No matter how you feel about the NFL’s “Rooney Rule,” it has undeniably helped open the door for qualified black coaches.
The same opportunities have been tougher to find at the college level.
Speaking on NBC Sunday night, Tony Dungy said that minority coaches feel like they have a better chance for advancement if they move to the pros.
Dungy called the lack of minority coaches in college “disgraceful” and pointed towards Mike Tomlin as an example of the problem.
Tomlin was recommended by Dungy for an interview at a BCS school, but it never happened. The Steelers hired Tomlin a month later and have a Super Bowl ring to show for it.
“That’s the difference between the NCAA and the NFL right now,” Dungy said.
The numbers are hard to argue with. Only one BCS conference school has a minority head coach - Miami’s Randy Shannon. Nine of 120 “Bowl Subdivision” coaches are minorities.
“They’ve got to step up and say, ‘We’re going to do the right thing. We’re going to hire qualified people. We’re going to hire the best man for the job regardless of what boosters or anyone else has to say,’” Dungy said
Dungy’s mention of boosters is telling. College football presidents essentially have a constituency to answer to, with murky politics often at play.
All that matters in the NFL is winning.