NFL ‘Rooney’ Rule Creator Says Coach’s Suit Exposes Hiring Flaws

The architect of the National Football League’s “Rooney” Rule says the hiring policy has failed to diversify the league’s top positions because of shortcomings in how it’s implemented, despite being widely adopted by U.S. banks, tech companies, and law firms.

The rule, adopted by the NFL in 2003 and named after the late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, requires teams to interview at least two candidates of color for head coaching positions. It was criticized in former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’s discrimination lawsuit, which accuses the league of disingenuous efforts to increase racial representation in top jobs. ...