The New England Patriots telegraphed from the start of their head coaching search this month that they wanted to hire fan-favorite former linebacker Mike Vrabel, only to bring in two Black former coordinators to satisfy the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirements in the search. While many ripped the organization for merely checking boxes, longtime sports host Bomani Jones believes the Patriots actually satisfied the exact spirit of the rule.
After the Patriots’ hiring of Vrabel became official over the weekend, Jones spent several minutes on his podcast The Right Time discussing why the team interviewing Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich was actually a positive for those two men and the Black coaching pipeline in football.
“Let’s be clear: they were checking the boxes. They were checking the boxes because they knew who they wanted to hire. They wanted to hire Mike Vrabel,” Jones said. “That, I saw at least on the internet, seemed to spark a bit of outrage about skirting the Rooney Rule. And I do not think that’s what happened at all.”
The reason New England was in the right, Jones argued, is because it reminded other NFL decision-makers that the pair of offensive gurus — who were once on the up in the league — are still around.
What likely blew the lid off the frustration among certain NFL fans about New England’s approach to their search is that Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn refused an interview. Jones even agreed with that decision since Glenn is less in need of attention than Hamilton or Leftwich (though Jones reminded his audience that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also took an interview with New England despite not “needing” it).
While detailing why the situation could help Hamilton and Leftwich, Jones explained his focus on the positive aspects of the Rooney Rule rather than the negatives.
“It is important that we identify what is good about this rule or the potential that this rule has in being effective,” Jones said. “Because if you don’t, all you do is wind up sounding like a cynical fool and saying, ‘this doesn’t work, this is a joke, we just need to get rid of it.’ If they get rid of it, what do you think is gonna happen? You think they gonna call any of these dudes? You think without this that, any of them are going to get these calls? That they gonna have any chance to elevate they names? Hell no, that’s not gonna be what happens.”
Jones gave the example of Mike Tomlin, who, after one year as the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, made such a splash interviewing with other teams that the Pittsburgh Steelers brought him. Of course, they liked him enough to hire him to replace Bill Cowher. And Tomlin not only won a Super Bowl but still has the job nearly two decades later.
Jones said that in the NFL and every business, people hire who they know. If the Rooney Rule creates an opportunity for Hamilton, Leftwich, or any other Black coach to be known, the rule is working at least in some part, according to Jones.
Especially in a league where “sorry” retreads stay afloat with comfy jobs while Hamilton and Leftwich are out of the league, Jones believes getting an interview in New England can help.
“The disadvantage for Black people is, we don’t know as many of the people who do the hiring,” Jones said. “And that’s why they’ve tried to do a lot of fixing of the networking game, to get people in positions to where people know who they are. But this idea that there’s something wrong with knowing who you want to hire and then hiring them misses the fundamental and root point of what the problem is here. I’m not getting mad because the New England Patriots decided to hire Mike Vrabel, who I think is a good coach. You get mad when they get out here hiring these bums … it’s the sorry retreads, not the good ones.”
In the bigger picture, Jones argued for choosing the right battles. If when the Patriots satisfy the spirit of the rule, giving Leftwich and Hamilton more shine while Glenn exercises his right to avoid the potential token interview, progressive football fans are still not happy, then when will they be?
The Rooney Rule was instituted to create a stronger pipeline and reinforce relationships for minority coaches in the NFL. It punishes organizations that do not do their part. What it does not do is mandate certain hiring practices or quotas.
Fans may want to see the makeup of the coaches in the league more closely align with its body of players, but it’s possible to win small battles without trying to win the whole war at once. Jones noted that if NFL fans want to upend the Rooney Rule despite its effectiveness, the situation for minority coaches will get even worse.
“Even if you don’t agree with my explanation of what these rules are good for, take some time yourself to ask, how can this work, why would this work, what are the ways that this can go?” Jones asked. “So when you get out here and say that this right here is a joke, you won’t be laughing at what comes after.”
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is an Editorial Lead at Awful Announcing overseeing digital content and special projects. He lives in Phoenix and has covered sports media for Awful Announcing since 2023.