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Sean Payton is arguably the hottest name on the market as this new hiring cycle for NFL head coaches kicks off. Hotter than Jim Harbaugh. Hotter than Leslie Frazier, Steve Wilks and DeMeco Ryans – three names that should be on any team’s shortlist, depending on the results.
Who wouldn’t want to fill a vacant head coaching position with Payton? The former New Orleans Saints coach, with a Super Bowl victory on his resume, brings creativity, passion and ingenuity. A huge payday is likely to come, in addition to hefty compensation for the Saints, as Payton knows how to hit the quarterback as one of the game’s top offensive strategists. And we know how NFL owners , fair or not, have become so enamored with offensive gurus like Payton.
On top of all that, Payton also stands as an accidental barometer of how well NFL teams are complying with the Rooney Rule this time around, with five head coaching positions currently open.
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No, Payton, who happens to be white, is not one of two minority candidates from outside their organizations that teams must interview to comply with the Rooney Rule.
Yet nearly a year since Brian Flores filed a federal lawsuit against the NFL and several teams alleging, among other things, that he was the victim of bogus interviews — reflecting suspicions that have existed for years with several candidates — l Careful consideration of the process for teams that may stumble upon themselves in pursuit of Payton will be important.
Do you remember Jon Gruden? Like Payton, he was once the prime target for coaches in the market. Before the mess surfaced that sealed his split from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, when racist and misogynistic emails were exposed as part of the Dan Snyder investigation (resulting in another as yet unsolved lawsuit of Gruden), Raiders owner Mark Davis is suing Gruden. when hired in January 2018 was Exhibit A for shady Rooney Rule compliance.
This historical context is relevant because it is supposed to be different now. That doesn’t mean Payton is a less attractive candidate. But with the NFL incorporating even more layers to the Rooney rule in the context of the Flores suit and the dismal track record of recent years when it comes to hiring minority coaches, it will be interesting to get a sense of the strength of commitment will be from teams regarding the spirit of complying with the Rooney rule.
One of the teams exploring Payton, the Denver Broncos, appears to be in a better position with its process than it was when Flores accused the team’s previous regime of conducting a fake interview. The Broncos, with a new ownership group led by Rob Walton (and including black women Mellody Hobson and Condoleezza Rice as backers), are expected to meet with Payton as early as next week and conduct a video interview Monday with Harbaugh.
And the Broncos, seeking to replace fired coach Nathaniel Hackett, also requested permission to interview black defensive coordinators Ryans (San Francisco 49ers) and Raheem Morris (Los Angeles Rams), as well as Dan Quinn (Dallas defensive coordinator Cowboys). The team will also interview its own D coordinator, Ejiro Evero, who is black.
But still: Could a team land a big prize in Payton, while finding itself accused of conducting mock interviews?
“With everything at stake and with the awareness of what is expected, I just don’t see us in this world failing,” said NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent. at USA TODAY Sports. “There are enough checks and balances. The guidelines that have been formalized make things very clear.
While the NFL has stepped up its efforts in recent months to bolster minority hiring (and likely for better legal isolation as well), there are some key requirements and recommendations in play for this round. Among them:
- Owners and other key decision makers are now required to participate in inclusive hiring training before beginning a search process.
- Documentation for each applicant interviewed which includes identification of club personnel conducting the interviews and the approximate duration of the interviews has become more formal and must be submitted to the league office.
- In-person interviews with candidates employed by other NFL teams cannot be conducted until the end of the playoff round (in Payton’s case, he is still under contract with the Saints, which prevents him from to interview in person until Tuesday). Videoconference interviews do not meet the requirements of the Rooney Rule.
The reviews are quite promising. In addition to the requirements, clubs are also recommended to engage an “inclusive hiring process coach” to ensure the search is fair and equitable.
Still, it’s rather shameful that in 2023 and with around 70% of the player base made up of black mensome key owners and managers may need some sort of shock treatment to deal with apparent biases and an alleged “check the box” mentality when it comes to interviewing minority candidates.
“I think people understand that it’s a priority,” Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, chairman of the league’s diversity committee, told USA TODAY Sports. “At every league meeting it’s on the agenda. We don’t take any meetings away to talk about it. I think all the clubs understand that it’s a priority for the league.
Whether this is a priority for individual teams, however, remains a question.
Perhaps the pursuit of Payton and the intense spotlight that comes with it, wherever he lands, will provide much-needed clues as to whether the NFL’s hiring process has truly changed for the better.
