Whether or not the NFL’s inaugural 'Coach and Front Office Accelerator' program will prove dividends remains to be seen. But JarrettBell writes why the enthusiasm is so high.
Of course, the NFL owners can hardly be viewed as the cavalry. These are the same NFL owners that, as a group, never gave Colin Kaepernick another shot after he dared to launch a protest movement by kneeling during the national anthem.
And these same owners, portrayed as being suddenly more"woke" on diversity and inclusion issues, are also, the former Miami Dolphins coach , for violations of the Rooney Rule. With three teams named as plaintiffs along with the league as a whole in the case alleging, among other things, that interviews for at least two head coaching positions were shams, the NFL can’t hurt its defense by ramping up its diversity efforts. At the opening session, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank told the attendees that diversity and inclusion is"some of the most important work" the NFL can do. He insisted that owners are committed as partners. It sounded so good, so spirited.While Blank's track record for diversity is better than most in the NFL – his board of advisers is diverse, he sold former running back Warrick Dunn a small stake in the franchise and in 2021, he hired an African-American, Terry Fontenot, as GM – it hasn't resulted in the hiring of a Black head coach. For instance, he twice passed over Jim Caldwell in hiring Bobby Petrino and Mike Smith . Before that, he picked Jim Mora, Jr. over Lovie Smith . Time will tell whether the decision in 2021 to choose current coach Arthur Smith rather than Eric Bieniemy was the best move. So, no, Blank hasn’t always proven to be"intentional" while acknowledging to the participants that hiring decisions can often favor,"People we know better."No, the shop talk at this week’s event won’t hurt. The networking, including a Monday night reception, can be beneficial. The focus for the teams to enhance career development emphasis is needed, too, as Falcons president Rich McKay pointed out. "It’s the engagement," Ray Farmer, the former Cleveland Browns GM, told USA TODAY Sports. Farmer recently joined the Los Angeles Rams as a scouting consultant."How do people know me? You know yourself, but that’s only one part of it. How do people see me? Who’s real? You or your reputation?" Then again, exposure, reputation and résumés are always the issue. Here’s four names, in no particular order: Leslie Frazier. Byron Leftwich. Raheem Morris. Eric Bieniemy. The four coordinators have produced some of the NFL’s best work in recent seasons, with Super Bowl hardware for most of them to prove it. Yet they still haven’t been promoted to the best jobs, given the best opportunities like others with their results have been granted. They’ve been passed over while several white coaches with lesser résumés get opportunities – and in some cases in their first go-around on the interview circuit. For all of the programs, symposiums, policies and lip service, the eyeball test is rather clear. The effectiveness of the"Accelerator" will be measured in the coming hiring cycles. Let’s see whether there’s an acceleration with the opportunities granted to minorities – intentional or not – when the hiring decisions must be made. Gardner said it, to some degree, as he peeked into a ballroom a few minutes before another session was to begin. "There are so many guys in that room who are qualified and have paid their dues," he said."It all comes down to fit. And if it’s not a fit for me, then a fit for someone in that room." Blank sounded earnest when they told the participants that they were in the room because they were chosen to be here for their potential to be head coaches and general managers, to be the future leaders in the league.It still seems like such a crapshoot. When Gardner, who has worked in the league for more than 30 years, was asked whether he is ready to be a GM, he didn’t directly answer the question – yet responded with a dose of reality. "The best you can do is prepare, have a plan and hope to have an opportunity," he said."You have to trust the process. And you have to be in the place at the right time with the right people."
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