NFL teams continue to ignore excellence of minority coaches

What exactly has Sean McVay done that suddenly made everybody believe he was the NFL measuring stick as far as head coaching?

Sure he’s had success his first two years, going 10-6 in 2017 and 13-3 this year. However, nobody can say he’s really done anything yet. He lost his first playoff game in fairly convincing fashion. He never won a Super Bowl or a playoff game as a coordinator. Yet everybody seems so dead set on finding the next Sean McVay. The Arizona Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury, another young, bright offensive mind with zero proven track record.

Former McVay assistant Matt Lafleur was given the job up in Green Bay with the Packers. Now McVay’s quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor is considered the favorite to land the job in Cincinnati. Lafleur has one year of coordinating experience. Taylor has none. Yet they’re both considered good enough to be just like McVay. Is that how it is? If so, it’s badly misguided and also dangerous.

Contrary to popular belief, not all great head coaches come from an offensive background. Look back over the history of Super Bowl winners and it’s pretty even between offensive and defensive guys. Not only that, but there’s another problem that McVay has fostered. A lack of opportunity for minority candidates.

Sean McVay pushes the belief that offensive expertise is just a “white” thing

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Everybody already knows the NFL has always had a bit of a problem with racism in the past. It’s the product of having a group of owners that are mostly white and conservative. So whenever they see a guy like McVay have success, it sends the message that the profile of a true offensive “genius” is young and white. That is not true or McVay’s intention, but it’s hard to believe teams couldn’t find somebody more qualified for some of these jobs than the likes of Kingsbury, Lafleur or Taylor.

Just look at Anthony Lynn as the perfect example. A black man with an offensive background. He took over the Los Angeles Chargers last year and now has them in the playoffs, having already won a playoff game. Their offense is still racking up points and their defense is playing well too. If he’s able to do something like that, shouldn’t it open the door for other minority coaches to get a chance at fulfilling this desire for an offensive specialist to mold a quarterback?

What about Byron Leftwich? Many agree he’s a rising star in the coaching community, coming off his first year as a coordinator in Arizona. He even has the added bonus of actually being a former NFL quarterback. One would think he’s more equipped to fill that role than Taylor, who can make no such boast. Yet Leftwich can’t even get interviews.

It’s a problem and must be fixed.

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