Mike Tomlin 'deeply important' to NFL's inclusive hiring this century
Andscape • • sports
Key Points:
- N. Jeremi Duru, a leading sports law expert, highlights Mike Tomlin's significant role in advancing diversity and inclusive hiring in the NFL, particularly through the impact of the Rooney Rule.
- The Rooney Rule, established in 2003 and named after Dan Rooney, requires NFL teams to interview minority candidates and women for key coaching and front-office roles, aiming to widen the pool of candidates.
- Dan Rooney's decision to interview both Ron Rivera and the relatively inexperienced Mike Tomlin exemplified the rule's intent to cast a wide net, ultimately leading to Tomlin's successful hiring and later Super Bowl victory.
- Tomlin's success challenged NFL owners' traditional hiring biases, encouraging them to consider less conventional candidates and thereby opening
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