It was clear soon after the Raiders fired Jack Del Rio that Jon Gruden was next in line as the team’s new head coach, which seemed to be the team’s plan from the start. But according to the NFL, the Raiders did comply with the Rooney Rule.
NFL finds Raiders did comply with Rooney Rule when they hired Jon Gruden
The Raiders won’t face discipline for the way they handled their coaching search.
Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
The Fritz Pollard alliance, which requested an investigation into the team’s process, released a statement condemning the NFL’s findings.
“We strongly disagree with the NFL’s conclusion that the Raiders did not violate the Rooney Rule,” the Fritz Pollard Alliance said in a statement obtained by Pro Football Talk. “We believe the facts overwhelmingly point in the other direction. In his enthusiasm to hire Jon Gruden, Raiders’ owner Mark Davis failed to fulfill his obligation under the Rule and should step forward and acknowledge he violated the Rule.”
The NFL launched an investigation into the Raiders’ hiring process shortly after Gruden was announced as the team’s new head coach. They determined the Raiders did follow the guidelines, and the team will not face discipline.
The league spoke to owner Mark Davis, general manager Reggie McKenzie, and Gruden in the course of the investigation, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Raiders confirmed that they interviewed tight ends coach Bobby Johnson and USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin for the head coach role.
The Raiders parted ways with Del Rio after the team’s Week 17 loss to the Chargers. Rumors were already circulating that the team was planning to bring Gruden back in to take over. Despite the fact that the team did interview candidates in addition to Gruden, it seemed pretty clear from the start that Gruden was all but guaranteed to get the job.
The Fritz Pollard Alliance asked the NFL to investigate because the process and the outcome raised questions about whether or not other candidates had a fair shot at being hired.
The Rooney Rule’s purpose is to promote diversity in the coaching ranks by making sure that minority candidates get opportunities to interview for head coaching jobs. At present, only six teams have black head coaches. Just one coach, the Panthers’ Ron Rivera, is Latino.
Despite the way this situation unfolded and the valid questions the process raised, the league found no wrongdoing and the Raiders won’t face any consequences.
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