The NFL’s 2025-26 head coaching carousel has come and gone, leaving a glaring stain on the league’s commitment to diversity. Despite ten teams filling vacancies, not a single Black candidate was hired for a head coaching job. That stark reality has drawn sharp criticism from within the coaching ranks, as well as from observers who say the league’s promises ring hollow.
Among the most outspoken voices is Thomas Brown, the New England Patriots' passing game coordinator and tight ends coach. Brown, who helped guide the Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance this past season, was one of several Black coaches to interview for head coaching openings. Yet, like the others, he was passed over. The recycled names—such as Mike McCarthy landing the Pittsburgh Steelers job—only add to the frustration.
“It’s a very complex conversation, something that has been a consistent dialogue almost every single year,” Brown told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “To say it’s frustrating in some ways is probably an understatement.” Brown, a former NFL running back, has interviewed for multiple head coaching positions over the years without success. He’s not alone in his feelings, as the league now faces a familiar reckoning.
Brown didn’t hold back in questioning the NFL’s often-repeated mantra about hiring the most qualified candidates. “I’ve constantly heard this mantra the last six years in the NFL that people hire the most qualified candidates, which I hope is true and accurate. But you’re also seeing almost every time that is never a Black coach. Which is frustrating.” He also took issue with the notion that the pipeline lacks diverse talent. “I’ve also heard the phrase ‘there’s not many candidates in the pipeline to choose from.’ I do take issue with that, because I’ve been around some high-level great communicators, great connectors of people, at every stop I’ve been.”
The NFL has publicly stated its desire for more diverse head coaching hires, but the results tell a different story. This cycle’s outcome mirrors past trends, where minority candidates are frequently interviewed but rarely selected. The league’s Rooney Rule, designed to ensure diverse interview pools, has been criticized as a checkbox exercise rather than a catalyst for change.
Meanwhile, the conversation around diversity in sports extends beyond the gridiron. Recent incidents, such as a World Cup broadcaster apologizing for racist comments on Black players, highlight that bias remains a pervasive issue across athletics. And while the NFL’s head coaching numbers are under the microscope, other leagues face their own challenges—like the ESPN shake-up that cut Will Blackmon before the 2026 season, a move that also raised eyebrows.
For Brown, the frustration is personal and professional. “I’ve been around some high-level great communicators, great connectors of people, at every stop I’ve been,” he said, emphasizing that the talent is there—it’s just not being recognized. As the NFL prepares for next season, the pressure is on to turn rhetoric into reality. But for now, the numbers speak for themselves: zero new Black head coaches out of ten hires.
