Black Head Coaches: Does todays wins help for future candidates in the NFL & college?

[Boss_Hogg]

Where are the Samoan coaches? Samoans have the highest percentage of their population in the NFL by a mile.

One could, with comfort, say that Samoans are genetically predisposed to being greater football players than any other race of people on earth.

No coaches though. Must be institutional discrimination.

It'll happen in due time. Im sure the next generation of coaches will include a person of Samoan/Tongan decent. Afterall the Samoan explosion in the NFL is still young. Not many Samoans were around in the 80s and 90s.

[Laron Burgundy]

Oh, you for sure have the right answer.

I'd call you arrogant but instead I'll just call you ignorant since the former denotes superiority and the latter denotes stupidity.

Haha, come on. You're resorting to insults instead of attacking any of the reasons I gave! I could understand if my arguments were emotional, and certainly it's an emotional issue, but I bring just solid, hard facts. I call it whining because whining is complaining in a childish fashion, as per the dictionary, and that is exactly what this is. There is no basis for this complaint, it's irrational.

Look, there are a lot of injustices in this world, and a lot perpetrated against minorities. Look at CEO's of fortune 500 companies, only 1.2% are black. THAT is a disproportionate amount, especially given a sample size of 500 positions. 9.4% in a sample size of 32? Especially because it was 25% just 2 years ago. That's WELL within statistically expected ranges.

You blatantly said you don't think this is racism, which is the whole crux of why this would be a problem. If it isn't racism, that the owners aren't prejudiced against minorities, then they are going after who they deem to be the most qualified applicant. 19 of the 32 franchises have had a minority coach. Considering that most of that has been in the past 20 years, we've seen an incredible amount of diversity. If this were 20 years ago, you would have an overwhelming argument and only an idiot would disagree with you, as it is the overwhelming evidence is against you.

Another sign of the progress, if we say every franchise has had, on average, 3 head coaches since 2003 (when the rooney rule was instituted), you're looking at 17 minority coaches in the past 96 head coaching jobs. 17.7%. Even at 4 head coaches per 9 years you are looking at 13.3%. I ask you, what number is sufficient for you that it is no longer a problem? Do you have an appropriate, logical number, or are you not satisfied until it FEELS right?

12 head coaching hires is a blip on the radar. If you rolled a dice 12 times, and it never landed on 6, you might think that was odd, but surely you don't complain about weighted die. That is what this current round of hires amounts to. Sensationalist sports media, and in turn viewers, have jumped on to this as an issue without actually having any idea what they are talking about. It doesn't FEEL right to them, but they don't have facts, only feelings.

For where we're at right now, the numbers point to us being in the right ballpark. Until you offer concrete numbers that say differently, all you're doing is going by your emotions.

[MR2Drift]

Racism is still an issue in NFL but not in the way many people realize. The simple fact is that the NFL or the NCAA might not have discriminatory practices today, it doesn't mean we aren't still seeing the effects of the past on todays game.. Quite a few of these head coaches are in their 50s and 60s. Which means that they started coaching in the 70s or 80s which was a very different landscape for players and coaches than today. It was much easier for a white guy to get a job as a position coach back then compared to a black guy. Same way it was much easier for a white guy to be a QB, which also explains the lack of black offensive coordinators today. These players/coaches of the past are benefiting from past racial prejudice for their succes today. Add that to the fact that coaching has always been a part of the boys club it makes things even more difficult for coaches of today because they are competing with bonds that were formed a long time ago. Which is readily apparent with so many coaches giving their kids jobs. While we can say that the NFL is in a good place today, it will probably take much longer to see the results that matter to people.

While I don't hate the Rooney rule, like most things the intentions are good but implementation is poor. I think it would of been of better use for lower level positions like position coaches. Instead of competing for 32 spots with guys who have already have much more established records, you will compete with lesser qualified guys for 200 something jobs. This way you have a much better chance of getting your foot in the door and have a chance to climb the ladder. Also the public won't make a big deal about it because no one really cares about position coaches.

[justice98]

I dont know about you guys, but the Rooney Rule is comedy as its best.

Chiefs interviewed a black equipment assistant (or groundskeeper) to satisfy the rule only to hire Andy Reid a day later. Its more of an insult than it is fair play.

They interviewed the Falcons special teams coach before hiring Andy Reid. Not that they didn't interview this person you speak of, but they definitely interviewed an actual football coach at some point.

---------- Post added January-28th-2013 at 09:00 AM ----------

It'll happen in due time. Im sure the next generation of coaches will include a person of Samoan/Tongan decent. Afterall the Samoan explosion in the NFL is still young. Not many Samoans were around in the 80s and 90s.

There's still not a lot of Samoans in the NFL. Something like less than 2% of the NFL. They've still got a long way to go.

[HeluCopter29]

Racism is still an issue in NFL but not in the way many people realize. The simple fact is that the NFL or the NCAA might not have discriminatory practices today, it doesn't mean we aren't still seeing the effects of the past on todays game.

Completely nailed it.

But that doesn't mean we're somehow excused from trying to right a wrong. If we don't work to bring everyone on a level playing field, it's just not gonna happen.

This type of stuff is gonna take a certain amount of time passing and generations changing, no doubt. But there's also things we can do in the now to expedite it a little.

[Boss_Hogg]

There's still not a lot of Samoans in the NFL. Something like less than 2% of the NFL. They've still got a long way to go.

True, but isn't this stat cool?

"With only 65,000 people living in American Samoa today, it has been said that a Samoan boy is forty times more likely to reach the NFL than a boy born in the United States."
http://espn.go.com/gen/s/2002/0527/1387562.html