by Rex Trulove

Created on: December 27, 2008

In order to figure out if the NFL is doing enough for diversity with the type of head coaches it's hiring, we must first look at what the head coach is and why they are hired in the first place. For those who don't play or watch football, this might be a bit confusing, but for those who do, it is usually crystal clear.

Coaches are hired to win games. It really isn't any more complicated than this. It doesn't mean that a head coach can't keep their job even after several losing seasons, but the coaches aren't hired to lose games, they are hired to win them. It makes all head coaches only one of two types, winners and losers.

Way too much is put into the color of a person's skin, their religion, and such things that have nothing at all to do with winning or losing. There have been and are some great coaches who are black. There have been and are some great coaches who are white. There are and have been both white and black head coaches who were extremely poor coaches. Again, the key is to win. If a coach doesn't do this, they shouldn't be the coach and usually won't last a long time with the team.

The true diversity comes when a coach is able to think in unique ways and come up with game plans that are unexpected, or plays that are difficult to defend or to defend against. The biggest problem is that it can take some time before a team knows if they have this type of coach. If it works out that they do, usually the coach stays for a few years at least. If not, they usually don't end up being picked up by the team for very long.

The NFL is a business. If a pro team strings several losing seasons together, it becomes harder to get the fans to come to the games and to support the team. The team organization loses money. On the other hand, if the team has a few successful seasons, even people in other places are willing to buy tickets and to support the team. Which way it will go lies entirely on the shoulders of the coach, since he either produces a winning or losing team.

People can debate forever if there are enough black head coaches, but that isn't and never has been the point of the position. Usually when we talk about diversity in the head coaching position, we are talking about color, which is also a little silly. The point is that if a black is the best coach and proves himself, chances are he will be around for quite some time. If he doesn't bring his team to wins, chances are that he will be fired.

This happens to white coaches as well. There are more white coaches than black ones, but then there have been far more white coaches who have been fired than black coaches. If a coach is qualified for the position, they should be given the chance to prove it, regardless of the color of their skin. The thing is that for the teams that are winners, this actually happens. How dark a person is has little to do with how great they are as a strategist.

Choosing a head coach on the basis of their skin color shouldn't happen, and seldom is. Who the man is and how good they are as a coach is the ultimate test. They are fired regardless of the color of the skin, and they are hired on the same basis.

Actual diversity comes from the minds of the coaches, though. Every year, the NFL shows that diversity in different ways. This leads to exciting football. The diversity in football coaches is and will be a key to the success of the NFL and the reason people are drawn to support their teams. Yes, the NFL works hard enough to make sure the position of head coach is diverse. If the coach isn't diverse, he won't be around long.

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