The firing of Brian Flores by Stephen Ross and the Miami Dolphins shocked the football world. Fans of all genders and races were shocked that Flores was unemployed as if Ross doesn't have a long history of being a contradictory figure. Black coaches are treated like third-class citizens in the NFL.
Multiple teams will be interviewing candidates to fill head coaching vacancies over the next few days and weeks. The lack of Black coaches will be the most talked about point.
There are only two Black head coaches in a league that is over 70 percent Black. It is similar to the end of the last season, when five black head coaches were fired and were replaced with five white coaches, leaving Anthony Lynn and Mike Tomlin as the only Black faces.
Deadspin took a look at the plight of Black coaches in the NFL over the last 20 years, since America loves to ignore blatant racism unless it can be quantified into numbers. There were three black coaches in 2000. Dennis Green took the Vikings to the game. Tony Dungy led the team to the playoffs. Terry Robiskie served as an interim head coach in Washington, which was the highest level he had ever reached in his career.
There is a snapshot of the coach's story and a look at every coach that has been hired since then.
2001
After the Jets were 9-7 the year before, the team hired a new coach. In his first season, he was 10-6) and took the team to the second round of the playoffs. He took the Jets to the playoffs in three of his five seasons. He was replaced by Eric Mangini, who was 23-26 in three seasons with only one playoff appearance.
2002
Tony Dungy was hired by Indianapolis after they went 6-10. In seven seasons with the Colts, Dungy made the playoffs every season and won the Super Bowl. He retired after the 2008 season and was replaced by Jim Caldwell who was the team's coach-in-waiting, in a rare occurrence of a team having back-to-back Black coaches.
2003
Marvin Lewis was hired by the Bengals. His first season was 8-8. He was 131-129-3 and never won a playoff game. He was replaced by a different person.
2004
Smith was hired in Chicago after the Bears were 5-11 in his first season. Smith won the Coach of the Year after the team was 11-5 the year before. Smith was 84-66 in nine seasons in Chicago and made three playoffs appearances, including losing Super Bowl XLI to the Colts. Smith had a losing record and was replaced by a man who only lasted two seasons.
Dave McGinnis had three consecutive losing seasons in the desert and Dennis Green was picked up in Arizona. Ken Whisenhunt replaced Green who was 16-32 during his tenure.
2005
After the season in which the Cleveland Browns finished with a 4-12 record, coach Crennel showed up in Cleveland. In his first season in Cleveland, Crennel was 6-10 and went on to have a 24-20 record. He was replaced by a different coach.
2006
The Kansas City Royals went 10-6) last season, which was good enough for them to get hired by Herm Edwards. In his first year with the Chiefs, they lost to the Colts in the playoffs, but they were 15-34 in three seasons under him. Todd Haley was 19-26 in his run.
Art Shell only lasted one year as the head coach of the Raiders after a 2-14 record. Lane Kiffin was 4-12 in his first season after Shell left, while Norv Turner was 4-12 in his first season.
The year 2007.
Bill Cowher was 8-8 in his final season and one year removed from winning a Super Bowl when Mike Tomlin showed up in Pittsburgh. In his first season, he was 10-6). He is the youngest coach in league history to win a Super Bowl, has Pittsburgh in the playoffs for the tenth time in his tenure, and is the only coach in league history to begin his career with 15 straight non-losing seasons.
2008
Mike Singletary took over for the 49ers after Mike Nolan was fired. The interim coach was Singletary. He was hired full-time and was 8-8 in his only season. He was fired after the season started. Jim Harbaugh replaced him.
The year 2009.
The Colts made it to the Super Bowl after Jim Caldwell took over and they were upset by the Saints. Chuck Pagano replaced Caldwell as Indianapolis's coach after three seasons.
Even though he coached a team that was crafted by Tony Dungy, the man that was tabbed to follow Jon Gruden in the city of Tampa was still a Super Bowl winner with the team. Morris was 17-31 in three seasons and was replaced by Greg Schiano, then Lovie Smith, and then Dirk Koetter.
The year 2011.
When the Vikings let go of Brad Childress after he started the 2010 season 3-7, they threw in the towel on their coach, who was named to the job. The interim tag was taken off him after he finished the year 3-3. He was the Vikings' coach for three full seasons and compiled an 18-20 record before he was replaced by Mike Zimmer.
The Raiders only had one season for Jackson to prove his worth after he finished 8-8 and the team started 7-4. Tom Cable went 8-8 in his final season with the team. Dennis Allen went 8-28 in 2.5 seasons as Jackson's replacement.
The year 2012
Todd Haley was let go after a poor start, and Romeo Crennel took over. Crennel went 1-2 with the interim tag. He was replaced as Kansas City's head coach by Andy Reid after he went 2-14.
There was a new year in 2014.
The magic that he had in Chicago with the Chicago Bears wasn't captured by him with the Tampa Bay. Smith lasted two seasons after going 8-24. Dirk Koetter replaced Smith and wasn't much better, as the team didn't get good again until Bruce Arians showed up in 2019.
The Jim Schwartz era ended with a 4-12 and 7-9 record. The Lions made two playoffs under Caldwell, but he only was in Detroit for four years. Since he was fired, a number of coaches have been unable to get the Lions to the playoffs.
The year 2015.
Rex Ryan had a roller coaster ride with the Jets that ended in a 4-12 finish. In his first season with the Jets, he went 10-6) and in his four years on the sideline, he was 24-40. He was replaced by Adam Gase, who went 9-23 in two seasons.
The year 2016
Jackson was 1-31 in his first two seasons in Cleveland, which was terrible for a second stint as an NFL head coach. He finished with a 3-36-1 record after being fired 8 games into his third season.
The year 2017:
After the Broncos won a Super Bowl, Gary Kubiak stepped down. Joseph had an 11-21 record and only lasted two seasons. He was replaced by another person.
Anthony Lynn was hired by the Bolts after Mike McCoy went 4-12 and 5-11 in his last two seasons. Lynn took the Bolts back to the playoffs and lost to the Pats in the second round. Brandon Stanley replaced him as a 34-32 record in four seasons.
This year
We will never know if it was a fluke or the norm, as Steve Wilks only had one season in Arizona, but he didn't do a good job in his first season with the Cards. After taking over for Bruce Arians who went 8-8 in his final season, he was 3-13 and replaced by Kliff Kingsbury.
The year 2019.
Brian Flores was an assistant with the New Englands when the Dolphins came calling in 2019. Adam Gase went 24-25 in three seasons as he was replaced by Flores. The Dolphins won seven in a row in the second half and Flores was fired.
The year 2021.
David Culley was brought in by the Houston Texans to clean up the mess that Bill O'Brien left after he underachieved with J.J. Watt, Deshaun Watson, and DeAndre Hopkins. O'Brien was let go after the Texans finished 4-12 under Crennel. Cully had a 4-13 record this past season.
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