After the New England Patriots fired first-year head coach Jerod Mayo following a Week 18 win, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith took note of one particular pattern shown by Mayo’s short tenure in Massachusetts.
His race.
Reacting to Mayo’s dismissal Monday morning on First Take, Smith argued that Mayo did not get enough time to turn the Patriots around following the departure of the legendary Bill Belichick, which Smith believes happens to Black coaches like Mayo more often than white coaches.
“I don’t like this,” Smith said. “They call it Black Monday for a reason. This certainly typifies it. I don’t know why it’s not called White Monday. Doug Pederson got fired from Jacksonville. He deserved that firing. Jerod Mayo clearly was not given a lengthy enough opportunity considering what Bill Belichick left him with from a talent perspective.”
Stephen A. Smith on the Patriots firing Jerod Mayo: “This is about Mike Vrabel. That’s who they wanted… I don’t like this. They call it Black Monday for a reason. This certainly typifies it. I don’t know why it’s not called White Monday. Doug Pederson got fired from… pic.twitter.com/PsZFD7CrWR
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 6, 2025
In NFL circles, the day after Week 18 is known as “Black Monday” in reference to how many coaches typically lose their jobs. Of course, Smith is highlighting the double entendre relating to the constant struggle of Black NFL coaches to get and retain top jobs.
While Smith did not directly claim Mayo was fired because of his race, Mayo’s one-and-done run with the Patriots is part of a frustrating trend among Black head coaches in the league.
In 2022, former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks joined a class-action lawsuit filed by Brian Flores. In the racial discrimination suit, Wilks alleged that he was not given a fair shake in his one season as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, and that the organization planned to use him as a “bridge coach” from the time they hired him.
That same year, Lovie Smith coached the Houston Texans for one season after rumors circulated that they were targeting inexperienced former QB Josh McCown. Smith was replaced by DeMeco Ryans in 2023.
Former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell was infamously fired by the Detroit Lions in 2017 after posting a winning record.
Following the 2023 NFL season, Stephen A. Smith referenced these trends in a rant criticizing the Washington Commanders for hiring Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator. Kingsbury had just wrapped a mediocre season as offensive coordinator for USC and appeared to be falling upward.
Stephen A. Smith on Kliff Kingsbury continuing to get jobs based on his relationships and not his football resume: “This is the kind of stuff that doesn’t happen for Black folks” pic.twitter.com/ieYGmTVqu0
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 5, 2024
Now, Kingsbury is a head coach candidate again after helping to lead Washington back to the playoffs.
Trends have changed in recent years as the NFL has worked to tweak its “Rooney Rule” and incentivize diversity in its coaching ranks.
The 2024 season began with a record nine racial minority head coaches, including Mayo. Beyond the former linebacker, Carolina’s Dave Canales and Las Vegas’ Antonio Pierce were among the minority coaches getting a chance in the top job for the first time.
At the same time, both Atlanta’s Raheem Morris and Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles were on the list after getting a second shot.
There is plenty to debate about whether nine is enough, and one year doesn’t make a new trend. But while Smith has beaten the same drum for years when it comes to NFL coaching, Black Monday has not been quite as racially biased in recent years as it once was.