As another NFL coaching cycle lacks minority hires, Roger Goodell defends recent absence of diversity program

SAN JOSE, Calif. — After another recruiting cycle lacking diversity, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league must continue to evaluate their system while not believing their recent decisions have contributed to the trend.

Last May, the NFL arranged an accelerator program for minority coaches, and Goodell said a year ago that the league remained committed to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives despite dissuasion from the Trump administration.

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Three months later, the original plan was deemed “postponed.” This hasn’t happened yet.

The following hiring cycle saw nine white head coaches hired (the Las Vegas Raiders won’t officially hire Seahawks offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak until after the Super Bowl, but is expected to be hired according to multiple reports) and no black head coaches. Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh is Lebanese-American and previously coached the New York Jets.

Does Goodell see a connection between the indefinite postponement of accelerator programs and hiring trends?

“I don’t think so,” he said Monday during his State of the NFL address ahead of Super Bowl LX. “Do I think this has any impact on recruiting plans? No. But I think in the long term we want to continue to do this and figure out how to use it to make sure people understand the level of talent, the exceptional talent, and how to provide them with opportunities to continue their careers.

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“This applies to all talent throughout the NFL as well as non-NFL.”

If Kubiak’s hiring becomes official next week, 27 of the league’s 32 head coaches will be white. Three black players: DeMeco Ryan of the Houston Texans, Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets and Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In addition to Saleh, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales is also of Hispanic descent.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation, which promotes diversity and equity in NFL recruiting, released a statement regarding the lack of diversity in this year’s cycle.

“This result does not reflect the depth, breadth or quality of talent within today’s coaching ranks, nor does it represent meaningful progress toward the NFL’s commitment to equitable and inclusive hiring practices,” the foundation said in part in a statement on Monday. “When intent is matched by responsibility, progress is possible. We stand ready to support and move this work forward.”

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There are expected to be five minority coaches in 2026, down from seven last year and nine in 2024. Two years later, seven of the league’s head coaches identified as Black, this year only three.

In January, the Atlanta Falcons fired Raheem Morris, who is black, and the Miami Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel, who is biracial and has a white mother and a black father. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin (who is black) resigned after 18 years at the helm of the club.

Historically, approximately 70% of NFL players have been black.

Expectations are growing that the return of the NFL’s accelerator program will include more than just minority candidates. Some advocates for minority hiring believe that minority candidates can better connect with white candidates if accelerator programs also include minority candidates. Others question the coalition’s effectiveness in supporting minority candidates.

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Goodell was asked Monday if he “accepts” the fact that he can’t influence hiring trends to better include qualified minority candidates.

“You know me too well to say that I’ve accepted some of the things that I think we need to continue to make progress on, and I believe that,” he said. “I believe diversity is good for us. I think we have become a more diverse league on every platform, including coaches. But we have more work to do. More steps have to be taken. So we are re-evaluating everything we are doing, including our accelerator program, including every aspect of our policies and programs, to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, not yesterday.

“We need to look at that and say: ‘OK, why are we having the results we have this year? What can we do in terms of training or education?’ That applies not only to candidates but also to clubs and how we try to continue to increase opportunities and outcomes.”