Fritz Pollard would be ashamed by our lack of progress (Photo courtesy of Black Like Vanilla).
2026 has proven that the NFL absolutely could hire Black coaches, but they blatantly choose not to at every turn. In the 2025 post-season, 10 coaching positions were vacated and filled in record time. Despite having 10 opportunities to make the right decision, the NFL consistently failed to do so. In this article we will break down the reason that this happened, and news flash, none of them are because the teams picked the most “qualified” individuals available, or because there weren’t African-American prospects who would be fantastic candidates. Now that we have those excuses out of the way, let’s get into it.
The 10 NFL Firings
At the end of the 2025 season it became clear that “out with the old, in with the new” was the name of the game. No one was safe—especially if they had been on the roster for more than a few years. There is always a question as to whether maintaining the status quo of the same comfortable head coach is the way to go. A more seasoned HC has invaluable experience. He can work under pressure, and can anticipate and solve problems before they even happen on the field.
However, there’s often something tantalizing about bringing in new blood with fresh strategies and optimism. The novice coach is expected to solve all the problems of the team in the period of a few months. Many teams are relying on new HC’s to turn things around for their franchise.
Some firings were predictable—when Josh Allen cries, heads will fall. We must protect Allen at all costs, and McDermott wasn’t up to the job. However, other firings, like Mike Tomlin’s, were more surprising since he’s never had a losing record as HC of the Steelers. It is of note that three of the 10 head coaches that were fired were Black. They were Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, and Raheem Morris. We went from 6 Black head coaches in the NFL to three basically overnight. Three out of 32 franchises, less than 10%, are being coached by the Black coaches we have left. The remaining few are DeMeco Ryans, Todd Bowles, and Aaron Glenn.
NFL Replacement Hirings
Imagine how many African Americans applied and interviewed for these 10 slots due to the Rooney Rule and were overlooked. We will give the Tennessee Titans their flowers for hiring Robert Saleh and helping to right the wrong that the New York Jets put into place. Saleh is a national treasure. Apart from the four head coaches of color, the roster is such a white-out someone might mistake it for a blizzard.
Excuses Everywhere
It goes without saying that the hiring committees for NFL HC coaching positions are not blatantly racist. Most often racial prejudice looms in the shadows, insidious but subtle, dangerous but often overlooked. The same stereotypes that held back Black players from leading a team on the field are likely the same that are still holding back head coaches from leading a team.
In a league of players that have been majority Black since the late 1970s, many players of color would have critical experience to develop their coaching skills. In 2025, only 10 coaches had played in the league. It seems as though playing in the league doesn’t carry as much weight as it should but could still prove to be a helpful bargaining chip when vying for a competitive HC position. Perhaps the way we consider head coaching talent may need some adjustment.
It’s All in a Name
The odd glorification of a last name in the NFL is perhaps understandable but is part of the problem. Teams will throw money at someone with the “Harbaugh,” “Shula,” or “Kubiak” last name even if they’ve been in the league for five minutes. Coaching talent isn’t passed down through blood marrow, and unless coaches are talking strategies with their sons and grandsons over Wheaties every morning, this might be an overstated advantage. The most obvious problem with the family coaching dynasty concept is that the majority of the head coaches in the past were white, so if we’re going off name alone, that almost immediately cuts out any future coaches of color.
There’s a phenomenon in management where people are more likely to hire a “mini-me.” A person lacking in self-awareness may naturally gravitate to people who look like them and act like them because they remind them of themselves and their preconceived notion of what success looks like. In other words, an HC would be predisposed to hire staff that mirror them without notice, so when a new head coach is hired, the applicant pool is mostly white guys.
A New Play
To be clear, it is not inherently wrong to celebrate a coaching dynasty or hire people you resonate with. It becomes a problem when an entire group of qualified individuals are overlooked because they don’t have the magic name or remind the head coaches of themselves. The NFL has to do more, because it’s clear the rules we have in place are not sufficient.
One place to start would be considering players that have more hands-on experience playing in the league and demonstration of leadership exemplified as a player and in other facets of life.
Every year, the NFL fires head coaches that are not good at their job. Considering a wider array of candidates with diverse experiences and qualifications could only improve the league. The system we have in place now works some of the time and fails most of the time. Why not try something new?
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the NFL clearly does not value diversity in their coaching staffs. Instead of dealing with the underlying issues that create this atmosphere, the league is slapping on band-aid measures like the Rooney Rule. It’s of no surprise that we are in this position, and the NFL needs a reckoning that 2026 is likely more than willing to deliver. The powers that be should be concerned because sitting on your hands too long can cause circulation problems.
