Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is speaking out against the lack of minority coaches in the NFL.
Tomlin is just one of the coaches talking to Bryant Gumbel on Tuesday’s new episode of "Real Sports".
“The bottom line is, where we are is unacceptable,” Tomlin tells Gumbel.
As “Real Sports” points out, the Rooney Rule (named after the Steelers late owner Dan Rooney) was implemented so more Black coaches would get interviewed for head coaching jobs in the NFL.
Eighteen years ago there were three Black head coaches in the league, today…that number remains at three.
“It is a global collective failure,” said Tomlin, the winningest Black head coach in the history of the NFL.
Over the last four years, out of 27 head coaches hired in the NFL, only three were Black.
The thought provoking piece examines if the Rooney Rule is more helpful or hurtful for Black head coaching candidates and how it does work in areas like business.
Seven new coaches were hired in 2021 and none of them have ever been a head coach in the NFL and only one is Black, Texans coach David Culley.
The piece also examines why coaches like Kanas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy keep getting passed over for people like the “we’re going to bite a kneecap off” Detroit Lions new coach Dan Campbell.
“Waiting Game” debuts at 10 p.m. on HBO.