There have been six head coaches of the Houston Texans, a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas, United States.The Texans play in the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL).. Don Shula holds the current records for regular season wins at 328 and combined regular and postseason wins at 347. Source . Fritz Pollard. In 2017, we had a record eight minority head coaches entering the season: Chargers Anthony Lynn, Denver's Vance Joseph, Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis, Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin, Detroit's Jim. The Jets hired Edwards after they were 9-7 the year prior. That's USA Today's Tom Schad, he's part of the NFL Coach's Project, USA Today's ongoing series analyzing the demographics of football coaches. That brings the total head-coaching jobs available to six, as the Las Vegas Raiders (Jon Gruden), Jacksonville Jaguars (Urban Meyer) and Denver Broncos (Vic Fangio) had fired their HCs prior to Black Monday. Crennel took the reins over in K.C. It featured powerful, experienced and successful Black coaches such as Eric Bieniemy (Chiefs OC), Todd Bowles, Byron Leftwich, James Franklin (Penn State HC), Leslie Frazier (Assistant HC/Defensive Coordinator, Bills), Vance Joseph (Defensive Coordinator, Cardinals), Jerod Mayo (Inside Linebackers, Patriots), Raheem Morris (Defensive Coordinator, In 2002, the Texans entered the NFL as an expansion team, with Dom Capers (2002-05) as the team's first head coach. Wilks didnt do a good job in his first season with the Cardinals, but well never know if it was a fluke or the norm, as it was also his only season in Arizona. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. He is currently Michigan State's head coach. But the league still has plenty of veteran greybeards that have seen success at the very highest level. Exactly. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. Coaches[edit] Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2022 NFL season. What I was looking for is the kind of person that I don't know, does 50 pushups right out of bed, that makes a to-do list right out of bed, that has a routine. He was replaced by Jim Harbaugh. 20 years ago, the NFL adopted a policy known as the Rooney Rule. Over a nearly 20-year career as a coach in the NFL, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013. Schad says this goes back a while. During his three seasons as head coach, Rhule had five different starters Teddy Bridgewater, PJ Walker, Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and Baker Mayfield. The Rooney Rule was enacted in 2003 as part of the NFL's plan to "develop a deep, sustainable talent pool at all levels of the organization" and "increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager and executive positions.". After serving as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! It's true in business, it's true in life, and diversity only comes with some steps to increase representation and NFL is doing that. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, beginning with the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 season and four other seasons leading the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018. And since America loves to ignore blatant racism unless they can watch it on video or it can be quantified into numbers, Deadspin took a look at the plight of Black coaches in the NFL over the last 20-plus years. The rule was named after Dan Rooney, then owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Caldwell took over for Dungy with ease as he posted a 14-2 record in his first season as the Colts made it all the way to Super Bowl XLIV where they were upset by Drew Brees and the Saints. The Houston Texans announced this week that the organization hired Ryans on a six-year deal, making them the first NFL team to hire three consecutive Black coaches. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 37-42-1 across five seasons including going 1-2-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. He also wants to get a sense of their mentality. Frazier finished the year 3-3, and got the interim tag taken off him. Only one of five NFL head coaches hired this offseason was Black. Vance Joseph, who was the head coach for the Denver Broncos for the 2017 and 2018 seasons and is reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job that was left vacant after Brian Flores was fired. OBrien was let go after starting the 2020 season 0-4, as the Texans finished 4-12 under interim coach Romeo Crennel. With all the controversy surrounding the NFL and its alleged efforts at diversifying head coaching around the professional football league, its worth putting things in their proper perspective for folks who may be shrugging and wondering what the big deal is. After a long career as an assistant with the Patriots, Flores got a chance to run his own team when the Dolphins came calling in 2019. As the league becomes more driven by quarterbacks, coaching quarterbacks is becoming a fast track to becoming a head coach. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/W1bXqGIfl0 Must Black folks be head coaches too, critics might be wondering? He led the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. The NFL has a serious diversity problem. Whaley is part of a group that launched One Global Culture Events, which helped minority candidates in pro sports connect with upper management. He was also named assistant head coach of the Jaguars for the 2012 season, according to the Pro Football History website. Marvin Lewis, who coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, is among the current and former NFL coaches who have denounced the league for racial injustices and told NBC Sports that Black coaches have been getting sham interviews like those alleged by Brian Flores for years. Last year, Ryan served as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers who had one of the best defenses in the league. He had an aggregate record of 36-28, a winning percentage of .563 the best winning percentage of any Lions Head Coach since the 1950s, Flores lawsuit said in part. Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing while he was head coach in order to increase the teams odds in the NFL Draft. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. Bowles has coached the Dolphins (2011) and Jets (2015-2018), and he is the current coach of the Buccaneers. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. The league and the teams deny his claims, but Dragon isn't convinced. He was then hired full-time and was 8-8 in his lone full season. Just 24 of them have been Black. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. After serving as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. These days, he runs a sports law program at Villanova University and hosts the Business of Sports podcast. So what's happening here? Personality's always going to play a big role. That's Doug Whaley. Edwards was 10-6 in his first season and took the team to the second round of the playoffs. Art Shell became head coach of the then-Los Angeles Raiders in 1988, a job he held until 1994, after the franchise moved to Oakland, according to the Raiders website. Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. The year before, Norv Turner was 4-12, and the year after Shell left, Lane Kiffin was 4-12 in his first season. Joseph, who is the current defensive coordinator of the Cardinals, coached the Broncos for two seasons (2017-2018). It's very rare for a coach interview to come in and say, "Yeah, I'll figure that out later." How would you use that player? He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. But, if history is any indication and it is thats far from a guarantee. The first version of the policy required every team with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one minority during their process. Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. The fact is that Flores claims are hardly unique and help bolster critics suspicions that the NFL is intentionally trying to keep its head coaching ranks as white as possible despite the leagues so-called Rooney Rule, a policy that requires teams to interview at least one diverse candidate when looking to hire new coaches. McDaniel, who identifies as biracial, was named the head coach of the Dolphins in February 2022. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. John Allen (American football) Lamar Allen. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. So you can look at different ways to judge minorities. Flores still has upcoming interviews for head coaching positions with at least two other teams, so, considering the public relations fiasco that his lawsuit is, chances are that pressure will result in him being hired. Tomlin has been the coach of the Steelers since 2007, making him the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL behind only Bill Belichick. Tyler Dragon, sports reporter at USA Today says things played out differently than expected. | Source: Wesley Hitt / Getty. Emmitt Thomas Source:Getty Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. Brian Flores, who used to be head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process. It is what it is and that's the system, but that doesn't mean that it should keep perpetuating that system. For perspectives sake, the NFL entered Black History Month 2022 with just one single Black head coach despite its vow a decade earlier to increase diversity among its head and assistant coaches. And Terry Robiskie served as an interim head coach in Washington as the interim position would be the highest level he ever reached in his career. Lewis was 8-8 his first season. I'm proud to report today, my classes are basically 50/50. Over a nearly 20-year career as a coach in the NFL, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013. Just 25 of them have been Black. Can this person lead 20 coaches, 60, 70 players depending on practice squad, can they lead? According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, "During his pro football career the two-time All-America played and sometimes coached for four different NFL teams, the Pros/Indians (1920-21/1925-26), the . He returned to coaching when he took the head job at Arizona State in 2017. Revisiting Dolphins scandal, Pollard became the first Black coach in NFL history when he was named co-coach of the Akron Pros in 1921. Notably, Jackson responded to Flores lawsuit by claiming he was subjected to similar treatment described in the complaint. Perry Fewell was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for a single season in 2019. Tony Dungy led the Bucs to a Wild-Card Game. I'm James Brown, and as always, be well. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. From all of us at USA Today, thanks for listening. Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of theAtlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. Caldwell was brought in after the Jim Schwartz (gym shorts) era ended with 4-12 and 7-9 seasons. Emmitt Thomas Source:Getty Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. You're going to be like, "All right, let me just check that box and go through this process, but I'm still going to do what I want to.". That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. What's your familiarity, and what's your schemes? The Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) have had 13 head coaches in their franchise history. The Lions also had two playoff berths in four seasons, as compared to one playoff appearance in the previous 14 seasons. Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. There were three Black head coaches in the NFL when the Rooney Rule took effect, and the league hasn't made a ton of progress toward its goals in the years since. Notably, Jackson responded to Flores lawsuit by claiming he was subjected to similar treatment described in the complaint. It attempted to address the historically low number of minorities in head coaching positions. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, During his pro football career the two-time All-America played and sometimes coached for four different NFL teams, the Pros/Indians (1920-21/1925-26), the Milwaukee Badgers (1922), the Hammond Pros (1923, 1925), and the Providence Steam Roller (1925)., It also added: In 1928, Pollard organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African American professional team based in the Windy City.. He was replaced by Adam Gase, a guy that went 9-23 in two seasons. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. He left the league with a 54-74 overall record. Women being interested in this area of business or law, from my viewpoint, has really grown. Tenure: Four-plus seasons (71 games). That is something that never seems to get noticed when we talk about the Rooney Rule. Either way, Flores. He looked at me crazy and he said, "Well, go to the bathroom." Only one head coach in the last seven years. In all, Dungy has a head coaching record of 148-79-0 and won the regular season games he coached at a rate of nearly 70%, according to the pro football hall of fame website. That's USA Today's sports reporter Tyler Dragon, he's been writing about the NFL for close to a decade. But as we see now, just like anything, people that have children and even to yourself, when someone says you have to do something, you're obviously automatically going to have a bias towards it. He can move to number one with success during the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. Mike Tomlin, who, as of the time of this list being published, was the lone Black head coach in the NFL, has led the Pittsburgh Steelers for 15 seasons since 2007. What do you think of that player? said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. A lot of it is right place at the right time, a lot of it's knowing the right people, a lot of it is just hard work and accomplishments. Record: 40-33-1, 1-2 in the playoffs. To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. Sports news website the Ringer reported that Flores was not fired because of his coaching but rather because of his troubled relationship with team owner Stephen Ross, a supporter of former President Donald Trump who has refuted claims of racial discrimination. Morris, who is the current defensive coordinator of the Rams, served as the head coach of the Buccaneers (2009-2011) and Falcons (2020). 'Dilbert' Comic Creator Calls Black People A 'Hate Group,' Urges Segregation So Whites Can 'Escape', Bernie Mac Show Star Camille Winbush Is Not Ashamed Of Joining OnlyFans, Kyle Rittenhouse Faces 2nd Civil Lawsuit, Continues To Beg For Money From His Supporters, Ben Stein's 'Aunt Jemima' Rant Is A Master Class On White Privilege, Why Did tWitch Kill Himself? After announcing his retirement from coaching after the 2021 season, Payton has returned to the NFL and will be the Broncos' 19th head coach in franchise history. In the meantime, keep reading to get familiar with the dozens of Black people who have worked as NFL head coaches in the leagues more than 100-year history. Marvin Lewis, who coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, is among the current and former NFL coaches who have denounced the league for racial injustices and told NBC Sports that Black coaches have been getting sham interviews like those alleged by Brian Flores for years. He went 36-30 during his tenure and has been replaced by a litany of coaches that havent been able to get the Lions to sniff the playoffs since he was fired. 1. In the meantime, keep reading to get familiar with the dozens of Black people who have worked as NFL head coaches in the leagues more than 100-year history. Nancy Armour USA TODAY 0:00 1:51 The. He retired after the 2008 season and was replaced by Jim Caldwell who was the teams coach-in-waiting, in a rare occurrence of a team having back-to-back Black coaches. What's your systems? Raheem Morris was an NFL head coach with two separate teams from 2009 to 2020, including leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, with the first three seasons of that tenure including double-duty as the teams defensive coordinator. Shell was the first Black head coach in the modern era of the NFL. 2. and its alleged efforts at diversifying head coaching around the professional football league, its worth putting things in their proper perspective for folks who may be shrugging and wondering what the big deal is. All three have had very successful careers while . Now-former Head Coach Brian Flores of the Miami Dolphins talks with an official during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on January 2, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. Its reminiscent of the end of the 2018 season when five black head coaches were fired and were replaced with five white coaches, leaving Tomlin and Anthony Lynn as the only Black faces, at the time. One Black head coach in a league dominated by Black players. Dirk Koetter replaced Smith and wasnt much better, as Tampa Bay didnt get good again until Bruce Arians showed up in 2019. We see coaches, as I mentioned, like Ron Rivera, Mike McDaniel, Robert Saleh, not exclusively African American. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. Rhodes, a five-time Super Bowl champion as an assistant with the 49ers, had a 37-42-1 record as the head coach of the Eagles and Packers (1995-1999). Either way, Flores. Nonetheless, Mr. Caldwell was fired the day after his fourth season.. Lynn was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers the following season and served in that capacity for four years through the 2020 season. The Houston Texans broughtCulley in to clean up the mess that Bill OBrien left after he underachieved with J.J. Watt, Deshaun Watson, and DeAndre Hopkins on top of trading Hopkins and getting into it with Watt. Email me at jabrown@usatoday.com, or leave me a message at (585) 484-0339. The league in general is very tough because it's not like a lot of other industries where there's a criteria of how you get promoted. Over the next few days and weeks, multiple teams will be conducting interviews to fill their head coaching vacancies. It seems like an impossible task to succeed when the most important position on your roster is in such flux. He was fired 8 games into his third season and finished with a 3-36-1 record. In his three full seasons with the Vikings he compiled an 18-20 record and was eventually replaced by Mike Zimmer who was fired on Monday. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. Were they invited to lead your team? The Chargers hired Lynn after Mike McCoy went 4-12 and 5-11 in his last two seasons. Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. Mel Tucker was named the interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final five games of the 2011 season. He was also a terrific running back, earning All-America honors in 1916 while playing for Brown University. He is currently the linebackers coach for the Steelers. The next year he was fired after starting the season 5-10. "What do you do". If they could bring that character into our building, others would pick up on those same qualities. Owners and front office people who are in charge of hiring, they found loopholes in the rule. Ron Aiken. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. Contact The Promotions/Community Department, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process, the NFL is an organization akin to slavery,, Heres Every Black Head Coach In NFL History, According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, according to the Pro Football History website, according to the pro football hall of fame website, according to the Pro Football Reference website, coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, named interim head coach of theAtlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons, NFL head coach with two separate teams from 2009 to 2020, a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job, head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season, Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons, Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing, Anthony Lynn was a head coach in the NFL for two teams, reportedly a candidate for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job, Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. It still remains to be seen if that is going to lead to results. In the suit, Flores cites text messages from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who said he believed he was contacting Brian Daboll, another coach interviewing for the New York Giants head coaching position. In the suit, Flores cites text messages from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who said he believed he was contacting Brian Daboll, another coach interviewing for the New York Giants head coaching position. Morris was 17-31 in three seasons and wound up being replaced by Greg Schiano, then Lovie Smith, and then Dirk Koetter none of them fared much better. In all, Dungy has a head coaching record of 148-79-0 and won the regular season games he coached at a rate of nearly 70%, according to the pro football hall of fame website. Anytime you have to implement a rule to interview a black head coaching candidate or a minority head coaching candidate, that's admitting there's a problem. He has taken the Pittsburgh Steelers to two Super Bowls since 2007 with one. As a player, Ryans was a two-time Pro Bowler and is still the Texans all-time tackles leader. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. If you like this show, write a review on Apple Podcast or wherever you're listening, and do me a favor, share it with a friend. On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast:5 Things Sunday Host James Brown explores the NFL's Rooney rule which requires teams to interview minority coaches and staff when positions like head coach, general manager, and coordinator positions open. Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. Wilks is the current interim head coach of the Panthers, but he got his first shot at the top job with the Cardinals, going 3-13 in 2018. Pittsburghs Mike Tomlin and Houstons David Culley are the lone Black head coaches in a league thats over 70 percent Black. Herman Herm Edwards, largely seen as a mentor to many current and former NFL players, coached the New York Jets from 2001-2005 and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2008, according to the Pro Football Reference website. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. Lynn was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers the following season and served in that capacity for four years through the 2020 season. Who are the youngest coaches in the league, and which ones are getting long in the tooth? (At the time, it was called the American Professional Football Association.). Dungy enjoyed a Hall of Fame career from 1996-2008, racking up 139 wins and 69 losses across 13 seasons with the Buccaneers and Colts. During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website.