NFL diversity group calls the absence of new Black head coaches mind-boggling
Mark Maske, The Washington Post
Jan. 19, 2021
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The diversity group that works with the NFL on its minority hiring practices on Tuesday expressed disappointment with the results so far of this leaguewide hiring cycle for teams head coaches and general managers.
With no Black head coaches having been hired to this point, the leader of the Fritz Pollard Alliance said the disparity in opportunities is mind-boggling.
The results have come even after the NFL took steps to attempt to improve its minority hiring during this cycle. Thus far, the NFL hiring cycle of 2021 has not changed the rate of hires for Blacks as Head Coaches and primary football executives, said Rod Graves, the Fritz Pollard Alliance s executive director.
USA TODAY
As this year’s NFL hiring cycle unfolds, coaches and talent evaluators of color find themselves closely monitoring the decisions around the league, wondering how these moves will impact their futures.
Could this year feature the breakthrough in career advancement they have long craved, or will the frustrations over decades of unfair hiring practices simply extend another season?
The year 2020 saw the topics of race, systemic oppression and social injustices dominate the national conversation like never before. The NFL was not immune for two painful reasons in particular. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery stirred NFL players, coaches and officials and caused them to use their platforms to demand justice, and because yet another hiring cycle saw highly qualified aspiring head coaches and general managers denied opportunities of advancement.
NFL exec poll: Bills’ Sean McDermott, Brandon Beane win HC, Executive of the Year awards in survey
Updated Dec 23, 2020;
Posted Dec 23, 2020
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane, left, and head coach Sean McDermott speak to the media before camp opened at the NFL football team s training camp in Pittsford, N.Y., Thursday, July 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)AP
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In 2021, the Associated Press will hand out various awards based on the results of the 2020 NFL season. For the first time in a long time, the Buffalo Bills will have some serious candidates for the top awards.
After an 11-3 start and an AFC East title, quarterback Josh Allen finds himself in the running for the league’s MVP award. Head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane could also walk away with coach of the year and executive of the year honors, respectively.