NFL and Roger Goodell Attempting to Strengthen the Pipeline of Diverse Hires; League Hosting Front Office & General Manager Accelerator Program in Mid-December – Report – Week 14

This year’s rendition will be the fourth at a league meeting. League owners will assemble in Texas next week while the new hiring cycle begins. 

NFL’s Front Office & General Manager Accelerator Program

There could be a bevy of front-office openings next week as the 2023 regular season is nearing its end. Fourty-two men and women across 31 teams are this year’s Front Office & GM Accelerator candidates. The only team without a representative is the Indianapolis Colts. 

Per CBS Sports, the candidates will participate in seminars focused on “interview techniques, personal wellness, leading across generations, and discussions with agents.” The candidates will also be able to grow their network with team owners, a necessary stepping stone in landing a high-profile front-office gig. According to CBS Sports, only 16% of all general manager hires since 1996 have been people of color. However, ten of the current 30 GMs in football are considered diversity hires.

The NFL and Roger Goodell Also Have the Rooney Rule 

The National Football League also implements the Rooney Rule to help diversity hires. Per the Rooney Rule, NFL teams must interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching openings. The rule was revisited in 2022, demanding that an NFL team have at least one diverse hire, ethnic minority or woman, on their offensive staff. However, the Rooney Rule has come under fire recently, including former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filing suit against the league last year, believing his interviews were fraudulent.