NFL Diversity Report Shows Small Gains for Black Coaches, GMs
- Kaepernick, anthem protests spotlight race relations in NFL
- Roster decisions are made by African-Americans at six teams
Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph. The hiring of Vance Joseph with the Denver Broncos and Anthony Lynn with the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this year moved the total of black and Latino head coaches to eight, tying the NFL high set in 2011.
Photographer: Justin Edmonds/Getty ImagesFrom the owner’s box to the sideline, white men occupy most positions of authority in the National Football League, according to the latest report from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida. Twenty-six of the league’s 32 teams have a white general manager. Twenty-four have a white head coach. Among majority owners there are only two people of color: Shahid Khan, a Pakistani-born billionaire who bought the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012 and Kim Pegula, an Asian-American woman who bought the Buffalo Bills with husband Terry in 2014.
Lopsided as they are, these numbers reflect modest improvements for people of color in positions of power. Six NFL teams have black men making roster decisions this season as either general managers or heads of football operations, an increase by one from last season. The hiring of Vance Joseph with the Denver Broncos and Anthony Lynn with the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this year moved the total of black and Latino head coaches to eight, tying the NFL high set in 2011.