• Loading stock data...
Monday, April 7, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

​​NFLPA Begins New Era With Old Rooney Rule Problem

  • The NFLPA’s new executive director will inherit the league’s diversity issues.
  • DeMaurice Smith is calling for big changes as he exits after 14 years in charge.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Bringing impactful change to the NFL’s diversity efforts will be one of the biggest challenges for new NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell when he officially takes over for DeMaurice Smith.

After 14 years at the helm, Smith isn’t being shy about his feelings toward the league’s powerbrokers on his way out. 

Smith co-authored an article for a future issue of the Yale Law and Policy Review titled, “The Rooney Suggestion: How the ‘Rule’ Has Failed to Defeat Systemic and Institutional Barriers to Fair and Equitable Hiring Practices in the NFL and Recommendations for Meaningful Reform.”

In his article, Smith suggests scrapping the Rooney Rule entirely and stopping requiring coaches to seek permission from team owners to apply for positions with other teams. Currently, teams are rewarded when a minority coach or executive is hired by another team in the form of two third-round compensatory picks. 

He also calls for more extensive reviews of hiring practices and stronger punishments for teams not following hiring guidelines.

There are currently only six minority head coaches and nine minority general managers in the NFL, and a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is ongoing. Flores, who is Black, sued the NFL and three teams. He is currently the defensive coordinator for the MInnesota Vikings.

“It’s not like the league hasn’t known the Rooney Rule hasn’t done everything they initially wanted it to do,” SportsCorp’s Marc Ganis, a longtime consultant to the league, told Front Office Sports. “This is why they’ve continued to put the resources they have into the diversity issue. The Rooney Rule is really just the beginning on this issue, and not an end point.”

Howell’s official start date hasn’t been announced, but he’ll likely be in charge by early 2024.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Back on Top: UConn, Geno Auriemma Make History With 12th Title

Auriemma said that it would be “very difficult” to leave UConn.

House v. NCAA Hearing Set: Turning Point for College Sports Amateurism?

A federal judge will consider whether to allow college athletes to get paid.

Why Sports Leagues Are Betting Big on Streaming’s Reach

The NFL is going all-in on streaming for its Christmas Day games.
Mar 30, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close looks on against the LSU Lady Tigers during the first half of a Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Spokane Arena.

UCLA’s Rise to the Final Four: Cori Close’s Blueprint for a New..

The UCLA women’s team is in the Final Four for the first time in the NCAA era.

Featured Today

Mar 16, 2023; Sacramento, CA, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Kobe Brown (24) reacts after scoring a basket agianst the Utah State Aggies during the second half at Golden 1 Center.
exclusive

‘It’s On Principle’: NBA Players On Filing for House Settlement Checks

The checks are relatively small. That’s not the point, players say.
Mar 29, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) before playing against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the East Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center.
April 5, 2025

As College Basketball Teams Got Older, Duke Embraced the Fountain of Youth

How the Blue Devils went old-school in the transfer portal era.
Mar 1, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) and center Olivier Rioux (32) and guard Alijah Martin (15) and forward Thomas Haugh (10) huddle after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center
April 4, 2025

How Florida Built a Final Four Roster With ‘Under-Recruited’ Players

“We’ve never gotten a single player because we’re the highest bidder.”
Dec 27, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) skates during warm ups before their game against the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center at San Jose
April 3, 2025

Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks Rookies Have Brought Good Vibes to a..

The rookie’s arrival has boosted spirits incongruously high inside the flagging franchise.
Breanna Stewart
exclusive

Unrivaled Made Over $27 Million in Revenue, ‘Almost’ Broke Even

More ticket and merch sales will be key in Year 2.
Jessica Pegula
April 3, 2025

Jessica Pegula on Tennis: Pay, Saudi Deals, and Women’s Sports Boom

Pegula wants tennis players to receive more prize money.
Sponsored

League One Volleyball’s Defining Moment: A Championship Years in the Making

Volleyball has long thrived at the youth level—now it’s transforming professionally. The LOVB Finals mark a pivotal moment for the sport.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Kelly Coleman, pro bat lead operator, inspects a torpedo bat after it comes out of a baseball bat lathe at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in Louisville, Ky. on Mar. 31, 2025.
April 2, 2025

‘Torpedo’ Bat Sales Boom As Debate Rages About Effectiveness

Several manufacturers report historic interest in the much-debated bat design.
Los Angeles Golf Club owners Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams cheer for their team against the New York Golf Club during the TGL semifinal match at SoFi Center on March 17, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
exclusive
April 1, 2025

Alexis Ohanian Bid on NFL Flag Football, Serena Williams Exploring Franchise

Ohanian is the first known bidder for the flag football leagues.
April 1, 2025

Goodell, Owners Signal 18-Game NFL Season Is Coming—Eventually

The idea of a longer schedule ties into several other league initiatives.
Laney-Hamilton
April 1, 2025

WNBA Champion Missing Season Shows Risks and Kinks of Unrivaled

The Liberty have six weeks to make a decision on Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.