Should The NFL Require Teams To Interview Minority Coaches?

[THUNDER HANDS]

I say no, because if if you require them to, then they'll just do what the Dallas Cowboys did and have a 15-minute phone call with Dennis Green (a black head coach) out of courtesy and then have a week of meetings with Bill Parcells (a white head coach).

Unless the NFL is going to institute a quota system, requiring them to interview at least one minority is pointless and just window dressing. I think the Detroit Lions just got fined $200,000 for not interviewing a minority coach.

There are many capable minorities who should have jobs as head coaches, but since you can't MAKE an owner pick a black head coach, fining them for not giving the absurd appearance of equality in the hiring process is just lame.

[trotsky]

1. You're right, the current system is just window-dressing.

Owners pretty much know who they want next as soon as (or usually before) they let the current coach go.

But there is a problem with minority under-representation at the coaching level, so how do you fix it? For the most part, owners look at past success. Since past coaches are mostly white, those candidates will be mostly white. The system perpetuates itself. But then you see someone like Jack Del Rio, who has one year of success at turning around Carolina's defense and is rewarded with a head coaching job!

I don't pretend to have an answer. But there is a problem.

[Character Assassin]

2. No. It's just a political 'football', pardon the pun.

The Lions getting fined is a goddamn joke, given the amount of minorities on their coaching staff they already have.

Besides that, the minorities they offered interviews turned them down.

[sirshack]

3. No

Football temas should be able to interview whomever they want.

[Blue-Jay]

4. Require? No.

Encourage? Yes. The owners/GMs of that team are going to hire who they want to hire regardless of who they're forced to interview. Requiring them to interview minority candidates that they have no intention to hire (for whatever reason) is a time-wasting, empty gesture, and does nothing to promote race equality in the NFL management. It's not good yet, but it's getting better.

[Festivito]

5. If a minority wants to be interviewed, yes.

I think it good, even if they just want to sit across a table and glare at each other for 15 minutes.

[morstyranni]

9. What do you mean?

So if the mionority wants the job they should just say so and the team will be required to interview them? So if my buddy Kiowe wants the head coaching job of the Pats he should just say so and the Team will be required to interview him? Where do you draw the line? The whole idea is stupid.

[Blue_Chill]

6. No because it's not fair to teams or coahces

Take the Lions for example. They decided to interview Steve Mariucci but had to interview a few black coahces as well to avoid getting fined. So they tried and according to ESPN five minority coaches turned down the interview because going up against Mariuci is a lost cause and a waste of their time.

As a result the Lions Matt Millen was fined $200,000.

This is an amazingly stupid rule for which we have only to thank the one and only Johnny Cochran who threatened to sue the league if they did not increase minority coaches. As usual the force them in approach has resulted in increased tentions and unfair penalties and stigmas for all involved.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. No

Successful coaches will be coveted no matter their color. Dennis Green didn't get the Cowboy job, because he wasn't that successful in Minnesota. Did ok, but underachieved given the talent that was there. Also, constant conflict with one's bosses is not the way to move on to a bigger and better job. He wasn't passed by because of his color. It was his performance. The Cowboy's called him to avoid the fine, not because he was EVER actually considered a viable candidate.

The situation in Detroit is ridiculous, to me. Mariucci was clearly the #1 candidate for EVERY coaching vacancy. His numbers in San Fran were excellent, and everyone wanted him. To punish Detroit for wanting the best, and most successful coach who didn't currently have a job is silly. I could see punishment if the hired Rich Kotite or someone like that who has had failure after failure and got hired anyway through the "old boy" network.

I think your "window dressing" comment is appropriate. It's not going to help anyone get a head coaching job that wouldn't have gotten it anyway.
The Professor

[morstyranni]

8. Absolutely Not

Requiring an interview with minority coaches would be "window dressing" as you put it, In such a big business as the NFL they are always going to go with teh most talented person, there is wayyy too much money at stake (that's probably why there are so many black RB's).
Everyone knows this. Hiring a head coach for Dallas is way different than hiring a clerk for Dallas city hall.
Parcells is a better coach, anyway.