Every year, the Fritz Pollard Alliance releases a list of recommended minority head coaching candidates. This year’s edition is nearly double in size and features the likes of Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores and Cowboys defensive backs coach/defensive passing game coordinator Kris Richard, as Mike Jones of USA Today writes. 
Here’s the complete list of suggested candidates:
- Keith Armstrong (Falcons special teams coordinator)
- Teryl Austin (Former Bengals defensive coordinator)
- Eric Bieniemy (Chiefs offensive coordinator)
- Jim Caldwell (former Lions and Colts head coach)
- George Edwards (Vikings defensive coordinator)
- Brian Flores (Patriots linebackers coach)
- Leslie Frazier (Bills defensive coordinator)
- Raheem Morris (Falcons assistant head coach/wide receivers coach)
- Hue Jackson (special assistant to the head coach of the Bengals; former Browns head coach)
- Kris Richard (Cowboys defensive backs coach/defensive passing game coordinator)
- Duce Staley (Eagles assistant head coach/running backs coach)
Flores, the de facto defensive coordinator of the Patriots, figures to be a hot coaching candidate this year. The same goes for Bieniemy, who is helping to guide one of the league’s most dangerous offenses.
Others on this list, such as Jackson and Austin, seem unlikely to garner real consideration for head coaching positions this offseason. The Browns turned the corner after dumping Jackson and appointing Gregg Williams as the team’s interim head coach, which isn’t a great endorsement for the offensive guru. Meanwhile, the Bengals hired Austin in January but fired him earlier this month as his defense was one of the lowest ranked in the NFL.
List lost all credibility when it listed Hue.
As important as racial equality is, recommendations should also be based on merit. After watching the poison that was Hue Jackson the head coach, the fact he’s on this list tarnishes it so much I can’t take it seriously.
Worst thing about the Cowboys winning last night is that The Clapper will probably stay now. I was REALLY hoping to get Richard. Dude is a hell of a coach!
They are going to win the east when everyone screamed fire him
Yes they will win but the east is terrible
Kris Richard brings some kind of energy and attitude – and it has definitely wore off on the Cowboys.
Hope he sticks as the defensive coordinator next year – not sure those attributes would wear as well as a head coach where he wouldn’t be as hands on.
Richard is the next cowboys coach. He took over the defensive play calling and it showed last night. If they don’t make him head coach next year he will end up going elsewhere and being phenomenal.
Jerry Jones loves Jason Garrett.
Would take a monumental collapse for Garrett to get fired now.
Austin, Jackson, Morris and Caldwell probably won’t get a chance (or another chance) at being a head coach for another couple years. I don’t see Staley or Armstrong being real options. I would like to know the methodology of how this group determines who they believe to be qualified. Hue Jackson in particular, seems to have disqualified himself from ever being a head coach ever again.
Deuce should step up to an OC position and have some success before being considered for a HC job.
Jim Caldwell, Leslie Fraizer, Hue Jackson LOL
Need to keep the Recycled coaches off the list (especially HUE) for credibility
Aystin got fired as a DC for being bad. Frazier had his play calling taken away because he was bad.
And Hue Jackson? Really?
Why not list Ray Rhodes? He’d be as good a choice these days and he is dead
I was hoping they would find a spot for P-Diddy….lol.
Diversity>merit
Where’s Rice? For the Browns? Wait….. you mean she’s not qualified to be a coach?!?! Shocker
Bieniemy, Staley, Richard, and possibly Flores are the only candidates on that list that are even remotely decent options to be coaches next year. But Bieniemy and Staley have limited high-level experience, and Flores isn’t really overseeing the next edition of the ‘85 Bears defense.
I like the idea of promoting diversity but I think this is the wrong way of doing it; if any of these guys get an interview, it seems like it would just be to fulfill the Rooney Rule. What good does that do?
A lot of people overlooking Teryl Austin, yeah bad year this year but he was coaching the Bengals the hottest trash in sports. Look what the man did with Lions teams that only had Slay and Anzah. Not saying he should get a HC job this offseason but he’s a really good coach regardless of this season
He took a nearly identical roster than Paul guenther had and turned it into a historically bad defense
You have to be kidding man. He took a Detroit defense that finished 3rd his first season to regressing each season until they were the 27th ranked defense. He took over a defense in Cincinnati that had a ton of talent and coached them up to being possibly the worst defense of all time. He should never hold the position of defensive coordinator for any team, unless you are looking to get the first overall pick.
I think the list would be more robust and credible if they took into account some college coaches as well.
“Hue Jackson” when you’re identified by the color of your skin and not the content of your character (or in this case, ability). I thought we gave that stuff up in the 60’s?
Duce ain’t no joke
It’s too early to have a real list. Wait until the playoffs at least.
Race-baiting is not constrained by such limited things like time or space
Why does it need to be a race thing? Either Teams are capable of hiring on merit, or they’re racist. It’s one or the other, and this list system does nothing to fix the wrongs.