Rooney Rule enhancement: NFL to require two external minority interviews for GM, coordinator jobs

NEW YORK — For the third time in the past 18 months, the NFL has approved changes to enhance and strengthen the Rooney Rule for minority head coach and general manager candidates.

The changes come following the fall owners meetings held in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday as the league tries to increase diversity at the highest levels of coaching and team personnel. Wednesday evening, CBS Sports obtained a league memo notifying clubs of the changes, including the potential for coaches to interview for vacant head coaching positions with two weeks remaining in the regular season.

One of the biggest changes relates to GM and coordinator roles. Last year, the league went from one external minority candidate interview for an open head coaching position to two. Beginning this year, that has been expanded to cover any vacant GM or coordinator role with a team.

And considering how much virtual interview platforms were used last year due to the pandemic, the league now requires teams must also conduct an in-person interview with at least one external minority candidate for any GM or head coaching interview.

Following the 2020 NFL regular season, two of the seven head coaching vacancies were filled by minorities (Robert Saleh and David Culley) while three men of color (Terry Fontenot, Brad Holmes and Martin Mayhew) were hired for GM jobs among the seven available.

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“We were happy with some of the results. Obviously overall the league is still not pleased with the fact that we only have five minority head coaches with 32 clubs,” Jonathan Beane, NFL Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, told CBS Sports by phone Wednesday night. “We know that we can do a better job with head coaches and general managers….