History of Rooney Rule in Timeline

The Rooney Rule, established by the NFL in 2003, mandates that teams interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation positions. It was designed to increase diversity in leadership roles. Since 2022, the program has evolved to include affirmative action measures, such as hiring quotas, which prioritize minority candidates for specific roles. For instance, before the 2022 season, the NFL implemented a quota requiring each team to have at least one minority or female member on their offensive coaching staff. Variations of the Rooney Rule have been adopted in other industries to promote diversity.

1996: Tony Dungy Hired by Buccaneers

In 1996, Tony Dungy became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after struggling for years to get a head coaching job.

2000: Mike Martz Takes Over as Rams Head Coach

Before the 2000 season, Mike Martz took over as head coach of the St. Louis Rams due to a clause in his contract guaranteeing him the job in case of an opening, which meant the Rooney Rule was not applied.

2002: Coaches' Firings and Study Release

In 2002, the firings of head coaches Tony Dungy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dennis Green of the Minnesota Vikings prompted civil rights attorneys Cyrus Mehri and Johnnie Cochran to release a study showing disparities in hiring and firing practices based on race.

2003: Detroit Lions Fined for Rooney Rule Violation

In 2003, the NFL fined the Detroit Lions $200,000 for failing to interview African American candidates for the team's vacant head coaching job after firing Marty Mornhinweg.

2003: Rooney Rule Implementation

In 2003, the Rooney Rule was adopted with the goal of increasing the number of African American head coaches in the NFL.

2003: Rooney Rule Established

In 2003, the Rooney Rule was established in the NFL, mandating interviews with ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs.

2003: Implementation of the Rooney Rule

In 2003, the Rooney Rule was implemented, aiming to ensure that minority coaches, especially African Americans, would be considered for high-level coaching positions in the NFL. Marvin Lewis also found a head coaching position with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003.

2006: Increase in African American Coaches

At the start of the 2006 season, the percentage of African American coaches in the NFL had increased to 22%, up from 6% prior to the Rooney Rule.

2007: Mike Tomlin Hired by Steelers

Before the 2007 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers hired Mike Tomlin as head coach. However, they had already interviewed Ron Rivera to fulfill the Rooney Rule requirement.

2008: Advocacy to Extend Rooney Rule to College Football

In 2008, legal scholars advocated for extending the Rooney Rule to college football, citing the low number of minority head coaches.

2008: Mike Singletary Becomes 49ers Head Coach

In late 2008, Mike Singletary took over the head coaching position for the San Francisco 49ers. Since he belongs to a minority group, the Rooney Rule was not applied.

June 15, 2009: Rooney Rule Expanded

On June 15, 2009, the Rooney Rule requirements were expanded to include all searches for senior football operations positions within the NFL, and it now includes all ethnic minorities, not just African Americans.

2009: Jim Caldwell's Accomplishments

In 2009, Jim Caldwell led the Indianapolis Colts to a 14-2 season and won the American Football Conference title before losing in Super Bowl XLIV.

2012: Lack of Diversity in NFL Hirings

Following the conclusion of the 2012 NFL regular season, there were no minority hirings to fill eight head coaching and seven general management vacancies, leading to concerns about the Rooney Rule's effectiveness.

September 2014: Campaigning for Similar Practice in England

In September 2014, players' representatives campaigned for a similar practice in England. Gordon Taylor, Chief Executive of the PFA pointed out a 'hidden resistance' preventing black managers getting jobs.

2014: Jim Caldwell Hired by Lions

In 2014, the Detroit Lions hired Jim Caldwell, their first minority head coach since Wayne Fontes.

January 9, 2018: England National Football Team Implement the Rooney Rule

On January 9, 2018, it was reported that the England national football team would implement the Rooney Rule for all future interviews for the manager position.

2018: Kansas City Chiefs Ranked Top Offense

In the 2018 season, the Kansas City Chiefs, under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, had the league's top-ranked offense.

December 31, 2018: Number of African American Head Coaches

As of December 31, 2018, there were two African American and one Hispanic head coaches in the NFL.

2019: Kansas City Chiefs Ranked 5th Offense

In the 2019 season, the Kansas City Chiefs, under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, had the league's 5th ranked offense.

May 2020: Increased Rooney Rule Requirements

In May 2020, the NFL increased the requirements of the Rooney Rule to require two external minority candidate interviews for head coaching jobs, interview at least one minority candidate for all coordinator positions and for senior-level positions, including general manager and club president jobs. For at least some positions, women may be interviewed to satisfy the requirement.

August 2, 2020: West Coast Conference Adopts Similar Policy

On August 2, 2020, the West Coast Conference (WCC), an NCAA Division I league, announced that it had adopted a similar policy effective immediately, calling its initiative the Russell Rule.

November 2020: NFL Resolution JC-2A Passed

In November 2020, the NFL passed Resolution JC-2A, which rewards teams for developing minority candidates for head coach and/or GM positions by awarding third-round draft picks.

2020: Criticism for Passing on Eric Bieniemy

In 2020, five NFL teams with head coaching vacancies were criticized for passing on Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Only one team hired a non-White coach.

2020: Same Number of African American Head Coaches as in 2003

In 2020, the NFL had three African American head coaches, the same number as in 2003 when the Rooney Rule was adopted.

2020: Questions on Rooney Rule Effectiveness

The 2020 NFL offseason led to many figures questioning the effectiveness of this rule due to Bieniemy not receiving serious consideration for a head coaching position and other such controversies since the rule's inception.

2021: Los Angeles Rams Received Draft Picks

In 2021, the Los Angeles Rams received third-round draft picks after the Detroit Lions hired their director of college scouting, Brad Holmes, as their general manager.

February 1, 2022: Brian Flores Sues the NFL

On February 1, 2022, former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores sued the NFL, the Dolphins, the New York Giants, and the Denver Broncos, alleging racism, violations of federal employment law, and that his interviews were a sham meant solely to fulfill the Rooney Rule.

March 28, 2022: Further Changes to the Rooney Rule

On March 28, 2022, the NFL announced further changes to the Rooney Rule, requiring all teams to have at least one minority on their offensive coaching staff, starting with the 2022 season. Coaches hired under this provision will be paid at least in part from a league-wide fund.

2022: Los Angeles Rams Received Draft Picks

In 2022, the Los Angeles Rams received third-round draft picks after the Detroit Lions hired their director of college scouting, Brad Holmes, as their general manager.

2022: Shift toward Affirmative Action

Since 2022, the Rooney Rule program has shifted toward affirmative action, incorporating hiring quotas that prioritize minority candidates. Before the 2022 season, a hiring quota was established, mandating that at least one member of each team's offensive coaching staff must be either an ethnic minority or a woman.

2026: Minority Head Coaches in the NFL

Entering the 2026 season, the number of minority head coaches in the NFL by NFL definition is five, including Todd Bowles, Aaron Glenn, DeMeco Ryans, Dave Canales and Robert Saleh.