NFL adopts changes to Rooney Rule, providing more chances for minority, female candidates

The Rooney Rule will be getting a makeover this season.

NFL owners agreed to changes Tuesday that will expand requirements for teams to interview minority and female candidates for on-field and off-field positions, including coordinator, head coach, general manager and other front-office positions.

Under the amendments announced as part of the NFL’s virtual league meeting, teams will be required to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coaching positions. At least one external minority candidate must be interviewed for offensive, defensive and special teams coordinator positions, and at least one minority candidate must be interviewed for senior football operations or general manager positions.

For the first time, the rule will include females applying for executive positions such as club president and senior executives in finance, communications, human resources, legal, football operations, sales, marketing, sponsorship, information technology and security positions.

The rule also applied to the NFL offices in New York.

Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, whose father instituted the Rooney Rule, chairs the workplace diversity committee that initiated the changes.

Rooney said in a statement the policies show a commitment to “diversity, equity and inclusion in the NFL.”

“The development of young coaches and young executives is a key to our future,” Rooney said. “These steps will assure coaching and football personnel are afforded a fair and equitable opportunity to advance throughout our football operations.

“We also have taken important steps to ensure that our front offices, which represent our clubs in so many different ways, come to reflect the true diversity of our fans and our country.”

NFL owners, however, tabled a resolution that would have created an incentive program involving draft picks for teams that hired minority coaches and general managers.

The Rooney Rule, named after late Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, was enacted in 2003, but it has proven ineffective in recent years. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is one of only four minority head coaches in the NFL.

Of the past 20 head coaching hires, three went to minority candidates. Five openings were created in the offseason, but Washington’s Ron Rivera was the only minority candidate hired. The only minority general managers in the NFL are Miami’s Chris Grier and Cleveland’s Andrew Berry, who was hired this offseason.

As part of the NFL’s anti-tampering policy, the changes ease the process for assistant coaches to interview for any of the three coordinator positions. It also allows “non-high-level/non-secondary” executives to interview for assistant general manager openings.

Commissioner Roger Goodell will preside over any disputes in determining whether a “bona fide” position is being opened to minority and female candidates.

“While we have seen positive strides in our coaching ranks over the years aided by the Rooney Rule, we recognize, after the last two seasons, that we can and must do more,” Goodell said. “The policy changes made today are bold and demonstrate the commitment of our ownership to increase diversity in leadership positions throughout the league.”