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The NFL’s coaching carousel continues to circle, and this year, several Black coaches were dismissed after brief tenures. Among the most notable of these departures are Antonio Pierce, Jerod Mayo, and Raheem Morris, Sporting News reported.
Pierce’s firing by the Las Vegas Raiders came after just one full season at the helm. Having taken over as interim head coach mid-2023, Pierce led the Raiders to a respectable 5-4 record after Josh McDaniels was dismissed, CNN reported. However, his 2024 campaign saw the team finish with a disappointing 4-13 record, leading to his departure. Pierce, a former Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants, had been popular with players, especially after injecting fresh energy into the team. Despite his connection to the Raiders as a lifelong fan, the team decided to part ways with him, citing the underperformance during the regular season.
Mayo, the head coach of the New England Patriots, faced a short-lived tenure. Despite a promising start, the Patriots ended the season with a 4-13 record, prompting team owner Robert Kraft to fire Mayo. Mayo was thrust into the head coaching position after serving as the team’s linebackers coach for just one season, MSNBC reported. His quick dismissal sparked debates about the double standards Black coaches face in the NFL. Many believe that Mayo, who had limited coaching experience, was given an unfairly short leash compared to his white counterparts.
Raheem Morris was also let go after a short run. Morris’ tenure with the Atlanta Falcons ended following the 2024 season. Some say Morris’ firing highlights a persistent problem in the NFL: the lack of patience for Black head coaches, who often do not receive the same opportunities for long-term success as their white counterparts.
And it’s not just Black coaches who are on the chopping block after a short time on the job; the Tennessee Titans announced on earlier this month that they have parted ways with general manager Ran Carthon after just two seasons, The Bleacher Report reported.
These firings come at a time when the NFL has made strides toward increasing diversity in its coaching ranks. The NFL introduced the Rooney Rule in 2003 to increase the representation of minorities in head coaching positions, later extending it to include general managers and executives. The rule mandates that teams interview at least one candidate of color before filling such roles, AP reported.
In 2020, the league expanded the Rooney Rule to incentivize teams to develop and promote minority coaches and executives. Under the updated guidelines, teams receive compensatory draft picks if a minority assistant coach or top football executive is hired by another team. Specifically, NFL rules grant teams third-round draft picks in each of the next two years — or in each of the next three years if two minority employees are hired — provided the departing candidates spent at least two years with their original team.
For the 2024 season, a record nine minority head coaches were employed, a significant step forward from previous years. Yet, despite this progress, the firing of Black coaches after just one or two seasons points to lingering problems.
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