In advance of Tuesday's virtual owners' meetings, the NFL will expand the Rooney Rule, which will now require additional interviews of minority candidates.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Monday that the league will require clubs to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coaching openings and at least one minority candidate for any coordinator job, per sources informed of the decision.
In addition, teams must interview one external minority candidate for senior football operations and general manager jobs. Teams and the NFL league office must also include minorities and/or female applicants for senior-level positions, including club president jobs.
The immediate rule changes, which will be effective after the meetings Pelissero added, come as the NFL continues to search for ways to fix the Rooney Rule after another hiring cycle where minority candidates were significantly bypassed, including just three of the past 20 head coaching openings going to minorities.
The Rooney Rule adjustments are in addition to two proposed hiring changes that are expected to be voted upon during Tuesday's virtual owners' meeting. Changes to the Rooney Rule do not require a vote from owners.
NFL Network's Jim Trotter reported Friday that the league is presenting two resolutions that it hopes could level the playing field for minority candidates. The first proposal would end clubs' ability to block assistant coaches from interviewing for coordinator jobs with other teams. The second is on a proposal that would provide teams enhanced draft stock for hiring minority candidates as head coaches or primary football executives.
