NFL Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Lack of Diversity in Coaching and Ownership

NEW YORK, NY — May 21, 2025 — The National Football League (NFL) is once again under fire over its ongoing struggle to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), particularly in the league's senior coaching and franchise ownership ranks. Despite repeated pledges and the implementation of initiatives like the Rooney Rule, top NFL team owners acknowledged slow progress in a candid discussion published this week in USA TODAY Sports.

NFL Owners Admit: “We Still Have a Long Way to Go” on DEI

For decades, the NFL has faced sharp criticism for underrepresentation of minorities in leadership positions, with Black coaches, general managers, and especially owners remaining a rarity. In a wide-ranging interview, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II both conceded that the league’s efforts have yet to produce substantial and lasting results.

“We still have a long way to go,” Rooney told USA TODAY Sports columnist Jarrett Bell. “None of us are happy that we haven’t made more progress.”

Jones echoed this sentiment, acknowledging that while programs have raised awareness, the NFL “needs to do better because society’s watching.”

The Rooney Rule: Progress Stalled?

Introduced in 2003 and named after late Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, the Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching and senior football operations jobs. While hailed as a landmark effort at the time, critics say the practice has become an exercise in box-ticking, and meaningful advancement for minorities—particularly Black coaches—remains limited.

According to the NFL’s own data, as of 2025, only eight of the league’s 32 teams are led by non-white head coaches, and no team has a Black majority owner. The lack of ownership diversity is especially glaring given that nearly 60% of NFL players identify as Black or African-American.

“These numbers are unacceptable,” said Dr. Richard Lapchick, founder of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES), in an interview with ESPN. “The pipeline is clogged at multiple levels, and the league must act with a greater sense of urgency.”

Barriers to Ownership: Financial and Cultural

The path to NFL franchise ownership is notoriously exclusive, with billion-dollar buy-in requirements and sales rarely brought to the open market. Industry analysts note that generational wealth disparities and closed networks make it exceedingly difficult for people of color to enter the exclusive club of NFL owners.

Jerry Jones, who has owned the Cowboys since 1989, admitted as much. “The number of people, of whatever color, who have the resources to buy an NFL team is very limited. The challenge is making sure that, when opportunities arise, doors are really open,” he said.

Rooney added that the NFL has formed internal committees aimed at identifying minority investors and providing technical support, but acknowledged progress is “not moving as quickly as we’d like.”

Coaching and Front Office Diversity Remain Stubbornly Low

While the league has boosted its investment in leadership training programs for minority coaches, like the NFL Football Operations’ accelerator initiative, many argue that true advancement is hindered by entrenched hiring networks and unconscious bias.

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, one of the league’s Black head coaches, called for more intentional outreach. “There’s talent everywhere, but we need decision-makers to look outside their comfort zones,” Ryans told The Athletic in April.

ESPN analyst and former NFL executive Louis Riddick added, “Until the power structure changes, and you see more people of color not just interviewing but being hired and promoted to decision-making roles, nothing substantially changes.”

League Response: “We’re Committed to Progress”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has repeatedly cited the league’s commitment to DEI as a “core value,” touting expanded hiring guidelines, mentorship programs, and a commitment to reviewing owner diversity criteria. However, even Goodell admitted to USA TODAY that tangible results have lagged. “We understand the urgency and the skepticism,” he said. “Our focus is on breaking down barriers that exist at every level of our game.”

Many advocacy groups, however, say the time for promises has passed. “Fans and players demand more than words,” said N. Jeremi Duru, law professor and author of Advancing the Ball: Race, Reformation, and the Quest for Equal Coaching Opportunity in the NFL. “The NFL must hold its owners accountable, or this will remain an unfulfilled promise.”

The Road Ahead: DEI in the Spotlight

With growing pressure from players, fans, and sponsors, the NFL’s progress—or lack thereof—on DEI will remain in the spotlight as the league heads into the 2025 season. Policy experts suggest that transparent reporting, third-party oversight, and more aggressive targets for hiring and ownership diversity are essential next steps.

“Change at this level only comes with intention and accountability,” Dr. Lapchick emphasized. “The NFL has the resources and visibility to lead American sports—but it must decide to do so.”

As the NFL prepares for its landmark 2025 season, the league’s leadership is confronted by its own admission of unfinished business on diversity and inclusion. While initiatives like the Rooney Rule sparked important conversations, true progress remains elusive. Whether new reforms—and honest self-assessment—can finally accelerate change is a question the football world will be watching closely.