Minority Coaches

[IHATEDALLAS'82'87'91]

I'm sure you all have heard about the controversy going on over the number of minority head coaches being signed this off season(excluding Herm Edwards). What do you think about all off this that is going on??

[Fathead]

I think it's just a funny year. I for one don't recall a ton of minority canidates being mentioned by the media types as possibilites before the hiring started.


Most of these choices seem like a stretch though.

[helimech24]

I think it is getting blown out of proportion. Minority Coaches have proven that they can win in the NFL, so I don't think it is a matter of that. I think it is more on personal preference an owner has to all the assistant coaches. If you think about it...Mike Sherman and Mooch still haven't been picked up, and they have had success in the past. Neither has Al Saunders, and that benifitted us.

[BurgundyNGold]

I think it's a little too early in the game to be crying foul or debating the failure of the Rooney plan. The number of minority coaches has increased twofold since the plan was implemented a few years ago, so I think it's working. However, if there is a lack of qualified or attractive minority candidates, I would not expect a FO to hire them over another qualified or experienced candiate. That would just be stupid.

The two minority coaching candidates who have gotten the most press as of late have been Ted Cottrell and Ron Rivera.
To me, Cottrell is nothing special as a coach and hasn't really done anything spectacular. As the Jets DC he was middle of the pack. Same in Minny. IMO, he is involved in the interview process specifically because he is a minority, not because he is a short list candidate. Rivera has done a masterful job in a short time as DC in Chicago. But therein lies the rub -- a short time. He doesn't have much of a history for GMs to be able to comb through. It's the two years in Chicago as DC, the last of which was amazing but the first was so-so. I think he'll be a very attractive candidate as his resume grows, but I think he is too green to gamble on as the head man for many FOs.

Beyond that, the most qualified minority coaches have probably already been hired. I think that once more minority coaches percolate through the coaching ranks -- building their resume as they go --we'll see another surge in minority hiring at the HC slot. Until then, I'm afraid that we're in for a lull for a year or two.

[danny's stogie]

I think it's a little too early in the game to be crying foul or debating the failure of the Rooney plan. The number of minority coaches has increased twofold since the plan was implemented a few years ago, so I think it's working. However, if there is a lack of qualified or attractive minority candidates, I would not expect a FO to hire them over another qualified or experienced candiate. That would just be stupid.

The two minority coaching candidates who have gotten the most press as of late have been Ted Cottrell and Ron Rivera.
To me, Cottrell is nothing special as a coach and hasn't really done anything spectacular. As the Jets DC he was middle of the pack. Same in Minny. IMO, he is involved in the interview process specifically because he is a minority, not because he is a short list candidate. Rivera has done a masterful job in a short time as DC in Chicago. But therein lies the rub -- a short time. He doesn't have much of a history for GMs to be able to comb through. It's the two years in Chicago as DC, the last of which was amazing but the first was so-so. I think he'll be a very attractive candidate as his resume grows, but I think he is too green to gamble on as the head man for many FOs.

Beyond that, the most qualified minority coaches have probably already been hired. I think that once more minority coaches percolate through the coaching ranks -- building their resume as they go --we'll see another surge in minority hiring at the HC slot. Until then, I'm afraid that we're in for a lull for a year or two.

See, herein lies the problem. While the minority coaches available this year were a bit green and there were no sure fire candidates several, the white coaches who recieved jobs were even more unqualified than their minority counterparts. Rod Miranelli, Sean Payton, Mangini, and especially Mike McCarthy. Cottrell, Rivera, and a guy I thought should have gotten a job, Tim Lewis, all get passed over for that group?

[BurgundyNGold]

See, herein lies the problem. While the minority coaches available this year were a bit green and there were no sure fire candidates several, the white coaches who recieved jobs were even more unqualified than their minority counterparts. Rod Miranelli, Sean Payton, Mangini, and especially Mike McCarthy. Cottrell, Rivera, and a guy I thought should have gotten a job, Tim Lewis, all get passed over for that group?
I would agree with this assessment.

1) How McCarthy got the job in Green Bay is beyond me. In addition to his lack of experience, his offense out in San Francisco was horrible. Personally, I think that Green Bay hired on the cheap. Who they hired was almost secondary.

2) Rod Marinelli? While I'm sure he's a great position coach, he's never been a head coach at any level. What can you say? Matt Millen hired him. Plus, if you want to find an organization that might still be perpetuating any good ol' boy system, it would be Detroit. They flouted the rule when hiring Mariucci and passed over more qualifed candidates -- of several races -- when hiring Marinelli.

3) Eric Mangini did much better than some of these guys, but even he was only a OC for one year. In his case, however, I think that the Jets saw an opportunity to make themselves stronger while making their primary foe weaker and they were willing to gamble to make that happen. Too bad neither Green Bay nor Detriot followed that logic stream to the letter with Ron Rivera in Chicago.

4) Sean Payton has been higly regarded as an OC for a few years now, While I might question the esteem he warrants, I can't fault that hire.

I stand by my assessment that Cottrell will not be a head coach because he hasn't been a good coordinator, IMO. He's the Jimmy Raye of defense. However, Rivera should've been hired before at least two of those other candidates. As for Tim Lewis, I don't think that having a defense with the DL that he did and still ending up with the 24th ranked defense should warrant any type of vocational advancement.

[IowaSkinsFan]

I haven't even heard of any minority candidates being interviewed, let alone hired. But they must be getting interviews, because the league hasn't announced any Matt Millen type fines for skipping the interview process.

[RedskinRyan]

ok, do ppl not remember mccarthy as a top HC candidate for years now? he was a hot assistant in new orleans. yeah he just came from san fran, but he didnt exactly have barrels of talent over there to work with. mike mularkey was hired after pitt's 6-10 year, the chiefs just traded for a coach that went what, 4-12? so you cant really look into that.

[CarMike]

I thought Sean Payton was black?

[SkinsKY]

I thought Sean Payton was black?

Nope.

[CarMike]

Nope.
:D

Thanks. I'm sorry for any head coach who was hired to run the Saints team after Katrina.

[IowaSkinsFan]

4) Sean Payton has been higly regarded as an OC for a few years now, While I might question the esteem he warrants, I can't fault that hire.

Despite being benched by Jim Fassel in New York and unable to develope Drew Henson in Dallass! I too don't understand the esteem he receives, but I do question the hire.

[LATrueRedskin]

I'm still waiting on Art Shell.

[RedskinRyan]

I'm still waiting on Art Shell.

as far as i was aware, he wasnt in contention for any job this year, i dont remember his name being mentioned anywhere. henson had 1 half to play, he hasnt gotten a fair chance down there in the big D(which doesnt really bother me either). and the gints just sucked in fassel's final year. the thing making payton so attractive is that he is part of the parcells coaching tree.

[Dolla Bill]

as far as i was aware, he wasnt in contention for any job this year, i dont remember his name being mentioned anywhere. henson had 1 half to play, he hasnt gotten a fair chance down there in the big D(which doesnt really bother me either). and the gints just sucked in fassel's final year. the thing making payton so attractive is that he is part of the parcells coaching tree.


Art Shell I believe is the Vice President of the NFL, or something to that degree. Even Al Davis has said on record that he kind of regretted to firing Art Shell even after a 9-7 record. What an oaf.

Payton is getting alot of hoopla over him calling the plays under Parcells. First time ever that the Tuna has done so. He just benefited for being under Parcells and even turning Al Davis down. That's a kind of slap in the face for Davis. Basically he's saying he would rather have New Orleans than Oakland? That's a move I have to scratch my head over.

[ArRiNgToN_56]

Implementing such a rule perpetuates racism. People should be hired based on merit and furthermore should be interviewed based on merit i think the rule should definetly be dropped. If i was a minority canidate i would be insulted to have such a rule implemented.

[BurgundyNGold]

Implementing such a rule perpetuates racism. People should be hired based on merit and furthermore should be interviewed based on merit i think the rule should definetly be dropped. If i was a minority canidate i would be insulted to have such a rule implemented.
While I agree that any differentiation based on the delineation of ethnicity is inherently racist, I think that the rule had to be put in place. Sometimes when a situation is stagnant, as was the case in the hiring of minority HCs, folks just need a nudge in the right direction. This rule doesn't mandate any hiring, only that at least one minority candidate be interviewed and considered.

Just look at what enforcing that practice has led to. Left to their own devices, for whatever reason, the NFL owners only saw for to hire at most 2 minority HCs before this rule was put in place. Now, there are 6 minority HCs -- all of which are doing well or at least performing adequately. You have to wonder if they'd've gotten the shot without this rule.

That said, once the stigma of the minorty coach has been completely decimated, a la the stigma of the black quarterback, I don't think we'll need the rule anymore.