Inside the NFL owners meeting: White coaches challenge owners on league’s diversity woes – By Nancy Armour & Mike Freeman (USA Today) / Oct 17, 2022
Inside NFL owners meeting, where Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh, Frank Reich and Andy Reid called on owners to make ‘more progress’ hiring Black coaches.
One by one, Pete Carroll, John Harbaugh, Frank Reich and Andy Reid addressed the NFL owners at this year’s annual league meeting, advocating for Black coaches on their staffs now and those they’ve crossed paths with during their lengthy careers.
They vouched for the abilities of these coaches who are routinely passed by for the NFL’s top jobs, praising their skills and leadership qualities.
These white head coaches, some of the most prominent in the game today, spoke of the influence Black coaches have had on them and in their locker rooms, trying to make owners recognize what they would find if they would only look beyond the color of these coaches’ skin.
Their passion was clear, as was their sense of urgency, with Carroll at one point essentially asking owners what was wrong with them.
“Maybe some people didn’t like what was said. When you open the floor, you get this type of honesty,” Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II told USA TODAY Sports.
