NFL League Office Graded Ahead of Teams for Diversity Hiring, According to Study

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida gave the NFL a B-plus grade for racial hiring and a C for gender hiring, while the NFL league office was given an A-plus in racial hiring and a B in gender hiring, per the Associated Press.

NFL teams received a D-plus for racial hiring in head coaches, however, with only four minority head coaches (Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, Washington's Ron Rivera, the Los Angeles Chargers' Anthony Lynn and Miami's Brian Flores) and two minority interim head coaches (Houston's Romeo Crennel and Atlanta's Raheem Morris).

The Detroit Lions (Darrell Bevell) currently have a non-minority interim coach and will be expected to be on the market for a new head coach this offseason. Other struggling teams will also potentially make coaching changes, offering the opportunity to bring aboard more coaches of color.

Additionally, teams were given a D in racial hiring for CEOs or presidents and an F in racial hiring for general managers (only Miami's Chris Grier and Cleveland's Andrew Berry opened the season as minority general managers). Teams also received an F in gender hiring for CEOs, presidents and senior administration.

The Rooney Rule requires NFL teams to interview at least two minority candidates from outside the organization for head coaching vacancies and at least one minority candidate from outside the organization for coordinator positions, senior football operations positions and the general manager role. While that rule is important, it has not necessarily translated to greater diversity among head coaches or in senior administration roles.

The NFL responded to the TIDES' report in a statement:

"Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of our league; to ensure that we present a leadership at all levels that reflects and supports the extraordinary work that our players and coaches do every day.

"We will not accomplish our goals in one season, and progress will not always be even and steady. But our commitment is unwavering and the progress we have made since last year only strengthens our determination to continue to work every day to instill these values throughout all aspects of the league."

"I think that teams haven't been as progressive as the league office has in terms of their hiring," TIDES director Richard Lapchick, who served as the lead report author, told the AP.

"The big notable in this report is the league office has set a really good example, particularly on racial hiring but also on gender hiring," he added. "... I give a lot of credit to the league office this year for trying to move the needle."