NFL Sets Meetings Between Owners And Diversity Coach, GM Talent (White Guys Not Invited)

Pete Carroll said NFL owners should "stop living in their own universe" and get more comfortable with minority coaches that don't look like them during a session at the league's annual meeting in Palm Beach last month and that's exactly what the NFL has mandated will happen.

The league last week sent out a memo to all clubs announcing that 32 "diverse, prospective club-nominated head coach and general manager prospects will have networking opportunities with club and league office executives" at the NFL's spring meeting May 23 and 24.

The memo doesn't say it, but it's simply a fact: No white males will be included.

According to the memo from NFL Senior Vice President Jonathan Beane, who is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, the meet and greet opportunities "aims to provide senior women and minority high potential coach or player personnel exposure to owners across the league to develop direct connections. Conversely, providing owners the ability to engage with new prospects in a natural and personal way without violating anti-tampering rule policies."

The truth is this may lead to personal relationships among the folks involved. But this is not in any way natural. This is league mandated and set up for minorities only, thus exclusionary.

When OutKick previously contacted high ranking assistant coaches with aspirations of career advancement, one white coach was indignant Carroll was suggesting exactly what is about to happen.

“I’m sure Pete is coming from a good place. But I’ve never met an NFL owner besides the guy who signs my paycheck, and I’m not even sure he remembers my name all the time," the white coach said.

“I’d like to network with a bunch of rich guys, too. But my understanding is Carroll didn’t suggest white guys like me could go hang out with these owners because I’m white.

“(Bleep) that. (Bleep) Pete.”

And those who will participate must be nominated by their teams -- one from the coaching side and one from the player personnel side -- to be sent to the meeting with the owners.

So even advocates of such a process must understand that even in this nominating process, some high performing minority coach or player personnel employee will be excluded -- along with all white males, of course -- because someone decided someone else who is "diverse" was better.

Yes, an imperfect situation.

The league nonetheless views this as a positive step "as part of its ongoing commitment to diversity of coaches and front office personnel ..."

The NFL is hopeful that future hiring cycles for coaches and general managers will lead to the hiring of minority race or women candidates.

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