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Mike Tomlin supports adding incentives to NFL's Rooney Rule

A reported proposal to award teams that hire minorities on the sidelines and in front offices got tabled at NFL meetings last week.

Mike Tomlin thinks it was a good idea.

The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach spoke with Kentucky basketball head coach John Calipari on his “Coffee with Cal” Facebook show Monday and spoke about the state of minority hiring in the NFL.

He likes the strategy of using positive reinforcement to spur more minority hiring in management.

“We've always taken it from the approach of, punitive if you don't interview minority candidates or things of that nature," Tomlin said, per an ESPN transcript. “I just like the different approach in terms of spinning it 180 and talking about maybe incentivizing those that develop the talent and those that hire the talent.”

Changes to NFL’s Rooney Rule

Instead of adopting the draft incentive, the NFL expanded the already existing Rooney Rule to require teams to interview two minority candidates for a head coach opening. The previous iteration of the rule required teams to interview one minority candidate.

Teams will also be required to interview one minority candidate for coordinator and senior football operations positions and a woman or a minority candidate for senior level executive positions like team president and heads of departments.

Mike Tomlin believes that incentivizing minority hiring in the NFL is a good idea. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Mike Tomlin believes that incentivizing minority hiring in the NFL is a good idea. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

Others criticized proposal

Tomlin is a rare voice in support of the tabled incentive proposal that drew widespread criticism when it was reported. Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn was not in favor of it.

“I think sometimes you can do the wrong thing while trying to do the right thing,” Lynn told CBS Radio.

Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy also spoke out against the proposal.

“In my mind, this is drastic,” Dungy told Pro Football Talk before the proposal was tabled. “I don’t think personally it’s the right thing to do. ... I just have never been in favor of rewarding people for doing the right thing. And so I think there’s going to be some unintended consequences.”

Tomlin sees the tabled draft incentive as a jumping-off point for conversation on the issue that has long plagued the NFL. Tomlin and Lynn are among four minority head coaches out of 32 NFL teams in a league where 70 percent of the player pool is black.

“We're making some adjustments because we're acknowledging right now that the system is broken, that minorities are not getting enough opportunity,” Tomlin said. “And we're trying to just figure out how to stimulate that. ... I agree it's debatable about the value placed on the incentivized plan, but I just generally like the discussion.”

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