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The NFL is continuing its efforts to improve diversity among coaching staffs and front offices. The league plans to hold a two-day networking event for “diverse, prospective Club-nominated Head Coaching and General Manager prospects” on May 23 and May 24, according to a memo obtained by ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
The memo explains that each team will send one coaching and one front office prospect that are “senior women and minority high-potential coach or player personnel” candidates to meet with senior officials in decision-making roles.
One hope of this seminar is for owners and team presidents to become familiar with coaches and executives of other teams who may be up for future leadership positions without tampering. In total, 64 people will participate in the event.
The league has been in the spotlight for its lack of diverse hires in leadership positions. In January, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the NFL, the Dolphins, the Broncos and the Giants alleging discrimination in their hiring processes. He also added the Texans to the suit after the initial filing.
Former Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks and former NFL defensive assistant Ray Horton both joined Flores’s lawsuit in April, claiming they were the victims of discrimination in their time in the NFL.
The league denied Flores’s claims, but it is still attempting to improve diversity in hiring practices nonetheless. In March, the NFL announced it was forming a “Diversity Advisory Committee” of six outside experts to assess the league’s diversity efforts.
