With the seeming inability of Chiefs offensive coordinator coach Eric Bieniemy to find a head coaching job, some are saying the NFL is a league where black coaches cannot advance to the top jobs.
NFL Media reporter, Jim Trotter, for example, recently tweeted an anonymous quote he received from a black NFL coach who says that blacks are systematically denied coaching positions in pro football.
According to Trotter, an NFL assistant coach — “who happens to be black,” told him: “NFL has finally shown it’s not the place for black men to advance. It’s ridiculous, it’s disgusting. We can sell tickets and make plays, but we can’t lead.”
Trotter went on to lambast the league in a series of tweets.
Received this text from an NFL assistant coach who happens to be black: “NFL has finally shown it's not the place for black men to advance. It's ridiculous, it's disgusting. We can sell tickets and make plays, but we can't lead.”
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 7, 2020
The NFL has NEVER had a black owner, NEVER had a black club president and currently has only ONE black general manager and THREE black coaches. This is why some blacks who aspire to climb the NFL ladder feel they do not have a legitimate shot at advancement.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 7, 2020
Trotter is not the first to accuse the NFL of racism over its dearth of black coaches. On Tuesday, former ESPN host Jemele Hill also slammed the league over the issue.
Be the one thing he can’t, which is white. https://t.co/8Oy8xqhlsG
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 7, 2020
Stephen A. Smith also echoed the sentiment claiming that blacks are “moving backward” in the NFL.
“We got a problem! This is some BS!” Smith said on Tuesday. “Ain’t no way around this! We’re moving in a reverse direction. Black men are not being treated fairly in the National Football League. Somebody’s gotta say it.”
I don’t want to hear a damn thing else about the Rooney Rule. Not after this hire by the NY Giants pic.twitter.com/NEiG4aCLOJ
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 7, 2020
Also, on Tuesday, the Washington Post jumped into the finger pointing with a Norman Chad op-ed insisting that the NFL needs to “fix” its lack of black coaches.
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