NFL: Fixing the Head Coach Issues

Richard Sherman was all over the news this week. In preparation for the Super Bowl, the topic of minority coaches came up. Sherman pushed to put pressure on the media to question ownership why more can’t be done when it comes to hiring talented coaches. There are plenty of talented coaches out there like Brian Flores and Eric Bieniemy whose names popped up in circles of teams looking for head coaches but the league needs to do more.

There are a ton of community programs, some of which the NFL is involved in, that teach althetes to be better players. Sure there are plenty of programs that reach out to the ones that want to coach, but what about the ones that reach out to the ones who haven’t been able to make the team as a player. These programs could teach young athletes to work past being the star player. There are plenty of young football minds that get cut from teams for not being better than the current talent on the field. That doesn’t mean their football careers should stop there. Maybe more opportunities pop up later or maybe they stick around the team and learn the ins and outs.

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After years of taking the wear and tear of the NFL, most long term players aren’t in a rush to get back on the sidelines. Most will take offers for the booth or commentary. Sure, the league can pursue head coaches to fulfill their Rooney Rule obligations but as a whole, the NFL needs to do a better job at promoting the education and development of future coaches. Everyone wants to be the star and everything that goes along with it, but coaching in today’s NFL can be just as lucrative.

The one flaw in the system is, no good coach is going to give up his secrets for fear on how people will use the information they’re taught. But the torch needs to be taught to the passionate ones who don’t have what it takes on the field. Imagine the NFL setting up mentor ship programs the same way they do football camps, but instead of just playing they teach football. Not only teach the X’s and O’s but teach motivation, teach leadership, and show that just because there’s someone out there who beat them that day that their dream to make it to the NFL isn’t over.

Everyone wants to be the star on the field, but not everyone is going to make it. However, if any athlete has a passion for something they’ll find a way to keep going. The NFL can’t sit back and expect minority candidates to fall out of the sky. More can be done to keep their drive going, but most teams cut players at an early age and most of those kids walk away feeling defeated. Maybe actively involving the ones that could use a little more time understanding football, they can keep that spark for sports alive.