFL Head Coaches by Age - profootballnetwork.com We may earn a commission from links on this page. Fritz Pollard. There are just 32 NFL head coaching jobs, six or seven become vacant every year. Culley lasted just one season with the Texans, completing the 2021 campaign with a 4-13 overall record. Fritz Pollard became the first Black head coach in NFL history after the Akron Pros appointed him as co-coach in 1921. 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. If you look at solutions instead of just focused on the problem, that's where I think we all should be focusing our energy. 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. To date, he has a 162-93 record, is the youngest coach in league history to win a Super Bowl, has Pittsburgh in the playoffs for the tenth time in his tenure, and is the only coach in league history to begin his career with 15 straight non-losing seasons. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. 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.