Last Tuesday, Brian Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL and its teams, alleging racial discrimination in regard to his interview processes with both the New York Giants and Denver Broncos, and tenure as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, which ended in January.
The major takeaway from this bombshell lawsuit is the NFL's patently flawed process in hiring minority coaching candidates. The league's "Rooney Rule" policy -- which requires teams to interview external minority candidates for top-level jobs -- hasn't been effective, as only four of the 32 franchises are currently led by minority head coaches.
"The things being said, they have to be looked at -- and the thing I'm talking about is, coaches being overlooked. It's so easily done, people just don't pay attention to it," Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk told the JR SportBrief show on Wednesday. "It's literally not fair. Last year, the Bucs won the Super Bowl, and it was the first time in a long time that a Super Bowl team didn't lose an OC, DC, or a special teams guy. And they're all black. It makes no sense.
"The OC who doesn't call plays in San Francisco got hired, instead of the DC, DeMeco Ryans, who does... It's sad -- I'll be honest. It's sad... It's not up to the players [for change]. It's up to the white coaches. That's who it's up to. That's literally who it's up to -- for them to say, 'Hey, look, this isn't fair.' When you think about these movements, they're not movements until others join in. And when others join in, it goes from being loud to making noise."
During an appearance on "CBS Mornings" last Wednesday, Flores discussed his allegations against the league, saying in part, "I'm not the only one with a story to tell. People have come before me, and I know there are others who have similar stories and it's hard to speak out. You're making some sacrifices but this is bigger than football, and this is bigger than coaching."
In response to Flores' lawsuit, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a memo on Saturday, saying that the league's lack of progress in diversifying the head coaching ranks has been "unacceptable." Goodell also noted that they will begin reevaluating all "policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion." Four days before this statement was issued, the NFL said Flores' accusations were "without merit."
The entire NFL conversation between Faulk and JR can be accessed in the audio player above. Additional information and details about Flores' lawsuit can be found here.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.