Amid the excitement of Super Bowl LX week in Santa Clara, another explosive topic has ignited the NFL community: the severe lack of diversity in head coach hiring, especially among Black coaches. At the center of the storm is Robert Saleh – former Defensive Coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, who became the only minority head coach hired in the highly controversial 2026 coaching cycle, out of 10 openings.
Saleh, the Lebanese-American and first Muslim head coach in NFL history, endured a highly questionable firing from the New York Jets in 2024. He was escorted out of the building by security in an unusually hostile manner – an action rarely seen and widely criticized by organizations as potentially motivated by bias against his heritage. Many view this as clear evidence of racism and discrimination in the NFL – a league where Black players make up over 70% of the roster, yet head coaches and front-office leadership remain overwhelmingly white.
In the latest live press conference during Super Bowl week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell faced sharp questions from reporters on the issue. When asked if the league accepts the reality that zero Black head coaches were hired in the 2026 cycle (0 out of 10 openings), with only one minority coach appointed overall, Goodell responded:
Roger Goodell (from the press conference): “Diversity is the strength and the beauty of the NFL. We do not accept this situation. We still have a lot of work to do. We are committed to tolerating no form of racism or discrimination whatsoever.”
Goodell’s words sound resolute, but they have left fans – especially the Black and minority communities in the NFL – furious for this shocking reason: This is far from the first time Goodell has promised “a lot of work to do.” Since Brian Flores’ lawsuit in 2022 and through repeated failed hiring cycles, these exact promises have been repeated almost word-for-word with no meaningful change. The Rooney Rule – which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate – is heavily criticized as nothing more than “fake interviews”: teams conduct them just to check a box, then hire the familiar white candidate anyway.
Right now, the entire NFL has only 3 Black head coaches: Todd Bowles (Buccaneers), Aaron Glenn (Lions), and DeMeco Ryans (Texans). That number has barely budged in years, despite the league’s constant bragging about training programs and diversity initiatives. Social media is exploding with angry fan reactions:
- “Goodell has been saying ‘we still have a lot of work to do’ for how long now? Same line 10 years ago”
- “Saleh was hired just to serve as a shield, covering up the complete wipeout of Black coaching candidates.”
- “The NFL is diverse on the field, but the front office is still an all-white club. Hypocrites!”
Robert Saleh’s situation only adds fuel to the fire. Even though he landed a new job with the Tennessee Titans, many see him as a “token minority” – a symbolic hire used by the NFL to deflect heavier criticism over the total exclusion of qualified Black candidates like Eric Bieniemy or Raheem Morris.
Is Goodell’s promise a genuine turning point, or just another performance to calm the public during Super Bowl week? The story of racism in the NFL is far from over, and fan anger is only growing. Only time will tell whether the league will truly change – or keep repeating the same empty promises forever.
