The Atlantic

The Continuing Humiliation of Black NFL Coaches

Recent firings highlight a long history of double standards and unrealistic expectations.
Source: Eric Espada / Getty; Paul Spinelli / AP

Coaches such as David Culley, just fired from the Houston Texans, and Brian Flores, of the Miami Dolphins until very recently, face a major problem in the NFL. It’s not their pedigree. It’s not their experience. It’s not their ability to relate to players. It’s not their offensive or defensive schemes.

It’s that they’re Black.

That conclusion might seem harsh, but it’s been almost 20 years since the NFL adopted the , which was intended to give candidates of color a better shot at head-coaching jobs and was eventually expanded to cover front-office openings as well. What the league has to show for its efforts in 2022 is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin as the lone Black head coach in the

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