With a growing number of Black head coaches on NFL sidelines, Black players are encouraged by the progress, but they would like for it to continue moving forward. The Associated Press conducted a survey of Black players, and the consensus seemed to be that there is still more work to be done on the coaching front.
The AP polled more than 65 Black NFL players, asking them three questions, but not every player answered all of them. When asked whether they were discouraged by the number of Black head coaches, 37 players said no while 23 said yes.
A vast majority of respondents, 54, said they were encouraged by the hiring of three Black head coaches last offseason. In terms of their own coaching futures, 25 players said they wanted to get into coaching while 40 didn’t have any interest.
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack said it should be easier, not harder, for former Black players to get head coaching jobs because they can be more relatable to a majority of players.
“Those positions should be easier to get for us,” Mack said. “We’ve been around it. As Black professional athletes, we have a certain understanding of the game that can be translated or a lot more relatable in cases.”
In trying to explain why there aren’t more Black coaches, New York Jets defensive end Solomon Thomas pointed to the fact that team owners are overwhelmingly white.
“I believe that there’s always been a stigma and there has always been preconceived notions or microaggressions in the league, especially in a league full of white owners,” Thomas said.
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Connor Heyward has hope that the number of Black head coaches will continue to grow as the current crop of players move into the next phase of their careers.
“The guys that are playing in the NFL are obviously predominantly guys of color and a lot of us love the game and a lot of us want to coach after, so I think when we look up in 20 years, you’ll see a lot of change,” Heyward said.
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Author: Austin Nivison
February 5, 2025 | 2:30 pm
