[quote] NFL Can Point to Progress in Diverse Hiring But Work to be Done in Coaching

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

7-27-2023

Abstract

[quote] A professor of sports law at American University and a longtime observer of the NFL’s hiring practices, Duru, too, acknowledges the NFL has made strides in diverse hiring, but also notes that opposition to inclusion is increasing exponentially in some parts of the nation.

“There have been gains in general manager, team president and in other realms of the league. And so in many regards, the last few years have seen an uptick with respect to equity and with respect to diversity. It’s also fair to say that the league is at a bit of a crossroads now,” said Duru, author of the definitive book on the creation of the Rooney Rule, Advancing The Ball: Race, Reformation, and the Quest for Equal Coaching Opportunity in the NFL.

“When the summer of 2020 happened and the year that followed it, you saw organizations and entities [display] a great commitment to diversity. The question, though, was is this gonna be a moment or a movement. What we’ve seen more recently, pursuant to different state legislatures and other efforts, has been a substantial backtracking on kind of that short-lived commitment to really challenging systemic discrimination. Are we gonna continue pushing forward for true equity? Or are we gonna take our foot off the gas?”

Source Publication

ESPN Andscape

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