Sitting atop the NFL’s Diversity Committee, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II is proud of the strides the league’s made in hiring coaches with diverse backgrounds. Though he acknowledges there’s more work to be done, he believes programs and initiatives put in place by the league are paying off.
“I think we’ve made a lot of progress,” Rooney told NFL Network’s Judy Battista. “Still work to be done but it’s good to see that a lot of the programs that we’ve put in place, a lot of the policy changes that we have made down through the years. A lot of the efforts to train younger coaches. I think all of that is starting to pay dividends.”
The NFL announced the Workplace Diversity Committee in May 2020, tabbing Rooney as its chair. Other NFL owners on the board include the Atlanta Falcons’ Arthur Blank, the New York Giants’ John Mara, the Buffalo Bills’ Kim Pegula, and Baltimore Ravens executive Ozzie Newsome.
“These steps will assure coaching and football personnel are afforded a fair and equitable opportunity to advance throughout our football operations,” Rooney said at the time of the committee’s goal. “We also have taken important steps to ensure that our front offices, which represent our clubs in so many different ways, come to reflect the true diversity of our fans and our country.”
The NFL has introduced several programs to increase diversity. Most attention focuses on the Rooney Rule, which has been expanded in recent years to include coordinators and general managers instead of just head coaches, but other programs have had key impacts on smaller scales. The Bill Walsh Coaching Fellowship allows college coaches the chance to intern with clubs during the spring and summer. The Steelers haven’t announced who will be part of the program this year but those who have participated in the past have found it invaluable.
“Guys sat with me eating breakfast, all of that kind of stuff that all mattered, man,” Tre’ Bell, with the Steelers in 2022, told us. “Everything that you do when it comes to sports, how you do anything is how you do everything. I just really love the way they went about business, welcoming me and without even knowing who I am.”
At the time, Bell was Akron’s cornerbacks coach. Now, he’s a defensive analyst for West Virginia, moving up to a bigger college program with a bright future ahead.
Other league programs include the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship, the NFL’s Women Forum, and the Front Office Accelerator Program, the latter creating network opportunities for future head coaches, general managers and high-ranking front office executives.
The 2024 head coaching cycle saw four minority hirings: Antonio Pierce of the Raiders, Jerod Mayo of the Patriots, Raheem Morris of the Falcons, and Dave Canales of the Panthers. Rooney is encouraged but hopes the league does more.
“Like I say, we still have work to do,” he said. “But I think we’re starting to see some progress.”
