NFL Expands ‘Rooney Rule’ to Include More Minority Coaching Candidate Interviews

The NFL has expanded its Rooney Rule to require teams to interview two minority candidates for coaching positions.

The Rooney Rule is a league policy implemented in 2003 that is named after late Pittsburgh Steelers Owner Dan Rooney, who helped draft the NFL rule requiring any team looking for a new head coach or team executive to interview at least one minority candidate.

But now, starting on Wednesday, that rule has been expanded to require more minorities to be interviewed for coaching staff job openings.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, teams will now be required to interview two external minority candidates when a head coach position comes open.

That is not all, teams will also be required to interview one minority for any coordinator job opening.

The NFL is instituting changes to the Rooney Rule. @TomPelissero with the details 👇 pic.twitter.com/2vOthvNVbk

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 18, 2020

The announcement comes on the heels of news that the league is considering an even more expansive rule that would give teams preferences in the Draft if they hire and retain a black head coach.

Last week it was reported that the league is mulling the idea of letting teams that retain a black head coach move up six spots from where it is slotted to pick in the third round in the draft following that year of employment.

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